Dr. Yiwen Chiu
Dr. Yiwen Chiu
Areas of Focus
Environmental Management · Application of GIS · Life Cycle Analysis · Quantitative Simulation
About Dr. Yiwen Chiu
After serving at the Argonne National Lab as a postdoctoral appointee for three years, Dr. Chiu joined Cal Poly in 2014 and holds the associate professor position at NRES. Dr. Chiu earned her master and PhD degree in water resources science from the University of Minnesota.
Her main research interests are to understand the coupling and interaction of human and natural systems by integrating spatial and temporal tools including system dynamics models, geographical information system (GIS), and life-cycle analysis (LCA).
Dr. Chiu's current on-going research effort aims to incorporate modeling tools to quantify the concept and practices of sustainability for supporting decision-making processes. In addition, she is also interested in advancing sustainability education by enabling STEM students to engage in analytical and quantitative research by adopting course training to solve real-world challenges.
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Dr. Chiu truly knows the material so well and is very willing to help students in any way she can. She truly goes the extra mile for students and has such a good attitude about it.
Dr. Chiu is clearly extremely knowledgeable about the field of Environmental Management, and she is a clearly a good resource to have in the NRES department. She made sure to outline the class objectives, projects, and assignments on day one, which was very useful.
Dr. Chiu is an intelligent woman who sets her students up for success. She has high standards that the students work hard to achieve. With such a a difficult learning curve, Dr. Chui made sure to answer and questions and had resources available.
Dr. Chiu is always eager to help. She is also very cool and easy to talk to because of her spirit. Her experience yields helpful information for the real world.
Dr. Chiu is obviously very passionate about the environment. She presents information clearly.
Selected Publications
Chiu, Y.; Brown, T.; Lucettc, E.; Worrelld, K., Assessing the feasibility of using municipal wastewater for aiding algal oil production: from a spatial coupling perspective. Water and Environment Journal (2024, accepted, DOI: 10.1111/wej.12952).
Briens, E. C.; Chiu Y.; Braun, D.; Verma, P.; Fiegel, G.; Pompeii, B.; Singh, K., Assessing sustainability knowledge for undergraduate students in different academic programs and settings. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 2022, 24 (1): 69-95.
Chiu, Y., Yang, Y. & Morse, C. Quantifying carbon footprint for ecological river restoration. Environ Dev Sustain 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01477-y
Chiu, Y.-W., Environmental Portfolio of Taiwan Oolong Tea and the Opportunity of Impact Mitigation. Sustainability 2019, 11, 6042; doi:10.3390/su11216042
Pompeii, B.; Chiu, Y.-W.; Neill, D.; Braun, D.; Fiegel, G.; Oulton, R.; Ragsdale, J.; Singh, K. Identifying and Overcoming Barriers to Integrating Sustainability across the Curriculum at a Teaching-Oriented University. Sustainability 2019, 11: 2652.
Deirdre Rogers, Setzler, B. and Chiu, Y.-W. Using Plant Functional Groups as a Strategy for Modeling Carbon Dynamics in Grassland Ecosystems. Advances in Environmental Studies 2019, 3 (1): 191-197.
Wu, M.; Ha, M.; Chiu, Y.-W., Reclaimed Municipal Wastewater for the Production of Bioenergy in the United States—A Resource Assessment. Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation 2015, (2), 1-11.
Muth, D.; Langholtz, M.; Tan, E.; Jacobson, J.; Schwab, A.; Wu, M.; Argo, A.; Brandt, C.; Cafferty, K.; Chiu, Y.-W.; Dutta, A.; Eaton, L.; Searcy, E., Investigation of thermochemical biorefinery sizing and environmental sustainability impacts for conventional supply system and distributed preprocessing supply system designs. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining 2014, DOI: 10.1002/bbb.1483.
Wu, M.; Zhang, Z.; Chiu, Y.-W., Life-cycle water quantity and water quality implications of biofuels. Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports 2014. DOI: 10.1007/s40518-013-0001-2.
Chiu, Y.-W.; Wu, M., Water footprint of biofuel produced from forest wood residue via a mixed alcohol gasification process. Environmental Research Letters 2013, 8(3): 035015. (Highlighted in the IOP Insight News, 09/26/2013)
Chiu, Y.-W.; Wu, M., Considering water availability and wastewater resources in the development of algal bio-oil. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining 2013, DOI: 10.1002/bbb.1397.
Argo, A. M.; Tan, E. C. D.; Inman, D.; Langholtz, M. H.; Eaton, L. M.; Jacobson, J. J.; Wright, C. T.; Muth, D. J.; Wu, M. M.; Chiu, Y.-W.; Graham, R. L., Investigation of biochemical biorefinery sizing and environmental sustainability impacts for conventional bale system and advanced uniform biomass logistics designs. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining 2013, DOI: 10.1002/bbb.1391.
Wu, M.; Chiu, Y.-W.; Demissie, Y., Quantifying the regional water footprint of biofuel production by incorporating hydrologic modeling. Water Resources Research 2012, 48 (10), W10518.
Chiu, Y.-W.; Wu, M., Assessing County-Level Water Footprints of Different Cellulosic-Biofuel Feedstock Pathways. Environmental Science & Technology 2012, 46 (16), 9155-9162.
Chiu, Y.-W.; Suh, S.; Pfister, S.; Hellweg, S.; Koehler, A., Measuring ecological impact of water consumption by bioethanol using life cycle impact assessment. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 2011, 17 (1), 16-24.
Chiu, Y.-W.; Walseth, B.; Suh, S., Water Embodied in Bioethanol in the United States. Environmental Science & Technology 2009, 43 (8), 2688-2692. (Top three most accessed articles in Sep. 2009)
Chiu Y.-W., M. Wu. Assessing Water Footprint of Perennial-Grass Biofuel under Various Climate Scenarios. Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois (2015)
Wu, M., Y.-W. Chiu. Consumptive water use in the production of ethanol and petroleum gasoline update 2011 (ANL/ESD/09-1 Update). Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois (2011)
Graham, R., M. Langholtz, L. Eaton, J. Jacobson, C. Wright, D. Muth, D. Inman, E. Tan, M. Wu, Y.-W. Chiu, S. Jones, L. Snowden-Swan, D. Manley, L. Malczynski, A. Goss Eng, S. Moynihan, R. Chiang, and A. Argo. Preliminary investigation of biochemical biorefinery sizing and environmental sustainability impacts for conventional bale system and advanced uniform designs. Biorefinery Capacity/Sustainability White Paper, DOE EERE OBP (2011)
Suh, S., Y.-W. Chiu, L.S. Olabisi. The future of energy and Minnesotas water resources. Report to Legislative Citizens Commission on Minnesota Resources, Saint Paul, Minnesota (2010)
Anderson, J., Y.-W. Chiu. Public Drainage Ditch Buffer Study: Section 4. Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, St. Paul, MN (2006)
Chiu, Y.-W., J.Y. Lin. Improvement of River Environment and Management. Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taipei, Taiwan (2002)
Chiu, Y.-W., J.H. Chen, J.H. Tsai, C.M. Kuo, Y.S. Hong, S.S. Tsao, J.C. Lee, S.L. Yu, J.Y. Lin. Restoring Waterfront Ecological Integrity and Establishing Ecological Working Methods (I IV). Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taipei, Taiwan (2000 2003)
Chiu, Y.-W., J.Y. Lin. Watershed Management and Public Engagement, under the Master Plan of the Water Environmental Research Center (I IV). Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taipei, Taiwan (2000 2003)
Chiu, Y.-W., J.Y. Lin. Assessment of Reservoir Management and Regulations. Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taipei, Taiwan (2000)
Chiu, Y.-W. Assessing Future Water Availability and Water Use Impacts in Minnesota Using a Geospatial System Dynamic Model. Water Resources Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN. PhD dissertation: 159 (2010)
Lin, J.Y., and Y.-W. Chiu. Introduction to Ecological Engineering Methods. Ming-Wen Books, Taipei, Taiwan. ISBN/9789577031037 (2003, in Chinese)
Lee, J.C., Y.-W. Chiu, J.H. Chen, J.H. Tsai, C.M. Kuo, Y.S. Hong, S.S. Tsao, S.L. Yu, J.Y. Lin. Ecological Working Method Manual. Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taipei, Taiwan (2001, in Chinese)
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