2017

• 06/23/2017 – Drove back to Middletown, PA from Ann Arbor, MI. Visited Resthaven Wildlife Area, Ohio, Lake Erie at Edgewater Pier in Cleveland, Ohio and S. B. Elliott State Park, PA. (Google map). Highlight video. Filmed video.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  
  
• 06/20-22/2017 – This is the most valuable conference I have ever attended. Three days of AEESP 2017 conference has been a great time for scholars from environmental engineering and science to gather together to talk and to exchange ideas. Highlight video.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
• 06/19/2017 – Drove to the University of Michigan to attend AEESP 2017 conference. Here I will do a poster presentation on 06/22/2017. It’s my first long-distance travel and I really took maximal advantage of it to vist as many attractions as I can on my way, including Bald Eagle State Park close to State College, Brandywine Falls around Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, and Magee Marsh Wildlife Area in Ohio. (Google map). Highlight video. Filmed video compilation.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAXRSHQz-BQ&t=153s

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  
  
• 06/12-14/2017 – Exciting three days in Philly for the AWWA Annual conference (ACE 2017). The conference was located in Pennsylvania Convention Center while the hotel we stayed in was in the King of Prussia, 20 miles with heavy traffic. The exhibition hall was incredibly huge and the parties at night were other highlights. Highlight video 1, Highlight video 2, Pipe tapping competition, Pipe tapping champion clip.

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
• 05/31/2017 – The sound of piano could alway intoxicate me whenever it is and wherever I am, and this time I made a big decision. I got a keyboard from Baltimore and am trying to teach myself. This could be awsome. Photo 1, Photo 2. Highlight video of this week.
• 05/31/2017 – Went hiking with Dr. Xie, Linlin, and Kodi in the Clarence Schock Memorial Park, about 25 miles from campus. Photo 1, Photo 2.
• 05/17/2017 – Thanks for Dr. Xie’s invitation to his place for Barbecue! Somebody tried his guns again while we all enjoyed the yummy food and peaceful sunset. Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3.

  

  

  

  
  
• 05/13/2017 – Came to Mechanicsburg with Dr. Tang to check his new house. The construction proceeded quite fast and the amazing part was his wife worked as the major designer to this building. Front, Side, Back, Neighborhood.

  

  

  

  

  
  
• 05/06/2017 – Congratulations on Anil’s graduation! Photo 1, Photo 2. Video clips of the commencement.

  

  

  
  
• 05/05/2017 – Congratulations on Dr. Clark‘s promotion to professor!
• 05/05/2017 – Happy last day of this semester! We did the final presentation for the project we were working on for the past a few months. Thanks for the coming of our four judges – Howard Butler, P.E. Staff Environmental Engineer, GHD; Patrick M. Caulfield, P.E., Executive Director, Schuylkill County Municipal Authority; Ran Liu, Ph.D., P.E., Planning Engineer, Pennsylvania American Water; and Scott W. Snoke, Utility Program Manager, Harrisburg International Airport. This is also based on the Annual PSH Capstone Design Conference. Photo 1, Photo 2.
• 04/30/2017 – To celebrate my birthday, I decided  to go hiking with two friends in State Game Land No. 156. It’s great to spare some time for rest when you were totally overwhelmed by all the exams, papers, and presentations during finals week. I enjoyed the walk on the macadam and grass, but I like the road 341 leading to our destination more. I was totally impressed by the lush meadow and fields, sinuous asphalt road, and peaceful neighborhood. Highlight of April 2017.

  

  

  

  

  
  
• 04/25-27/2017 – Attended the PA AWWA Fresh Ideas 2017 Hershey PA and did a poster presentation titled “Impact of Metal Ions on Disinfection By-product Formation during Water Chlorination”. All of our fellow students from two drinking water treatment plant design courses are enrolled in this conference and we really enjoyed this wonderful 3-day party with all the professors and professionals from water field from all the state of Pennsylvania. We learned so much from presentations, poster exhibitions, vendor demonstrations, competitions, and free conversations with professors and professionals. Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5, Photo 6, Photo 7, Photo 8. Highlight video, Water tank video.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  
  
• 04/19-20/2017 – Attended the 2017 PSH Annual Student Symposium and performed a poster and an oral presentation titled “Effects of Metal Ions on the Formation of THMs during Water Chlorination”. Thanks Dr. Xie and Dr. Clark!
• 04/11/2017 – Come and enjoy the 2017 PSH Spring Luau! Free food, free T-shirt, free potting, and free decorations. Among them, I love the band from Canada; they were able to play incredible songs without any instruments like guitar, voilin, piano, or drums. They performed B-box instead. Love them! Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5. Light dance video.

  

  

  

  

  
  
• 03/31/2017 – Helped Dr. Xie move his boat from backyard to Middletown Reservoir on this rainy Friday. Tomorrow Dr. Xie will fish on boat with Peng at the downstream of trout release site. All the portable chairs and tents told that eveybody was fully prepared. Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3.

  

  

  

  
  
• 03/26/2017 – Attended the 32nd Anual PSU Graduate Exhibition in University Park and presented the poster “Effects of Metal Ions on Trihalomethane Formation during Water Chlorination”. It was a great time to make new friends and talk things academically.
• 03/14/2017 – Just one week before spring, we eventually witnessed the worst snowstorm this winter. It was also the worst one of my 23-year life. Snows accumulated as high as 16 to 20 inches and traffic were all in a mess. Campus was closed for two and half days and that made the best of time to enjoy milk and bread at home. Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5, Photo 6, Photo 7, Photo 8, Photo 9. Highlight video.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  
  
• 03/12/2017 – Came on hiking with Linlin and Fuyang on Appalachian Trail located in state game lands No 211. It was a cold Sunday with a temperature of 23 degrees, but we enjoyed it! Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5, Photo 6, Photo 7, Photo 8. Highlight video.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  
  
• 02/24/2017 – An amazing day! Tried Dr. Xie’s two hunting guns, one was musket equiped with scatter and another lighter one was for smaller animals like squirrels. Both are absolutely fresh things for me. Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3.

  

  

  

  
  
• 02/22/2017 – As the second field trip organized by Dr. Xie for both undergraduate and graduate students in Treatment Plant Design classes, today we enjoyed the tour to Columbia Water Treatment Plant. For me, the most incredible thing is the plant was originally established in 1820s, and some of the buildings are still in service. Photo 1, Photo 2. An amazing stone bridge next to the plant also made me feel like a dream. Besides, what did you see in the Chickies Rock County Park? Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
• 02/10/2017 – Happy 5th Lunar New Year Celebration in Penn State Harrisburg. Thanks for all the performers and our international student office. Attending this kind of Chinese gathered parties always make you feel warm. Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4. Video.

  

  

  

  

  
  
• 02/09/2017 – It’s alway good to see so many animals around the house. Every morning I leave two pieces of bread on the back porch and a squirrl would come to pick them up. Like today he did this and left some steps and crumbs behind.
• 02/09/2017 – An overnight snowstorm made a totally different world! Glad I did not miss snow of my first year here though it came so late, even at the end of this winter. Not that much, 6-8 inches but surprising enough for me. See this breath-taking world! Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5, Photo 6. Highlight video, video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BsnsR7mkF4

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  
  
• 02/01/2017 – The first field trip for Treatment Plant Design class was scheduled at Hershey Water Treatment Plant. Thanks to the good quality of water from Swatara Creek and Manada Creek, this plant got fairly good treated water. Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5.

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
• January 2017 highlights.
• 01/30/2017 – A Suden Short Snow Storm Happened on Campus. Video.
• 01/04/2017 – Visited the lovely Washington DC. Highlight video.

2016

• Highlight of December 2016.
• Highlight of November 2016.
• 11/13/2017 – Came to State Game Land No 211 with Sarah and her father to collect acid drainage water samples for her research. Highlight video.
• 11/11/2016 – Happy birthday to Xuanye! We had a happy and meaningful party with both Chinese and American friends. Photo 1, Photo 2. It was my first time to join a party and I enjoyed it. Thanks. The subsequent bonfire with five guys made it even more unforgettable.

  

  

  

  
  
• 11/04/2016 – On the way back from New Jersey, Dr. Xie proposed to climb under the cover of attractive fall scenery in Pennsylvania. This should be the most beautiful and breath-taking fall I have ever experienced. Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5, Photo 6. Highlight video, Video.

  

  

  

  

  
  
• 10/21/2016 – Visited United Nations Headquarters in New York City with IAA Club. This was an amazing and eye-opening trip though we spent more than ten hours on the bus for the round travel. Ubiquitous traffic jams wasted our two hours to get out of Manhattan district, which is actually only a 23 square-mile island. New York City is completely different from the most parts of United States, the typical America. Street of NYC, Grand Central Terminal, Front of UN Headquarters, Conference Room of UN 1, Conference Room of UN 2. Highlight video. Video.

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
• 10/2016 – To celebrate harvest of pumpkin this fall in Pennsylvania, huge pumpkins, straws, and dolls have been introduced to several sites on campus. To be honest, most of us have never seen such kind of huge real pumpkins. Photo 1.

  

  
  
• 09/16/2016 – Came to Ronks and Gap for fun! See highlights.
• 09/9-11/2016 – Attend the 3^rd NEGSWS conference held in University of Massachusetts and delivered a presentation titled “Kinetic Modeling of Capacitive Deionization Systems for Water Desalination”. There were perfect two days in UMass to visit Dr. Reckhow’s laboratory and make friends with graduate students from Harvard, Cornell, UBC, and URI. Luckily I took a two-hour visit to the Time Square when transferred in New York at midnight during the travel back home. See photos of Dead-good sunset in Amherst, Amherst, Presentation, Dr. Reckhow, Four happy friends, Time Square 1, Time Square 2, Time Square 3, Time Square 4. Highlight video, video.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  
  
• 08/26/2016 – Got my first car — Nissan Altima 3.5SL. I’ve spent one month waiting for my SSN and my driver’s permit to get her registered, and now all what I have done seems a worthwhile. Thanks Daniel for his eternal patience and sincerity; thanks Sutliff Chevrolet, one of the biggest dealer in Pennsylvania with good reputation since 1931; they are really honorable and respectable. See my girl in picture 1, picture 2, picture 3.

  

  

  

  
  
• 08/19/2016-08/21/2016 – Camping with my two advisors Dr. Xie and Dr. Tang and some other friends in Frances Slocum State Park. See happy camping, boating, hiking, and impressive scene while going and rainstorm on the way back. Highlight video, video filmed on the way back.

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
• 08/02/2016 – Joined a nightout activity organized by the non-governmental organization, but the security measures was never inferior. Lovely and warm, even I had never experienced a better activity held by the villagers. Photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4, photo 5, photo 6, photo 7, photo 8, photo 9.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  
  
• 07/22/2016 – Hanging around in the village, Sylvia drove on a special way with me just as two years ago Haomin took her out as her first travel on this road. See it in photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4, photo 5.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  
  
• 07/20/2016 – Jet landed and it came to my first time to be in the United States. Everything was fresh, including Philadelphia International Airport, train and train station, and of course the people around me and the air I breathed. Sincere gratitude went to Sylvia and her boyfriend since with their help, I moved in my new apartment smoothly and finished the necessary purchase of living articles. See my clean and spacious apartment in photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  
  
• 07/18/2016-07/20/2019 – Experienced an exciting travel from Beijing to Philadelphia and an impressive 20-hour transfer in Qatar. See photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4, photo 5 of this travel. Particularly, QATAR AIRWAYS provided free accommodation in a five stars hotel Best Western Plus Doha seen in photo 1, photo 2, photo 3.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  

  
  
• For more information before July 2016, please visit http://www.minnwater.com/research/?p=396 (in Chinese).