Principal Investigator

Daniel Cha

Dr. Cha has been a professor in the environmental engineering department at the University of Delaware since 1995. Prior to coming to Delaware, he worked in wastewater, consulting, and as an assistant professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Dr. Cha received his master’s degree in bio-resource engineering from the University of British Columbia, and his PhD in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Cha’s areas of expertise include biochemistry, environmental and water resources, water, and sustainability.

Download CV

Post-Doctoral Researchers

Dr. Inyoung Kim

Inyoung completed her PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Delaware in 2018, and she received her BS in Chemistry, and MS in Chemistry and Nano Science from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea. Inyoung does research on the reduction of insensitive munitions compounds (IMXs) using nano-sized ZVI to achieve better removal efficiency. She has been working with ZVI since she started her PhD study, and Inyoung loves to explore ZVI’s chemical and physical properties, and its cooperation with microorganisms for contaminants removal in the water environment. Inyoung is also interested in evaluating and improving water quality for the people who suffer from water contamination. Outside of the lab, Inyoung enjoys playing the piano.

Graduate Students

Xiangmin Liang: PhD Candidate

Xiangmin received his bachelor’s degree in water supply and sewage science and engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2014. He got his master’s degree in environmental engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology in 2016. He started to work with Dr. Cha that same year. His research is exploring the potential of combining polymer producing bacteria and filamentous bacteria to fabricate novel biocomposite material. Xiangmin is a previous DENIN fellow. Xiangmin’s hobbies include running, playing badminton, and traveling.

Rachel Burch: PhD Candidate

Rachel received her bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Messiah College in 2018 and started in the lab immediately thereafter. The aim of Rachel’s research is to keep food waste out of landfills by breaking it down and repurposing it for energy and fertilizers. She is working with a new technology, aerobic bio-digesters, to liquefy and transform the food waste. Outside of the lab, Rachel is on the leadership team of the InterGrad Christian Fellowship at UD. Rachel enjoys attending Bible study, running, and being crafty.