About the PI
Shan Zhou, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
School of the Environment and Sustainable Engineering
EIT, Ningbo
About Me
I am an environmental chemist interested in understanding the chemistry of air pollution in the environments around us, both indoors and outdoors. My research focuses on how air pollutants are emitted, formed, and transformed, and how their chemical composition and evolution shape their impacts on human well-being and the environment.
My research journey began with atmospheric aerosols and field measurements during my Ph.D. training in Atmospheric Science at the University of California, Davis. I subsequently expanded my research from the outdoor atmosphere to indoor environments, investigating oxidants, photochemistry, and multiphase processes in residences and other built environments. Along the way, my work has taken me from mountain-top and aircraft measurements of wildfire smoke to controlled chamber experiments and intensive measurements in occupied homes.
I joined EIT, Ningbo in 2024, where I lead the Zhou Group. Our research combines real-world observations, controlled experiments, advanced chemical measurements, and modeling to connect pollutant sources and composition with chemical transformation and broader impacts. Ultimately, we aim to understand not only what is in the air and how it changes, but also why those changes matter to people and the environment.
Education
Ph.D. University of California, Davis (2017), Atmospheric Science
M.S. University of California, Davis (2013), Atmospheric Science
B.S. Sun-Yat Sen University (2011), Atmospheric Science
Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor (2024–), EIT, School of the Environment and Sustainable Engineering
Research Assistant Professor (2022–2024), University of Houston, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Research Scientist (2020–2022), Rice University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2017–2020), Syracuse University, Department of Chemistry
Awards
Civil and Environmental Engineering Rising Star, MIT-CMU (2020)
Early-Career Travel Award, Chemistry of Indoor Environments Science Meeting (2018)
Matsumura Memorial Fellowship, University of California, Davis (2016)
Donald G. Crosby Fellowship, University of California, Davis (2015)
Department of Energy Travel Grant, U.S. Department of Energy (2014)
Atmospheric Science Graduate Group Fellowship, University of California, Davis (2011)
Klaus Töpfer Environmental Scholarship, United Nations Environment–Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (2011)
AS A MENTOR
I enjoy working with students and seeing curiosity grow into ideas, experiments, and discoveries. I believe the most exciting science starts with curiosity and grows through critical thinking, open discussion, and an inner drive to explore. To me, mentoring is less about providing answers than helping students learn how to find their own—how to think, how to learn, and how to approach problems in their own way. Ultimately, I hope each student grows into the person they want to become and finds their own path to success—because their success is, in many ways, my success too.
BEYOND the lab
I enjoy music, hiking, and sports. I love being outdoors, staying active, exploring new places, and making time for life beyond science.