Simeng Li, Ph.D., P.E.

I am a passionate professor, engineer, educator, author, and, above all, someone who genuinely enjoys exploring ideas and sharing them with others.

My work sits at the intersection of water, sustainability, materials, and engineering. I am enthusiastic about developing solutions for emerging contaminants and advancing water reuse, while also exploring how engineered biochar can help move us toward carbon-neutral and zero-waste systems. More recently, together with students, I have been developing biopolymer-based technologies for harvesting water from the environment. Across these areas, I am fascinated by one simple question: how can we use engineering and creativity to build a more sustainable future?

At Cal Poly Pomona, I have been fortunate to receive the university’s two highest campus-wide honors for faculty at relatively early points in my career: the 2025 Provost’s Excellence Award in Scholarly & Creative Activities and the 2024 Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award. Looking ahead, I hope to be remembered not simply for the technologies I develop or the papers and books I publish, but for making a lasting contribution to sustainable environmental systems, the circular economy, and the education of the engineers and scientists who will shape what comes next.

And outside the lab and classroom, I have a few important priorities of my own. For instance, I love traveling, especially when it gives me an excuse to explore new places, and, perhaps most importantly, to hunt down Pringles flavors from around the world. Some research projects have clear objectives; the Pringles collection is still very much a work in progress.