Dsc. Technical University of Munich, 1990
M.S. Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1986
B.S. University of Science & Technology of China, 1982

Honors and Awards

• James C. Jones Humanitarian Award, National Technical Association, 2021
• Diversity Award for Excellence, The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, 2016
• HBCU Pioneer Award, National Organization for the Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, 2015
• Outstanding Contributions to Science, Mississippi Academy of Sciences, 2014
• Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences, American Chemical Society, 2011
• Undergraduate Research and Training Award, Jackson State University, 2007
• Leadership in Doctoral Education Award, Jackson State University, 2006
• Chairman's Service Award, International Week, Jackson State University, 2006
• Outstanding Faculty Honoree, HEADWAE, Higher Education Appreciation Day-Working for Academic Excellence, Mississippi State Legislature, 2004
• Group Research Award, Jackson State University, 2004
• National ChemLuminary Award for "Best Activity with Underrepresented Minority Students and/or Organizations" for the 1998 National Chemistry Week Events, Honorable Mention, American Chemical Society, 1999

Positions Held

2021 - present         
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Morgan State University

2016 - present
Professor of Chemistry, Morgan State University

2016 - 2021       
Dean, School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Morgan State University

2004 - 2016
Chair, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS           

2003 - 2004
Interim Chair, Department of Chemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS

2006 - 2016             
Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry,
Jackson State University, Jackson, MS

2001 - 2016             
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS

Summer, 1997         
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS

1996 - 2001             
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS

1994 - 1996             
Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, TX

1990 - 1994             
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

Professional Service

• Chairman of the Board, Maryland Science Olympiad, 2021-2023
• Board Member, Maryland Science Olympiad, 2016-present
• Advisor, Northeast Maryland University Research Park, 2016-2020
• President, Mississippi Academy of Sciences, 2015-2016
• Associate Editor, Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part C: Environmental Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Reviews, 2014-2020
• Editorial Board Member, Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part C: Environmental Carcinogenesis and Ecotoxicology Reviews, 2008-2014
• Editorial Board Member, Journal of Food and Drug Analysis, 2012- present

Research Interests
Chemical toxicology, photochemistry, environmental chemistry, and nanoscience. The main interest is to study the properties of nanomaterials and their biological effects, and environmental fate, toxicity, and photochemistry of environmental chemicals including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), cosmetic and skin care products, nanomaterials, and industrial waste chemicals.

Peer-Reviewed Publications (selected); total 150, h-Index 48, citations 12,833)

Top 2% scientists (Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators, PLoS Biol. 2020 Oct; 18(10): e3000918)

• X Chen, H Deng, JA Heise, DP Puthoff, N Bou-Abboud, H Yu, J Peng, Contents of Cannabinoids in Hemp Varieties Grown in Maryland, ACS omega 6 (47), 32186-32197, 2021.
• Shruti Budhani, Nzube P. Egboluche, Zikri Arslan, Hongtao Yu and Hua Deng, Phytotoxic effect of silver nanoparticles on seed germination and growth of terrestrial plants, J. Environ. Sci. Health, Part C, 37(4), 330-355, 2019.
• Hua Deng and Hongtao Yu, Silver Nanoparticle Surface Enabled Self-Assembly of Organic Dye Molecules, Materials, 12 (16), 2592, 2019.
• Hua Deng, Danielle McShan, Ying Zhang, SS Sinha, Zikri Arslan, Paresh C. Ray, Hongtao Yu, Mechanistic Study of the Synergistic Antibacterial Activity of Combined Silver Nanoparticles and Common Antibiotics, Environmental Science & Technology 50 (16), 8840-8848, 2016.
• Shantelle Hughes, Samuel S. R. Dasary, Salma Begum, Nya Williams, and Hongtao Yu, A Meisenheimer complex between 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and its use for a paper-based sensor, Sens. Bio-Sens. Res. 5, 37-41, 2015.
• Danielle McShan, Ying Zhang, Hua Deng, Paresh C. Ray, and Hongtao Yu, Synergistic Antibacterial Effect of Silver Nanoparticles Combined with Ineffective Antibiotics on Drug Resistant Salmonella typhimurium DT104, J. Environ. Sci. Health, Part C, 33(3), 369-384, 2015.
• Shareena Dasari, Ying Zhang, Hongtao Yu, Antibacterial Activity and Cytotoxicity of Gold (I) and (III) Ions and Gold Nanoparticles, Biochem. Pharmacol. 4 (6), 199, 2015.
• Danielle McShan, Paresh C. Ray, and Hongtao Yu, Molecular Toxicity Mechanism of Nanosilver, J. Food Drug Anal., 22, 116-127, 2014.