Principal Investigator:
Tian Li
Associate Professor
Perry Academic Excellence Scholar
Schaefer Outstanding Faculty Scholar
Packard Fellow, Kavli Fellow
School of Mechanical Engineering
Purdue University
1034 Ray W. Herrick Laboratories,
177 S Russell St, West Lafayette, IN 47907
(765)496-0858
Dr. Tian Li is a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences and a Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering. She has received numerous honors, including recognition as a Moore Inventor Fellowship Finalist, Violet B. Haas Fellow, Sony Research Innovation Awardee, R&D 100 Finalist, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree. Her contributions have also been recognized by major professional societies through awards such as the ACS Kingfa Young Investigator Award, ASME Haythornthwaite Foundation Research Award, and MRS Postdoctoral Award.
Innovative solutions towards grand challenges require a multidisciplinary approach. By Redesigning Natural materials for Energy, Water, Environment and Devices (ReNEWED), the Li group aims to apply the fundamental science to establish a “toolbox” of naturally occurred materials towards engineering solutions that are nanoscale facinating and geoscale feasible.
------------------------------------------------- News -------------------------------------------------
March 2026
Congratulations to Dr. Li on receiving the ACS (American Chemical Society) KINGFA Young Investigator Award!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 2026
Congratulations to Pengfei on receiving the Estus H. and Vashti L. Magoon Award!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan 2026
Congratulations to Noah Brooks on being selected for the ISF-DUIRI project, From Fungi to Fiber — Sustainable Mycelium Paper and Packaging!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 2025
Congratulations! Qilong has been named one of the “Top 10 Chinese American Outstanding Youth” for 2025.
See details
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 2025
Pengfei and Xiwei defensed their Preliminary Examination for PhD
Congratulations to them!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 2025
Thanks for the sweetest surprise! Thanks to all our group members!
The cake reads "Congrats to Tenured Prof. Tian Li", with a very cool design — thanks, team!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 2025
It is a girl!!
Congratulations and best wishes to Fengyin!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 2025
Congratulations to Pengfei Deng on receiving the Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 2025
Our start-up company Watex. LLC received support from DOD for enviromental security technology on permafrost!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan 2025
We received Seed Funding for High-Impact Review Papers from School of Engineering!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb 2025
Congratulations to Matias Alvarado in receiving the Bottomley Research Scholarship
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sept 2024
Beautiful family of sardines in Monterey Bay Aquarium, taken during the Packard Annual Meeting
"Stronger Together"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 2024
We showcased our Living Wood in ARPA-E summit-- featuring our co-PI Prof. Eva Haviarova (Director of Wood Research Lab) and Prof. Gemma Reguera (MSU), as well as Xiwei Shan and Dr. Emily Greeson.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 2024
Tabe joined us with a background in Engineering Education.
Welcome Tabe!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 2024
Paula joined us under SURF program! Paula will be working on bio-based adhesives and microbe assisted biomanufacturing. Welcome Paula!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 2024
Wenkai received his PhD with an exceptional defense on cellulose innovation for energy and water. Wenkai joined us in 2020 when our group started at Purdue -- thanks for all the hard work and congrats to Dr. Zhu!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan 2024
Dr. Li was invited to the National Academy of Sciences' Kavli Frontiers of Science symposium
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan 2024
Simone joined us under DUIRI program-- She is co-advised with Tony Dong from Department of Chemistry at Purdue. She worked on upcycling biomass/cellulose waste for fuel!
Welcome Simone!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan 2024
Our work on ambient water harvesting is highlighted on Nature Outlook Water
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nov 2023
Dr. Li serves as guest editor for npj flexible electronics
Sustainable Flexible Electronics
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nov 2023
We were awarded the Ag-Eng Fund
(Collaboration with Petrus Langenhoven and Lisa Mauer from Colleges of Agriculture)
PI: Tian Li
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nov 2023
Dr. Li gives a keynote talk on Nature conference - flexible electronics.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sept 2023
We were awarded under NSF EFRI Engineered Living Systems
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 2023
Pengfei defended his Master Thesis - he is staying with us for PhD. His work uses cellulose as naturally nanostructured channels for ion/electron regulation towards advanced wearable devices.
Congrats to Pengfei!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 2023
Dr. Li was selected as one of the ten Moore Inventor Fellow Finalist and received support from Moore Foundation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 2023
One of our senior design team TechStyles was selected as one of the finalist in Malott competition. The team made a sensing shoe insole that can map both friction and pressure.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 2023
Xiwei defended his Master Thesis!
Xiwei is staying with us for PhD. His work focuses on using microbe activities for strengthening natural wood and increaseing carbon negativity.
Congrats to Xiwei!
.jpeg)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 2023
Xiaojie received the 2023 Lillian Gilbreth Postdoctoral Fellowship, and impressively, the Gold Medal!! She is co-advised with Prof. Xiulin Ruan and Prof. Jianguo Mei (Chem)
Congrats to Dr. Liu!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb 2023
Our undergraduate researcher, Tanya Sophia Masnyk, received the Bottomley Research Scholarship. Tanya became involved in our work through the Women in Engineering workshop.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan 2023
ARPA E Program Managers visited us
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan 2023
Dr. Li receives the Violet B. Haas Fellowship
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dec 2022
Zijian defended his Master Thesis! Zijian is staying at Purdue for PhD with Prof. Yan Gu.
Congrats to Zijian!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dec 2022
Awarded Shah Family Innovation Seed Grant
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oct 2022
Sony Innovation Research Award
Jun Liu & Tian Li
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aug 2021
Wenkai Zhu passed the PhD prelim! Congrats to Wenkai!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb 2022
Bottomley Research Scholarship
Undergraduate: Gabriella Schalm
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aug 2021
Sai Swapneel Aranke defended her Master Thesis! Sai is staying at Purdue for PhD with Prof. Byron Pipes.
Congrats to Sai!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------