Room: Engr II 442-F
Phone: (407) 823-1375
E-mail: nchang@ucf.edu

Full CV
Biosketch

Dr. Ni-Bin Chang, P.E., FASCE, FIEEE, FSPIE, FRSC,
FAAIA, FIAAM, FAAAS, FEURASC, FNAI, LEED

Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering

Fellow, the International Society of Optics and Photonics (FSPIE)
Fellow, the American Society of Civil Engineers (FASCE)
Fellow, the Royal Society of Chemistry (the United Kingdom) (FRSC)
Fellow, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (FIEEE)
Fellow, the International Association of Advanced Materials (FIAAM)
Fellow, the Asia- Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (FAAIA)
Fellow, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (FAAAS)
Fellow, the European Academy of Sciences (FEURASC)
Fellow, the National Academy of Inventors (FNAI)
Director of Stormwater Management Academy

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Environmental Systems Engineering, 
Cornell University, 1991

M.S. in Environmental Systems Engineering, 
Cornell University , 1989.

B.S. in Civil Engineering, 
National Chiao-Tung University, Taiwan, Republic of China , 1983

TEACHING

Undergraduate

  • Introduction to Environmental Engineering
  • Hydraulics
  • Engineering Fluid Mechanics
  • Sustainable Resources Management

Graduate

  • Advanced Hydrology
  • Industrial Ecology
  • Environmental and Water Resources Systems Analysis
  • Groundwater Hydrology
  • Environmental Informatics and Remote Sensing
  • Groundwater Modeling
  • Ecological Engineering – Receiving Water Impact

Teaching Highlights

Research Highlights

Recent Publications

Major Honor/Awards with Citations

Patents

Textbooks/Reference books

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Sustainable Engineering and Sustainability Science

  • System Analysis for Coupled Engineering Infrastructure and Natural System
  • Urban Food-Energy-Water Nexus Analysis with Interdisciplinary Sustainability Solutions
  • Ecological Engineering
  • Industrial Ecology
  • Environmental Informatics and Remote Sensing
    * Environmental Informatics and Decision Making
    * Environmental Cyberinfrastructure
    * Multispectral and Hyperspectral Remote Sensing
  • Environmental Health Engineering
    * Health Informatics and Decision Making
    * Multimedia Pollutant Fate and Transport Modeling
    * Exposure Assessment and Risk Analysis

Resilient Infrastructure Systems

  • Decision Making for Sustainable Infrastructure Management
  • Reliability Assessment Incorporating Sensor and Information Technologies
  • Minimization of Operational Disruption of Infrastructure Systems due to Human Activities and Natural Disasters
  • Post-disaster Recovery Planning
  • Hazard Analysis and Mitigation
  • Engineering Process Optimization and Control

Dr. Ni-Bin Chang is a Professor of Sustainable System Engineering having held this post in the US since 2002. He is a Professional Engineer in the United States with almost 30 years of experience in research, teaching, and outreach/community services. Chang’s research lies at the intersection of sustainability science and sustainable engineering with a highly interdisciplinary nature. He has been seeking interdisciplinary sustainability solutions for three decades to discover synergistic knowledge with the aid of convergence science. These findings are deeply rooted among intertwined issues in system engineering, industrial ecology, ecological engineering, material engineering, environmental engineering, earth science, hydrological science, machine learning, remote sensing, and spatial informatics. He strived to tackle interdisciplinary sustainability solutions in cross-linked facets of water availability and quality, air quality, waste flows, urban growth, and urban food-energy-water nexus at varying scales leading to explore urban metabolisms, urban ecology, and earth system processes in the coupled natural system and the built environment. His inventions with different green sorption media for removal of nutrients, heavy metals, E. Coli, algal toxins, and fluorinated surfactants from stormwater runoff, agricultural discharge, and wastewater effluent have led to 13 patented technologies in the food-energy-water-environment nexus and his patents of green sorption media have been licensed to industry after acquiring $20 million industrial investment affecting sustainable engineering design and public policies. He conducted both fundamental and applied research, combining theory and experimentation to work on these next-generation challenges aiming to minimize operational disruption of infrastructure due to human activities and natural disasters, develop green and sustainable materials, explore remote sensing of the environment, and implement ecological engineering principles. It led to providing risk-informed, forward-looking, cost-effective, and environmentally benign solutions for sustainable development at varying scales. Chang has been invited for presentations worldwide, published over 280 peered review journal articles and 8 books, and provided journal leaderships as Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Board Members for over 20 journals relevant to sustainable development. He served as program director in the Hydrologic Sciences Program and the Cyber-Innovation Sustainability Science and Engineering Program at the National Science Foundation from Aug. 2012 to Aug. 2014. All of these activities have a significant influence on the direction of a broad spectrum of sustainability science and engineering. He has received 40 honor/awards since 1987, including the Outstanding Achievement Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2010, the Bridging the Gaps Award from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in the United Kingdom in 2012, the Distinguished Visiting Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom in 2014, the Blaise Pascal Medal (Field Medal) from the European Academy of Sciences in 2016, and Fulbright Canada Research Chair Award in 2020. Up to now, he has been involved in $18.66 million of research projects. According to Google Scholar, as of Dec. 2021, his research publications have been cited up to 14,650 times in which his h-index is 62 and his i10-index is 248. He is one of the top 2 percent of the most-cited scientists that Stanford University had released in 2017 – 2021. At UCF, he has been directing the Stormwater Management Academy (http://stormwater.ucf.edu/) since Oct. 2011. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (FNAI), the American Society of Civil Engineers(FASCE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (FIEEE), the International Society of Optics and Photonics (FSPIE), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (FAAAS), the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) in the United Kingdom, the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (FAAIA), the International Association of Advanced Materials (FIAAM), and the European Academy of Sciences (FEurASc) in European Union. Dr. Chang is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Applied Remote Sensing published by the International Society of Optics and Photonics (SPIE) and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Hydroinformatics co-published by the International Water Association (IWA) and the International Association of Hydroenvironmental Research (IAHR).

Teaching Highlights

Dr. Chang has been offering 6 courses in the subject area of “Sustainable System Engineering” which include:

  1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering (undergraduate level)
  2. Sustainable Resources Management (undergraduate level)
  3. Environmental and Water Resources System Analysis (graduate level
  4. Environmental Informatics and Remote Sensing (graduate level),
  5. Ecological Engineering – Receiving Water Impact (graduate level)
  6. Industrial Ecology  (graduate level)

Course Description: Engineering approaches to understanding the air, energy, water, and land environments and human interactions with these media.  The role of process engineering for the protection of the physical environment will be stressed.  A quantitative technical approach will be used, as befitting an engineer.

Course Objectives:

  1. To introduce the various areas in which Environmental Engineers work; professionalism and ethics in this field
  2. To reinforce the knowledge of environmental chemistry
  3. To enable students to conduct
    • basic mass and energy balances on reactor and natural systems
    • basic chemical and thermodynamic calculations for environmental systems
  4. To familiarize with tools to solve engineering problems dealing with water and wastewater treatment, solid waste disposal, air pollution

 Prerequisites: College Chemistry and Calculus II

Credit: 3 semester hours – two lectures per week

Textbook:  Introduction to Environmental Engineering by C. David Cooper, pub by Waveland Press, Inc., Long Grove, Illinois.
Chemistry Review Supplement (download at the course web site)

Course Description: Engineering approaches to understanding the sustainability science for managing renewable resources in waste management infrastructure systems. The role of environmental engineering processes for solid waste management and resource conservation for the protection of natural systems and the urban environment. A quantitative technical approach for urban sustainable development.

Course Objectives:

  1. Introduce solid waste management and engineering treatment processes
  2. Identify resources recycling alternatives
  3. Provide students exposure to life cycle assessment of environmental infrastructure
  4. Discuss the concept of sustainable resources management

Course Learning Outcomes:

  1. Apply knowledge of topics from chemistry such as stoichiometry, kinetics, and equilibrium to gas generation, waste composition, and thermal conversion processes;
  2. Solve problems that address engineering economic issues such as life-cycle cost-benefit analysis and the selection of alternatives;
  3. Understand the role of an engineer involving regulations, ethics, professionalism, engineering practice, and registration;
  4. Solve basic problems related to gas and leachate generation, waste collection and composition, and thermal conversion processes;
  5. Introduce a food, energy, water interconnected systems;
  6. Demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively through written and oral reports.

Prerequisite:   ENV 3001

Credit: 3 semester hours

Textbook: Solid Waste Engineering, Vesilind, Worrell, Reinhart, 2011

Reference books:

    1. Solid Waste Engineering: A Global Perspective 3rd Edition by William A. Worrell |P. Aarne Vesilind | Christian Ludwig, Copyright 2017, Published by Cengage Learning, Inc.
    2. Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Engineering, T. E. H Graedel and B. R. Allenby, Prentice Hall, 1st edition, 2009, ISBN-13: 978-0136008064

Course Description: Discussion of fundamental simulation and optimization theories and their real-world applications for water resources management and environmental systems planning, energy management, resources conservation, climate change, regulatory concern, and pollution control. Introduction of mathematical programming and simulation techniques including: system dynamics model, linear programming, integer programming, nonlinear programming, and dynamic programming. Most examples cover typical planning, design, and operation problems for civil and environmental infrastructure with regard to complex decision-making. Integrated systems engineering models addressing the interfaces and interactions between the built environment and natural systems will be emphasized with multidisciplinary approaches.  In addition, classroom discussions are extended to conduct cost-benefit-risk trade-offs under uncertainty. Computer laboratory practices will be sequentially organized within the lecture to enhance the strength of hands-on experience.

Course Objectives:

This course is designed to:

  1. Introduce environmental systems modeling approach.
  2. Characterize environmental planning, design, and management objective(s).
  3. Formulate and solve mathematical models for systems analysis.
  4. Integrate simulation with optimization models for large-scale systems analysis.
  5. Interpret the outputs from systems analysis for decision-making.
  6. Conduct uncertainty analysis.

Credit: 3 semester hours

Required Textbooks:

  1. Systems Analysis for Sustainable Engineering: Theory and Applications, by Ni-Bin Chang, McGraw Hill, 2010, 0071630058 / 9780071630054
  2. Water Resources System Planning and Management, UNESCO, Peter Loucks, 2006
  3. Dynamic Modeling of Environmental Systems, by Michael L. Deaton and James J. Winebrake, Springer, 2000, 0-387-98880-7

Recommended Readings:

  1. Water Resources Systems Analysis by Mohammad Karamouz, Ferenc Szidarovszky, and Banafsheh Zahraie,  CRC, 2003.
  2. Introduction to Systems Engineering, Andrew P. Sage, James E. Armstrong, John Wiley and Sons, 2000.
  3. Civil and Environmental Systems Engineering, Charles S. ReVelle, E. Earl Whitlatch, Jeff R. Wright, Prentice Hall, 1997.

Students Learning Outcomes:

  1. Students will be able to formulate and apply systems engineering models for improved assessment, design, operation, and management of environmental and water infrastructure systems;
  2. Students will be able to deal with large-scale interactions between the engineered infrastructure and natural system with an appreciation of holism in decision analysis; and
  3. Students will be able to perform systems analyses in dealing with real-world issues.

Course Description: Discussion of how environmental informatics, remote sensing, and data science can be applied for sustainable development with the emphasis on integrated sensing, monitoring, and modeling for decision making.  The principle of environmental monitoring and assessment will be streamlined in the lectures.

Credit: 3 semester hours

Required Textbook:

  1. Fundamentals of Satellite Remote Sensing: 2nd Edition, by Emilio Chuvieco and Alfredo Huete, CRC Press.
  2. Lecture notes will be periodically distributed during the class meetings

Recommended References:

  1. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems with Data Files CD-ROM by Kang-tsung Chang, McGraw-Hill (Hardcover – Jan. 16, 2009)
  2. Introduction to Remote Sensing, by James B. Campbell, The Guilford Press, (4th edition) (Paperback – Oct 28, 2008)
  3. Remote Sensing and GIS Integration Theories, Methods, and Applications, by Qihao Weng, McGraw Hill, 2009, 007160653X / 9780071606530
  4. Sensors and Data Fusion, by Lawrence A. Klein, SPIE, 2nd edition, 2014
  5. Remote Sensing of the Environment: An Earth Resource Perspective, by Jensen, John R., Prentice Hall, (Hardcover – 2000)
  6. Physical Principles of Remote Sensing, by W. G. Rees, 3rd edition, Cambridge University Press, 2013

Course Objectives:

  1. Provide the fundamentals of spatial analysis and information retrieval techniques for environmental, hydrological, and ecological applications
  2. Promote a systems approach to integrate point and remote sensing data for decision support
  3. Emphasize systems-thinking when using environmental cyberinfrastructure for decision making under uncertainty
  4. Utilize project-oriented pedagogy to promote multidisciplinary approaches
  5. Enhance oral and written communication skills.

Learning Outcome:  Students are expected to master the following areas after having taken the course

  1. Understand the principles of GIS and remote sensing
  2. Perform spatial analysis for environmental planning with ArcGIS
  3. Process satellite images in a GIS environment
  4. Building capacity of image processing and feature extraction
  5. Conduct inverse modeling for environmental quality prediction

Course Description: Introduction of wetland treatment, stream/lake restoration and integration of green infrastructure with ecosystem services criteria. Discussion of multi-scale ecological engineering principles, ecosystem restoration and receiving water impacts. Assessment of urbanization effects on ecosystems and eco-city design.

Course Objectives:

  1. Provide the fundamentals of the linkages between ecosystem principles, ecological engineering, and receiving water impacts
  2. Build the interdisciplinary knowledge base of ecology, technology, and infrastructure
  3. Conduct ecosystem assessment using system dynamic models for sustainability
  4. Apply multi-scale ecological engineering concepts in support of green infrastructure design
  5. Promote systems engineering approach to aid in sustainable design of eco-city

Learning Outcome:

Students are expected to master the following areas after having taken the course

  1. Perform environmentally conscious green infrastructure planning and design
  2. Deepen the understanding of sustainability science in low impact development
  3. Conduct ecosystem modeling for sustainable management of water bodies
  4. Building capacity of ecosystem restoration for lakes and streams
  5. Enhance the sustainable management of eco-cities

Required Textbook:

  1. Ecological Engineering Design: Restoring and Conserving Ecosystem Services by Marty D. Matlock and Robert A. Morgan, John Wiley, 2011, ISBN: 978-0 47034514-6.
  2. Ecological Engineering: Principles and Practices by Patrick C. Kangas, Lewis Publishers, 2004, ISBN 1-56670-599-1.
  3. Additional reading assignments will be posted on the Canvas course website periodically.

Suggested References:

  1. Modeling the Environment, Second Edition, by Andrew Ford, Island Press, 2009, ISBN: 978-1597264730.
  2. Simulation of Ecological and Environmental Models, by Miguel F. Achvedo, CRC Press, 2013, ISBN: 978-1439885062.
  3. Introduction to System Ecology, by Sven Erik Jorgensen, 2012, ISBN: 978-1439855010.
  4. Dynamic Modelling of Environmental Systems, by Michael Deaton and James J. Winebrake, Springers, 2000, ISBN: 978-0387988801.
  5. Ecology and Natural Resources Management by William Grant, Ellen Pedersen and Sandra Marin, John Wiley and Sons, 1997, ISBN 0-471-13786-3.
  6. Ecological Engineering and Ecosystem Restoration by William J. Mitsch and S. E. Jorgenson, John Wiley, 2003, ISBN: 978-0-471-33264-0.
  7. Applications in Ecological Engineering, S. E. Jorgenson, Academic Press, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-444-53448-4.
  8. Ecological Modeling: An Introduction by S. E. Jorgenson, Elsevier, 2009

Course Description: Discussion of similarities between ecological systems and industrial systems/urban systems with the emphasis on industrial ecology complex, symbiosis mechanism, green product design and manufacturing, green building and infrastructure, renewable energy, municipal utility park, and food-energy-water nexus. Fundamentals of natural ecosystems as models for the design, creation, and operation of industrial/urban systems and how industries can learn from their natural counterparts. Rationales of environmental performance evaluation tools including material and energy flow analysis, pollution prevention, life cycle assessment, input-output analysis, and environmental cost accounting.

Credit: 3 semester hours

Required Textbook:

  1. Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Engineering by T. E. Graedel and B. R. Allemby (Prentice Hall, 2011)
  2. Additional reading assignments will be posted on the course website periodically.

Suggested References:

  1. Sustainable Engineering: Principles and Practice by Bhavik R. Bakshi (Cambridge University Press, 2019)
  2. Sustainable Energy Systems Engineering by Gevorkian (McGraw Hill, 2006)
  3. Perspectives on Industrial Ecology by Dominique Bourg and Suren Erkman (Greenleaf Publishing, 2003)

Course Objectives:

  1. Provide the fundamental knowledge of design for the environment, life cycle assessment, and environmental management system
  2. Promote systems engineering approach to couple industry, municipal, and natural systems
  3. Promote critical thinking and resourcefulness for sustainable industrial systems and municipal infrastructure systems
  4. Utilize project-oriented pedagogy to promote multidisciplinary approaches to learning
  5. Enhance oral and written communication skills using information technology tools.

Learning Outcome: Students are expected to understand the following areas after having taken the course

  1. Environmentally conscious industrial systems
  2. Green manufacturing and pollution prevention
  3. Green materials and product design.
  4. Sustainable energy and food-energy-water nexus
  5. Green building and green infrastructure planning
  6. Environmental management system
  7. Life-cycle assessment
  8. Symbiotic complex adaptable municipal infrastructure systems

Research Highlights














Recent Publications

  1. Chang, N. B., Xuan, Z., and Yang, J. (2013): Exploring spatiotemporal patterns of phosphorus concentrations in a coastal bay with MODIS images and machine learning models. Remote Sensing of Environment, 134, 100-110.
  2. Xuan, Z. and Chang, N. B. (2014): Modeling the climate-induced changes of lake ecosystem structure under the cascade impacts of hurricanes and droughts. Ecological Modelling, 288, 79-93.
  3. Bai, K., Chang, N. B., and Chen, C. F. (2015): Spectral information adaptation and synthesis scheme for merging cross-mission consistent ocean color reflectance observations from MODIS and VIIRS. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 54(1), 311-329.
  4. Crawford, A. J. and Chang, N. B. (2015): Developing the Groundwater Variability Probes (GVP) and wireless sensor networks for characterizing the subsurface low flow field. IEEE Sensors Journal, 99, 1-10.
  5. Bai, K., Chang, N. B., Yu, H., and Gao, W. (2016): Statistical bias corrections for creating coherent total ozone records with OMI and OMPS observations. Remote Sensing of Environment, 182, 150–168.
  6. Joyce, J., Chang, N. B., Harji, R., Ruppert, T., and Singhofen, P. (2017): Cascade impact of hurricane movement, storm tidal surge, sea level rise, and precipitation variability on flood assessment in a coastal watershed. Climate Dynamics, 51(1), 383-409.
  7. Joyce, J., Chang, N. B., Harji, R., and Ruppert, T. (2018): Coupling infrastructure resilience and flood risk assessment via copulas analyses for a coastal green-grey-blue drainage system under extreme weather events. Environmental Modelling and Software, 100, 82-103.
  8. Chang, N. B., Wen, D., McKenna,, and Wanielista, M. (2018): The impact of carbon source as electron donor on composition and concentration of dissolved organic nitrogen in biosorption-activated media for stormwater and groundwater co-treatment. Environmental Science and Technology, 52(16), 9380–9390.
  9. Chang, N. B. Wei, X., Mostafiz, C., Yang, J., Weiss, J., and Belavel, M. (2019): Reconstruction of sea-land interactions between terrestrial vegetation cover and water quality constituents during a hurricane landfall, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 83, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2019.101929.
  10. Chang, N. B., Wen, D., Colona, B., and Wanielista, M. P. (2019): Comparison of biological nutrient removal via two biosorption activated media between laboratory-scale and field-scale linear ditch for stormwater and groundwater co-treatment, Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 230, 151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-019-4193-y.
  11. Wen, D., Valencia, A., Ordonez, D., Chang, N. B., and Wanielista, W. P. (2020): Comparative nitrogen removal via microbial ecology between soil and green sorption media in a rapid infiltration basin for co-disposal of stormwater and wastewater, Environmental Research, 184, 109338 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109338
  12. Ordonez, D., Valencia, A., Chang, N. B., and Wanielista, M. P. (2020): Synergistic effects of aluminum/iron oxides and clay minerals on nutrient removal and recovery in water filtration media, Journal of Cleaner Production, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122728.
  13. Valencia, A., Ordonez, D., Wen, D., McKenna, A., Chang, N. B., and Wanielista, M. P (2020): The interaction of dissolved organic nitrogen removal and microbial abundance in iron-filings based green environmental media for stormwater treatment. Environmental Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109815.
  14. Chang, N. B., Hossain, M. U., Valencia, A., Qiu, J., Zheng, Q., Gu, L., Chen, M., Lu, J. W., Pires, A., Kaandorp, C., Abraham, E., ten Veldhuis, M. C., van de Giesen, N., Molle, B., Tomas, S., Mouheb, N. A., Dotta, D., Declercq, R., Perrin, M., Conradi, L., and Molle, G. (2020). Integrative technology hubs for urban food-energy-water nexuses and cost-benefit-risk trade-offs (I): Global trend and technology metrics. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, DOI: 10.1080/10643389.2020.1759328.
  15. Chang, N. B., Hossain, M. U., Valencia, A., Qiu, J., Zheng, Q., Gu, L., Chen, M., Lu, J. W., Pires, A., Kaandorp, C., Abraham, E., ten Veldhuis, M. C., van de Giesen, N., Molle, B., Tomas, S., Mouheb, N. A., Dotta, D., Declercq, R., Perrin, M., Conradi, L., and Molle, G. (2020). Integrative technology hubs for urban food-energy-water nexuses and cost-benefit-risk trade-offs (II): Design strategies for urban sustainability. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, DOI: 10.1080/10643389.2020.1761088.
  16. Zhang, W., Valencia, A., Gu, L., Zheng, Q., and Chang, N. B. (2020): Integrating emerging and existing renewable energy technologies for a community-scale microgrid in an energy-water nexus for resilience improvement. Applied Energy, 279, 115716.
  17. Wen, D., Valencia, A., Lustosa, E., Ordonez, D., Rice, N., Shokri, M., Gao, Y., Kibler, K., Chang, N. B., and Wanielista, M. P. (2020): Evaluation of green sorption media blanket filters for nitrogen removal in a stormwater retention basin at varying groundwater conditions in a karst environment. Science of the Total Environment, 719(1), 134826. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134826.
  18. Gao, Y., Libera, D., Wang, D., Kibler, K., and Chang, N. B. (2020). Evaluating the performance of BAM-based blanket filter on nitrate reduction in a karst spring. Journal of Hydrology, 591, 12459. IF=4.242.
  19. Ordonez, D., Valencia, A., Elhakiem, H., Chang, N. B., and Wanielista, M. P. (2020): Adsorption thermodynamics and kinetics of Advanced Green Environmental Media (AGEM) for nutrient removal and recovery in agricultural discharge and stormwater runoff, Environmental Pollution, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115172.
  20. Valencia, A., Zhang, W., and Chang, N. B. (2021): Integration of machine learning classifiers and higher-order tensors for screening the optimal recipe of filter media in stormwater treatment. Science of the Total Environment, doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145423

Patents

Understanding the nitrogen cycle in the natural system and the built environment for environmental restoration and ecosystem integrity has been selected as one of the fourteen grand challenges by the National Academy of Engineering. Such environmental restoration requires multidisciplinary knowledge and interdisciplinary sustainability solutions across material science and engineering, waste management, environmental engineering, ecological engineering, water resources engineering, earth system science, and chemical science and engineering. With a suite of laboratory tests and field campaigns, Dr. Chang and his team members reviewed a broader range of field conditions and invented a series of green sorption media, including the Biosorption Activated Media (BAM), the Iron-filings-based Green Environmental Media (IFGEM), and Aluminum-based Green Environmental Media (AGEM) for stormwater, groundwater, surface water, and wastewater treatment. These green sorption media utilize recycled materials mixed with natural materials to achieve compelling removal efficiencies via absorption/adsorption, ion exchange, precipitation, chelation, and redox reactions to promote urban sustainability in a circular economy. Different optimal recipes led to removing nutrients, heavy metals, color (humid acids), algal toxins (such as microcystin), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and pathogens by a cost-effective, sustainable, and green approach. Practical implementations were assessed by nearly 300 sites (see the list at https://stormwater.ucf.edu/research-patents/), including a plant having a capacity of 2 MGD for stormwater treatment located at Sarasota, Florida, and a plant having a capacity of 3 MGD for river water treatment located at Stuart, Florida. Such filtration unit with his green sorption media can be part of a treatment train in concert with constructed wetlands, chemical treatment (coagulation/flocculation) processes, and photocatalytic processes that have been considered in several real-world engineering projects.

  1. Passive Nutrient Removal Material Mixes. US Patent 7824551, issued on Nov. 2, 2010, Martin P. Wanielista, Ni-Bin Chang.
  2. Passive Nutrient Removal Material Mixes (DIV). US Patent 8002985, issued on August 23, 2011, Martin P. Wanielista, Ni-Bin Chang.
  3. Retention/Detention Pond Stormwater Treatment System. US Patent 8153005, issued on April 10, 2012, Martin P. Wanielista, Ni-Bin Chang.
  4. Retention/Detention Pond and Green Roof Passive Nutrient Removal Material Mixes.US Patent 7897047, issued on March 1, 2011, Martin P. Wanielista, Ni-Bin Chang.
  5. Passive Underground Drainfield for Septic Tank Nutrient Removal Using Special Functionalized Green Filtration Media. US Patent 7927484, issued on April 19, 2011, Martin P. Wanielista, Ni-Bin Chang, Ammarin Makkeasorn.
  6. Functionalized Green Filtration for Passive Underground Drainfield for Septic Tank Nutrient Removal. US Patent 7955507 issued on June 7, 2011, Martin P. Wanielista, Ni-Bin Chang, Ammarin Makkeasorn.
  7. On-Site Wastewater Treatment Using a Functionalized Green Filtration Media Sorption Field. US Patent 8101079, issued on Jan. 24, 2012, Martin P. Wanielista, Ni-Bin Chang, Ammarin Makkeasorn.
  8. Green Sorption Media for Water Treatment. US Patent 8002984, issued on August 23, 2011, Martin P. Wanielista, Ni-Bin Chang.
  9. Subsurface Upflow Wetland System for Nutrient and Pathogen Removal in Wastewater Treatment Systems. US Patent 8252182, issued on August 28, 2012, Ni-Bin Chang, Martin P. Wanielista.
  10. Automatic Pulse Tracer Velocimeter (APTV), US Patent 10612952, issued on April 7, 2020, A. James Crawford, Ni-Bin Chang.
  11. Water Treatment Using an Iron and Clay-Based Sorption Media, US Patent 10,696,567, issued on July 31, 2020, Ni-Bin Chang, Martin P. Wanielista
  12. The Iron Filings-Based Green Environmental Media for Nutrient Removal and Methods of Use, US Patent 10,787,373, issued on Sept. 29, 2020, Inventors: Ni-Bin Chang, Martin P. Wanielista.
  13. Synergistic Iron and Clay-Based Green Environmental Media for Nutrient Removal, US Patent 10,947,131 B2, issued on March 16, 2021, Inventors: Ni-Bin Chang, Martin P. Wanielista.
  14. Filtration System and Method for Treating Water Containing Nitrogen and Phosphorus Compounds, UCF #11545-03 / 81044, filed on May 18, 2020, approved for Application/Provisional Number: 17/302,895, Inventors: Ni-Bin Chang, Martin P. Wanielista.

Major Honor/Awards with Citations

  1. Fellow, European Academy of Sciences (http://www.eurasc.org), European Union, Oct. 2008.
  2. Fellow, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), USA, Feb. 2009.
  3. Outstanding Achievement Award, Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI), ASCE, USA, May 2010.
  4. Board Member, Earth Science and Environmental Science Division, the European Academy of Sciences, 2010-2016.
  5. Bridging the Gaps Award, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the United Kingdom, May 2012.
  6. Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), USA, Feb. 2012. (Citation: for contributions to the Integrated Sensing, Monitoring and Modeling for Decision Making”.)
  7. Distinguished Visiting Fellowship, Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE), the United Kingdom, Feb. 2014.
  8. Fellow, the International Society of Optics and Photonics (SPIE), Dec. 2014. (Citation: “for contributions to remote sensing and modeling for earth observations”)
  9. Fellow, the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), the United Kingdom, June 2015.
  10. Executive Board Member, Florida Climate Institute, Aug. 2015 ~ present
  11. The Blaise Pascal Medal (the Fields Medal in Earth and Environmental Sciences), the European Academy of Sciences, Nov. 2016. (Citation: “for his contributions to the environmental sustainability, green engineering, and systems analysis”)
  12. Fellow, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Nov. 2017. (Citation: for contributions to computational techniques for the analysis of environmental sustainability”.)
  13. IEEE Distinguished Lecturer, the IEEE Systems Council, May 2018.
  14. Fellow, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), Dec. 2018 (Citation: for his contributions to the field of nutrient monitoring, removal, and possible recovery in the aquatic environment.)
  15. University Excellence in Research & Teaching Award, UCF, Feb. 2019. (Citation: in recognition of his outstanding contributions in research and commitment to excellence in scholarly and creative activities)
  16. Fellow, the International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM) (Citation: “in recognition of his contribution to the advancement of materials to global excellence”), Sept. 2020.
  17. Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Sustainability Solutions, the Department of State in the US and the Fulbright Canada, May 2020.
  18. He is one of the top 2 percent of the most-cited scientists that Stanford University had released in 2017 – 2021.

Dr. Chang was invited to give a presentation in the Annual Symposium and Ceremony of Awards of the European Academy of Sciences (EurASC) as recipients of the Blaise Pascal Medal in Nov. 2016. Only 3 scientists received the awards in that year. The meeting took place in the Palais des Academies, Brussels (Belgium), on November 18th and 19th, 2016.

Blaise Pascal Medals are awarded by the EurASC to excellent scientists on a yearly basis. Prof. Chang (in the middle) received the Blaise Pascal Medal of Earth and Environmental Sciences from the President of the EurASC in the 2016 ceremony.

Blaise Pascal Medals are Field Medal with the highest honor in the EurASC, and three awardees (on the front) took photos with Council Members gathering after the ceremony in 2016.

Dr. Ni-Bin Chang Textbooks/Reference books

Multisensor Data Fusion and Machine Learning for Environmental Remote Sensing

1. Multisensor Data Fusion and Machine Learning for Environmental Remote Sensing
 by Ni-Bin Chang and Kaixu Bai

ISBN 9781498774338
Page: 508
Publication date: March 2018
Publisher: CRC Press

2. Proceedings of SPIE Remote Sensing and Modeling for Ecosystem of Sustainability
by Wei Gao (Editor)
Ni-Bin Chang (Editor)

ISBN: 9781628417760
Page: 520
Publication date: Dec., 2015
Publisher: SPIE

3. Sustainable Solid Waste Management: A Systems Engineering Approach.
by Ni-Bin Chang and Ana Pires

ISBN: 978-1-118-45691-0
Page: 820
Publication Date: Feb., 2015
Publisher: John Wiley/IEEE (IEEE Book Series on Systems Science and Engineering), New York,

4. Proceedings of SPIE Remote Sensing and Modeling for Ecosystem of Sustainability
by Wei Gao (Editor)
Ni-Bin Chang (Editor)
Jinnian Wang (Editor)

ISBN: 9781628412482
Page: 280
Publication date: Nov. 1, 2014
Publisher: SPIE

5. Ecological Modelling and Engineering of Lakes and Wetlands, Volume 26 (Developments in Environmental Modelling) 
by Sven Erik Jørgensen (Editor)
Ni-Bin Chang (Editor)
Fu-Liu Xu (Editor)

ISBN-13: 978-0444632494
Page: 720
Publication date: May 1 2014
Publisher: Elsevier

6. Multiscale Hydrologic Remote Sensing: Perspectives and Applications 
by Ni-Bin Chang (Editor)
Yang Hong (Editor)

ISBN-13: 978-1439877456
Page: 568
Publication date: March 2012
Publisher: CRC Press

7. Environmental Remote Sensing and Systems Analysis 
by Ni-Bin Chang (Editor)

ISBN-13: 978-1439877432
Page: 520
Publication date: March 2012
Publisher: CRC Press

8. Systems Analysis for Sustainable Engineering 
by Ni-Bin Chang (Author)

ISBN-13: 978-0071630054
Page: 704
Publication date: Jan. 2011
Publisher: McGraw Hill

9. Effects of Urbanization on Groundwater: An Engineering Case-Based Approach for Sustainable Development
by Ni-Bin Chang (Editor)

Page: 410
Publication date: Jan. 2010
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers