Mei Sun – People
Dr. Mei Sun
Associate Professor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- Energy Production and Infrastructure Center 3163
- 9201 University City Blvd | Charlotte, NC 28223
Phone: 704-687-1723 | Fax: 704-687-0957
- Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2012
- M.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2008
- B.E. Environmental Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2007
Current Postdoctoral researchers
Xiping Kan (2024-now)
I graduated from East China University of Science and Technology in 2024 with a PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering, My research interests are detection, analysis and risk assessment of emerging contaminants, including PPCPs and PFAS. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking and watching Japanese animation.
Current PhD Students
Xiwen Jiang (2024-now)
I am from Dalian, a lovely, romantic, peaceful, and cozy seaside city with beautiful beaches in northeast China. I graduated from Liaoning University with a bachelor’s degree majoring in Environmental Science, and worked as an Environmental Consultant since graduation.
I am interested in research topics in water treatment since water is a nonrenewable resource. The study of PFAS has great meaning, as it is increasingly detected as an environmental pollutant, and some are linked to negative effects on human health. I enjoy running and other outdoor exercises a lot, and I am currently preparing for the half marathon.
Wenxin Wang (2025-now)
I grew up in Guangdong, China, a manufacturing hub where rapid industrial growth also brought complex environmental challenges. That’s where my interest in environmental protection began and where my small (but ambitious) dream was born: to create something truly eco-friendly that makes a meaningful difference. I previously worked on environmental omics during my master’s study, focusing on microbial degradation of pollutants. Currently, my PhD project is regenerating PFAS-laden resins and breaking down PFAS, basically trying to make these “forever chemicals” not so forever anymore.
Outside the lab, I love photography. Maybe one day I’ll become an environmental vlogger, sharing science, raising awareness about PFAS, and convincing more people to care about our water. I am passionate about cleaning water, utilizing UV light, and maybe capturing a few good photos along the way.
Current Master’s Students
None.
Current Undergraduate Students
Tessa Germond, Rachel Irving, Emma Miller, Thomas Lo Faso
Previous Group Members
Postdocs: Yuling Han (Guangdong University of Technology), Yen-Ling Liu (REGENESIS), Jinchen Chen (Jacobs), Yingying You (Merck), Kotaiba Abugazleh (Washington State Department of Ecology), Bingchuan Liu (Wuhan University of Science and Technology), Xincheng Jiang (Chengdu University of Information Technology)
PhD student: Vivek Pulikkal (CEC Inc.)
Master’s students: James Homiller (Dewberry), Sadhana Vangapalli (Chesterfield County Utilities, VA), Thuy Le (Union County, NC), Kaitlynn Bryan-Scaggs (ONE Environmental Group), Samonty Das (City of Monroe)
Undergraduate students: Melissa Thai (City of Charlotte), Isabel Srivoraphan (Booth & Associates), Savannah Tilley (GHD), Dave Tilley (BASF), Ziona Bates-Norris (Harding University High School), Cristine Quach (LaBella Associates), Hunter Hale (Moffatt & Nichol), Manaiyah Raybon
Lab technician: Elizabeth Batianis (Duke Energy)
Visiting scholar: Qin Tian (National Research Center for Geoanalysis of China)
Group Photos
From left to right: James Homiller, Vivek Pulikkal, Sadhana Vangapalli, Mei Sun, Savannah Tilly, Thuy Le, Qin Tian (Fall 2018)
From left to right: Yen-Ling Liu, Yuling Han, Samonty Das, Vivek Pulikkal (Fall 2019)
From left to right: Bingchuan Liu, Yingying You, Mei Sun, Swagotom Sarkar, Kotaiba Abugazleh (Spring 2023)
From left to right: Rachel Irving, Mei Sun, Xiping Kan, Xiwen Jiang, Xincheng Jiang, Wenxin Wang (Fall 2025)