About Us

Hi, welcome to the E-WATER Lab at Michigan State University! I’m Shiqiang (Nick) Zou, the principal investigator of the E-WATER Lab. Feel free to check the whole website to learn more about our research, group, and the Michigan State community!

A little bit more info about me. Before joining MSU, I was an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Auburn University. I completed my postdoctoral training within Prof. Meagan Mauter’s WE3 Lab in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University.  Prior to Stanford, I got my Ph.D. degree from Virginia Tech. Working at Environmental Biotechnology and Bioenergy Lab (EBBL), my Ph.D. research mainly focuses on nutrient-energy-water (NEW) recovery from all types of wastewater through innovative membrane-based technologies, such as Forward Osmosis (FO) and Bioelectrochemical System (BES), to sustainably address some major challenges in 21st century, i.e. water scarcity, nutrient depletion with increasing food demands, and energy shortage. During my leisure time, I’d like to watch movies, get together with my friends, and enjoy football games. As a Hokie, I really cherish the spirit of “Ut Prosim (That I may serve),” and actively engage in volunteer services to help build a better community.

I also hold dual master’s degrees from Peking University (PKU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), both are the top 3 universities in Asia (ranked 2nd and 3rd according to the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings, respectively). Stepping out of Asia is a great and rewarding experience for me, and I will strive to build a supportive and inclusive community at Michigan State.