Bio:

Dr. Liang Yu is an Assistant Professor and Graduate Coordinator of the Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) program at Kentucky State University. He brings over two decades of multidisciplinary experience at the intersection of engineering, agriculture, and sustainability. Dr. Yu holds dual Ph.D. degrees—one in Biological Systems Engineering from Washington State University and another in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in the state of Washington.

Dr. Yu serves as a Guest Editor for Fermentation (special issue: Energy Converter—Anaerobic Digestion) and Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, contributing to the advancement and visibility of the bioengineering field.

His academic and professional journey bridges industry and academia — ranging from managing large-scale refinery operations in China and leading cutting-edge research in bioenergy and waste valorization in the United States. His core expertise lies in integrating innovative engineering approaches with biological processes to address challenges in organic waste management, renewable energy production, sustainable water reuse, and aricultural productivity.

Dr. Yu’s research focuses on advancing biorefinery-based industrial symbiosis and supporting the circular economy. He applies multi-scale modeling techniques—including molecular simulation, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), process control, systems optimization, techno-economic analysis (TEA), life cycle assessment (LCA), and machine learning—to guide technology development and decision-making.

Currently, he is leading the development, optimization, and scale-up of an advanced anaerobic digestion-based biorefinery integrated with hydrothermal pretreatment. This system is designed to transform animal manure, food waste, biosolids, and other organic feedstocks into renewable natural gas (RNG), nutrient-rich fertilizers, clean water, and high-value bioproducts.

Dr. Yu serves as Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PI, and Key Personnel on projects funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). He has published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals such as Applied Energy, Bioresource Technology, Chemical Engineering Science, and AIChE Journal, and holds five granted patents.

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Google Scholar Profile:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=lu5Sfw8AAAAJ&hl=en

Personal Information:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/liang-yu-phd-pe-b67a7043/