Shengnan is a Ph.D. candidate at the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University since February 2021. She began her academic journey studying Human Ecology and Geography for her Bachelor's degree in 2016, and received an Honours degree in Environment and Sustainability in 2019. Shengnan was recognized for her outstanding academic achievements with the Charles D Jubb Prize from the Fenner School of Environment and Society in 2019.

Shengnan's research focuses on the concept of "zero waste," as well as theories of system innovation and sustainability transitions. Her particular focus is on urban sustainability experiments and transition intermediaries, and her primary research interests lie in exploring the ways in which multiple actors shape and influence the design and outcome of a sustainability experiment. She seeks to examine and compare the roles of transition intermediaries in the field of community waste management in China. In addition, Shengnan's research also involves unpacking urban experiments and appraising sustainability initiatives in order to better understand their contributions to overall societal change.