Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Anqi Mou
Postdoctoral Fellow, December 2024-Present
Education: Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Canada, 2024
M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, Nankai University, China, 2019
B.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, China, 2016
Dr. Anqi Mou is a Postdoctoral Fellow specializing in optimizing anaerobic digestion processes to maximize energy recovery from high-strength waste and wastewater, including waste activated sludge, blackwater, food waste, and distillery wastewater. By applying pretreatments, co-digestion strategies, anaerobic granular sludge, and modified granular activated carbon (GAC)-amended up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) systems, she addresses critical challenges in waste and wastewater treatment. Her research interest focuses on sludge minimization, phosphorus recovery, and resource sustainability. Dr. Mou has also collaborated with the City of Edmonton to develop sustainable waste management solutions for parks. Her work not only provides valuable insights for academic research, but also has the potential to advance environmental engineering practices, promoting a more sustainable and energy-efficient future.
Graduate Students
Tae Chung
Ph.D. Student, Winter 2021-Present
Education: M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, 2021
B.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, 2018
Awards: Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship, Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship-Doctoral (CGS D), Alberta Innovates Graduate Scholarship, ConocoPhillips Canada Limited Graduate Scholarship in Hydrocarbon Development
Calvin is diving deep into some cutting-edge research for his dissertation. He’s currently focused on converting carbon dioxide into biomethane and enhancing biogas upgrading processes using microbial electrosynthesis systems. He’s also making strides in developing bioelectrochemical sensors to detect naphthenic acids in oil sands process water in Alberta. His hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed; he has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Izaak Killam Memorial Graduate Scholarship, the NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship, AIGSS, and the ConocoPhillips Canada Limited Graduate Scholarship in Hydrocarbon Development. When he’s not busy in the lab, Calvin enjoys spending time with his two lovely dogs, Cookie and Cocoa, hitting the tennis courts, and expanding his TCG collections.
Monisha Alam
Ph.D. Student, Fall 2021-Present
Education: M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, 2017
B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 2012
Awards/Scholarships: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Postgraduate Scholarship, President’s Doctoral Prize of Distinction, Westmoreland Coal Company Graduate Scholarship in Environmental Engineering, Petro-Canada Graduate Scholarship
Monisha Alam is a PhD student at the University of Alberta specializing in pioneering waste-to-energy research. Her current research focuses on anaerobic fermentation of wastewater sludge to produce renewable energy and value-added products. With an MSc in environmental engineering from the same university, Monisha has earned numerous prestigious scholarships at the federal, provincial, and institutional levels in recognition of her academic and research excellence. She is driven by a commitment to addressing global climate challenges through innovative approaches that reduce waste and generate clean energy. In her downtime, she enjoys exploring nature, traveling, and spending time with her son.
Romana Saila
Ph.D. Student, Fall 2022-Present
Education: M.Eng. in Water Resources, University of Alberta
Award/Scholarship: Westmoreland Coal Company Graduate Scholarship in Environmental Engineering
Romana Saila is a PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from sludge fermentation, exploring their potential as an alternative carbon source for the biological nutrient removal (BNR) process, with a specific focus on optimizing fermentation processes in the context of Canadian climate conditions. Romana’s work investigates the impact of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) on sludge fermentation, with particular attention to antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) proliferation. Her research contributes to the field of sustainable waste-to-energy solutions and environmental protection.
Yadong Fan
Ph.D. Candidate (Co-supervised with Dr. Dominic Sauvageau)
Education: M.Sc., Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, China
Sami Khaskheli
Ph.D. Student, Spring 2023-Present
Education: MS in Environmental Engineering from the US Pakistan Center of Advance Studies in Water (USPCASW), Mehran UET Jamshoro, Pakistan; B. E in Mechanical Engineering from Mehran University of Engineering & Technology Jamshoro, Pakistan.
Award: Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan Overseas Scholarship, The University of Alberta Graduate Recruitment Scholarship.
Sami Khaskheli is a PhD student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. His research focuses on anaerobic digestion, converting organic waste and high-strength wastewater into biomethane, particularly upgrading biomethane to renewable natural gas (RNG) through microaeration for sustainable applications. He is also collaborating on high-solid anaerobic digestion (HSAD) projects, investigating the impact of seasonal variations. In alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Sami’s research aims to contribute to producing clean, affordable energy while addressing critical waste management challenges. His goal is to advance sustainable waste-to-energy solutions that promote environmental protection. Sami has been awarded the University of Alberta Graduate Recruitment Scholarship and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan Overseas Scholarship.
Asad Aziz
Ph.D. Student, Winter 2026-Present
Education: MS in Environmental and Water Resource Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo (UB), USA; MS in Environmental Engineering, Aligarh Muslim University, India
BS in Civil Engineering, Aligarh Muslim University, India
Awards: UofA Graduate Recruitment Scholarship
Asad Aziz is a PhD student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. His current research focuses on microbial electrosynthesis cells for converting carbon dioxide into methane and enhancing biogas upgrading. During his master’s studies at the University at Buffalo (UB), he investigated the sunlight inactivation of antibiotic resistance genes on soil surfaces.
He received several prestigious awards at UB, including the Graduate Student Association Conference Award for the 2024 American Society of Microbiology (ASM) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, the University at Buffalo Mark Diamond Research Fund Award (2024–2025), and a Travel Award for the 2023 AEESP Research and Education Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition, during his master’s studies in India, he gained extensive experience in biological wastewater treatment processes, including anaerobic digestion, aerobic granulation, nutrient removal (conventional BNR and anammox), and resource recovery. As a result of his research, he has published articles in reputable journals and presented his work at both national and international conferences. In his free time, he enjoys CrossFit and spending time with his family.
Anindya Amal Chakrabarty
M.Sc. Student, Environmental Engineering, Winter 2023-Present
Education: B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Bangladesh.
Anindya Amal Chakrabarty is currently pursuing a Master’s degree, focusing on Anaerobic Digestion (AD) as part of his research. His main research focus is exploring the seasonal variation of Source-Separated Organics (SSO) and its impact on AD processes. His work examines how changes in organic waste composition across seasons affect AD efficiency, advancing more effective waste-to-energy solutions. With a deep interest in sustainable energy and environmental preservation, Anindya aims to optimize AD technology for enhanced biogas production and resource recovery. His research is dedicated to advancing renewable energy technologies and fostering sustainable waste management practices.
Tamanna Haque
M.Sc. Student, Environmental Engineering, Winter 2025 – Present
Education: B.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, 2020
After completing her undergraduate degree from the University of Alberta in 2020, Tamanna joined the engineering industry as an E.I.T. in Civil / Environmental Engineering Consulting. On the path to her P.Eng, Tamanna is pursuing her master’s in Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. Her main research focus is using Microbial Electrochemical Cells (MECs) for green hydrogen production from carbon waste. Tamanna has always been passionate about sustainable development, environmentalism and renewable resources. She is very excited to contribute to waste-to-energy research with hopes of developing practical applications within the industry.
Shendi Sui
M.Sc. Student, Environmental Engineering, Fall 2025 – Present (Co-supervised with Dr. Dr. Rasha Maal-Bared)
Education: B.Sc. in Agricultural Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, China (2023).
Shendi is a Master’s student at the University of Alberta, pursuing research on oxygenic photogranules (OPGs) for wastewater treatment. His work focuses on optimizing OPG systems for nutrient removal and exploring the potential integration of nanobubble (NB) technology to improve treatment efficiency and stability. He is deeply interested in environmental protection and sustainable technologies, and hopes to contribute to building a cleaner and greener environment through his research.
Hanae El Azzizi
M.Eng. Student, Environmental Engineering, Winter 2026 – Present
Undergraduate Student
Tajbir Thind
Dean’s Research Award Program, 09/2025–Present