The Art of Environmental Remediation: A Philosophical and Practical Guide to Healing Soil and Groundwater

Author Biography

Dr. Simeng Li is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where he specializes in environmental and water resources engineering, with a focus on environmental remediation and restoration. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Civil Engineering in the State of California. He received his Ph.D. and M.Eng. in Civil Engineering from Florida State University and his B.Eng. in Environmental Engineering from Ocean University of China. Dr. Li’s research integrates environmental remediation technologies with systems-based approaches to environmental management. He has authored or co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers spanning contaminant fate and transport, subsurface remediation processes, and sustainable water and soil management systems. His work addresses both legacy pollutants, such as heavy metals and persistent organic contaminants, and emerging contaminants including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals, and microplastics. Through this work, he seeks to advance sustainable and resilient strategies for restoring contaminated soil and groundwater systems, improving water infrastructure performance, and transforming waste streams into recoverable resources. His approach emphasizes the integration of mechanistic understanding with system-level design and practical implementation. In addition to his scholarly work, Dr. Li is an award-winning educator who has taught a broad range of undergraduate and graduate courses in environmental engineering. His teaching emphasizes the integration of theory, project-based learning, and applied problem-solving, supported by real-world remediation practice and field- and laboratory-based experiences. He is deeply committed to mentorship and has guided students toward careers in engineering practice, graduate study, and environmental research. Through his combined roles as educator, researcher, and licensed engineer, Dr. Li seeks to bridge scientific understanding and practical implementation in environmental remediation, with an emphasis on developing solutions that are both technically rigorous and operationally grounded.