Boya Xiong

As of fall 2020, Boya Xiong is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geo-Engineering. She was a post-doctoral associate at MIT working with Professor Desiree Plata providing comprehensive organic fingerprint analyses on the groundwater samples. She is a PhD graduate of Penn State, and is passionate about bringing sustainable solutions to provide safe drinking water and minimize hazardous wastes streams by green design of processes and materials.

Research Interests: Membrane processes, Green polymer materials, Water and wastewater treatment, Natural antimicrobial peptides, Hydraulic fracturing

Research & Publications

• Xiong, B., Roman-White, S., Piechowicz, B., Miller, Z., Farina, B., Tasker, T., and Burgos, W.D., Zydney, A.L., Kumar, M. (2018) Polyacrylamide in hydraulic fracturing causes severe membrane fouling during flowback water treatment. Journal of Membrane Science 560:125-131.
• Xiong, B., Loss, R.D., Shields, D., Zydney, A.L., Kumar, M. (2018) Polyacrylamide in environment- implications for water treatment. npj Clean Water (Just accepted)
• Xiong, B., Piechowicz B., Clement E., Wang A., Kumar M., Velegol, S. (2017) Moringa oleifera f-sand filters for sustainable water purification. Environmental Science and Technology Letters 5.1:38-42 (Issue cover, C&EN news).
• Xiong, B., Miller Z., Roman-White S., Piechowicz B., Farina B., Tasker T., Burgos W. D., Joshi P., Zhu L., Gorski A. C., Zydney A. L., Kumar M. (2017) Chemical degradation of polyacrylamide during hydraulic fracturing. Environmental Science and Technology 52.1: 327-336.

Honors & Recognition:

• Gordon Research Seminar: Environmental Science, Water, Best poster award, 2018
• National Science Foundation ACADEME fellow, 2018
• Gordon Research Seminar: Membrane Materials and Processes, 1st place poster award, 2016
• North American Membrane Society Annual Conference travel award, 2016
• Pennsylvania Water Environment Association Student Research Award, 2016