Jie Zhuang
Dr. Jie (Joe) Zhuang is a professor in Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, director of graduate studies in environmental and soil sciences, and faculty lead of Cluster Hiring Initiative and Community of Scholars of Resilient Agriculture and Forest Systems (RAFS) at the University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville. He is also an affiliated faculty of UT’s Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment. He is a Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and has served on many national award committees as well as many review panels of national and international funding agencies. Over the past 25 years, Dr. Zhuang's research topics range from soil hydrology to crop-water relation, pore-scale carbon-water interaction, food-energy-water nexus, and fate and transport of colloids (viruses, bacteria, nanoparticles) and organic and inorganic contaminants (emerging organic chemicals, heavy metals, dissolved carbon, and nutrients) in soils and engineering porous media under variable flow and chemical conditions. In recent years, he integrates environmental and soil sciences into the frameworks of food-energy-water nexus and circular bioeconomy to innovate strategies and solutions for soil restoration and health, water resource management, biowaste circularity, and soil-crop resilience to climatic stresses. He has been the editor or editorial board member for 13 journals and served over 60 journals as ad hoc reviewer. In March 2026, he published Handbook of Circular Bioeconomy co-edited with Dr. David Zilberman, Dr. Justus Wesseler, and Dr. Madhu Khanna. Currently, Dr. Zhuang leads funded projects aiming to develop climate-smart food-energy-water nexus approaches for transforming farming systems (especially small farms) into circular bioeconomy systems. In teaching, he provides undergraduate and graduate students with interdisciplinary training for understanding the impacts of food-energy-water nexus and circular agriculture practices on the resilience and sustainability of environmental and food systems in a changing climate.
(1) Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems;
(2) Circular Bioeconomy of Biowaste in Agriculture;
(3) Biophysical Foundation of Soil Health;
(4) Fate and Transport of Colloids and Contaminants
(1) How does soil pore system influence the characteristics, behaviors, and functions of soil microbial community?
(2) What is the role of gas-liquid-solid interfaces in determining the fate and movement of contaminants and nutrients in soils?
(3) How can the nexus of food, energy, and water systems improve agricultural resilience and environmental sustainability?
2506 E J Chapman Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996
- PhD, Soil Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, China, 1993
- MS, Soil Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, China, 1990
- BS, Soil Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, China, 1987
Jie Zhuang
2506 E J Chapman Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996
- PhD, Soil Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, China, 1993
- MS, Soil Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, China, 1990
- BS, Soil Science, Shenyang Agricultural University, China, 1987
Dr. Jie (Joe) Zhuang is a professor in Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, director of graduate studies in environmental and soil sciences, and faculty lead of Cluster Hiring Initiative and Community of Scholars of Resilient Agriculture and Forest Systems (RAFS) at the University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville. He is also an affiliated faculty of UT’s Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment. He is a Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and has served on many national award committees as well as many review panels of national and international funding agencies. Over the past 25 years, Dr. Zhuang's research topics range from soil hydrology to crop-water relation, pore-scale carbon-water interaction, food-energy-water nexus, and fate and transport of colloids (viruses, bacteria, nanoparticles) and organic and inorganic contaminants (emerging organic chemicals, heavy metals, dissolved carbon, and nutrients) in soils and engineering porous media under variable flow and chemical conditions. In recent years, he integrates environmental and soil sciences into the frameworks of food-energy-water nexus and circular bioeconomy to innovate strategies and solutions for soil restoration and health, water resource management, biowaste circularity, and soil-crop resilience to climatic stresses. He has been the editor or editorial board member for 13 journals and served over 60 journals as ad hoc reviewer. In March 2026, he published Handbook of Circular Bioeconomy co-edited with Dr. David Zilberman, Dr. Justus Wesseler, and Dr. Madhu Khanna. Currently, Dr. Zhuang leads funded projects aiming to develop climate-smart food-energy-water nexus approaches for transforming farming systems (especially small farms) into circular bioeconomy systems. In teaching, he provides undergraduate and graduate students with interdisciplinary training for understanding the impacts of food-energy-water nexus and circular agriculture practices on the resilience and sustainability of environmental and food systems in a changing climate.
(1) Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems;
(2) Circular Bioeconomy of Biowaste in Agriculture;
(3) Biophysical Foundation of Soil Health;
(4) Fate and Transport of Colloids and Contaminants
(1) How does soil pore system influence the characteristics, behaviors, and functions of soil microbial community?
(2) What is the role of gas-liquid-solid interfaces in determining the fate and movement of contaminants and nutrients in soils?
(3) How can the nexus of food, energy, and water systems improve agricultural resilience and environmental sustainability?