Page 10 - CEGE Magazine Fall 2024

Her biggest revelation from that time was about very tiny
things. Yang recalls, “2020 wasn’t an easy time to start a
faculty career, yet I learned an important science lesson.
The pandemic was a great illustration of how the movement
of tiny substances, especially small biological entities,
can make the world chaotic. This realization profoundly
influenced my research approach, by highlighting the need to
understand and manage the impact of both microscopic and
macroscopic interactions in our natural environment.”
Navigating Multiscale and Interdisciplinary
Challenges
Yang’s research stands out for its focus on bridging different
disciplines and scales. Yang’s work integrates microbiology,
chemistry, and physics. Yang and her team employ innovative
techniques to investigate complex phenomena, and they have
come up with interesting results. Their research could have
a large impact on how scientists understand erosion and the
soil we live on. At the macroscale, her flume experiments have
revealed how vegetation-generated turbulence influences
sediment dynamics and hyporheic exchange (the exchange
between surface water and groundwater). At the mesoscale,
Yang’s bacterial visualization system has uncovered new
mechanisms for bacteria spreading in soil. At the microscale,
her team has developed a 4D microfluidics-based imaging
method that has shown how clay microaggregates can protect
organic matter from microbial degradation.
Yang has secured multiple federal grants from prominent
organizations, including the National Science Foundation,
American Chemical Society, and the Office of Naval
Research. Yang has also built valuable partnerships with
researchers at Princeton University, the University of Arizona,
and the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. These
collaborations have enhanced the scope of her research and
resulted in multiple publications, including one on biofilm
growth with the School of Dentistry.
Mentoring and Teaching Excellence
Yang’s impact extends to her role as an educator and
a mentor. Since joining CEGE just four years ago, she
has guided four graduate students, three postdoctoral
researchers, and eleven undergraduates through research
in her lab. Her students and postdoctoral researchers have
achieved recognition through various awards. And one of her
postdoctoral researchers recently secured a faculty position.
Yang also teaches essential courses like Fluid Mechanics
and The Science and Engineering of Streams. Yang’s
teaching integrates her research insights with fundamental
theory, providing a dynamic learning experience that fosters
development and prepares students for future challenges.
In the classroom, Yang's dedication to educating the next
generation of scientists and engineers is evident. Last year,
she was recognized as the Best Undergraduate Instructor in
the department. Yang’s outreach efforts are also noteworthy.
Through initiatives like the Eureka! summer camp, she has
inspired over one hundred female K-12 students. She also
taught math at a correctional facility for women when she
was a postdoctoral researcher, an experience that informs her
ongoing commitment to support diverse students in STEM.
JUDY YANG CONT...
Judy Yang is a McKnight Land-Grant
Assistant Professor in the Department
of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-
Engineering and an Affiliated Faculty at
the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory at
the University of Minnesota. She earned
her Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental
Engineering from MIT in 2018 and was
a postdoctoral scholar in Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton
University from 2018 to 2020. Her diverse
expertise enriches her current role, where
she focuses on integrating multiple
scientific disciplines to address complex
environmental issues.
10 CEGE | CSE.UMN.EDU/CEGE
Yang's team. Her group includes graduate and undergraduate students Shih-
Hsun Huang, Yuan Li, William Guanju Wei, Soukaina Benaich, and Imtisaal
Naeem; and Postdoctoral Associates Willian Assis and Avery Agles.