Associate Professor
Civil and Environmental Engineering
335C Link Hall
tezeng@syr.edu
315.443.1099
Degrees:
- Ph.D. Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2012.
- M.S. Environmental Science and Engineering, Singapore Stanford Partnership, 2007.
- B.S. Environmental Science, Tongji University, 2006.
Areas of Expertise:
- Occurrence and fate of organic micropollutants
- Photochemical and redox reactivity of organic matter
- Byproduct formation and control in water treatment
- Wastewater surveillance for substance use assessment
Our research is centered on the interface of environmental engineering and chemistry. We study chemical processes in natural and engineered aquatic systems and are broadly interested in topics related to water quality, contaminant fate, and wastewater surveillance. Our research projects involve field work, organic trace analytics, and fate process modeling. Our team consists of graduate and undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds. We collaborate with faculty members from multiple disciplines as well as researchers from other academic institutions and research organizations.
Honors:
- NSF CAREER Award, National Science Foundation (2022)
- Mentor of the Year, Center for Fellowship & Scholarship Advising, Syracuse University (2022)
- Meredith Teaching Recognition Award, Syracuse University (2020)
- North America New Chemist Travel Award, Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (2017)
- Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (2017)
- ExCEEd Teaching Fellowship, American Society of Civil Engineers (2016)
Selected Publications:
- Wasswa, J.; Driscoll, C. T.; Zeng, T., Contrasting impacts of photochemical and microbial processing on the photoreactivity of dissolved organic matter in an Adirondack Lake watershed. Environmental Science & Technology, 2022, 56, (3), 1688-1701.
- Wang, S.; Wasswa, J.; Feldman, A. C.; Kabenge, I.; Kiggundu, N.; Zeng, T., Suspect screening to support source identification and risk assessment of organic micropollutants in the aquatic environment of a Sub-Saharan African urban center. Water Research 2022, 220, 118706.
- Wang, S.; Perkins, M.; Matthews, D. A.; Zeng, T., Coupling suspect and nontarget screening with mass balance modeling to characterize organic micropollutants in the Onondaga Lake–Three Rivers system. Environmental Science & Technology, 2021, 55, (22), 15215-15226.
- Wasswa, J.; Driscoll, C. T.; Zeng, T., Photochemical characterization of surface waters from lakes in the Adirondack Region of New York. Environmental Science & Technology 2020, 54, (17), 10654-10667.
- Wang, S.; Matt, M.; Murphy, B. L.; Perkins, M.; Matthews, D. A.; Moran, S. D.; Zeng, T., Organic micropollutants in New York lakes: A statewide citizen science occurrence study. Environmental Science & Technology 2020, 54, (21), 13759-13770.
- Wang, S.; Green, H. C.; Wilder, M. L.; Du, Q.; Kmush, B. L.; Collins, M. B.; Larsen, D. A.; Zeng, T., High-throughput wastewater analysis for substance use assessment in central New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 2020, 22, (11), 2147-2161.