Graduate Student / Postdoctoral Researcher Profiles NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT)
NEWT’s vision is to facilitate access to suitable water almost anywhere in the world by developing next‐ generation high‐performance, easy‐to‐deploy drinking water and industrial wastewater treatment systems enabled by nanotechnology. NEWT graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are critical center stakeholders who work diligently to fulfill this vision. This profile booklet was created to showcase the skills and talents of graduate students and postdocs currently performing research in NEWT’s four academic institutions: Rice University, Arizona State University, The University of Texas at El Paso and Yale University. NEWT’s Industrial/Practitioner Members may use the booklet to identify candidates for internships and post‐graduate professional employment opportunities. Profiles may also be useful for mentor/mentee connections. Each student/postdoc profile includes research and professional goals, research project experience, NEWT research thrust/theme affiliation (ref. thrust/theme definitions below) and academic credentials. Links to online resumes and/or LinkedIn profiles are also included, and Industrial/Practitioner members are encouraged to contact students and postdocs directly via email to discuss research collaboration, job prospects or mentoring.
Research Thrusts & Theme
MULTI‐FUNCTIONAL NANOMATERIALS | THRUST 1 FOR REMOVING PRIORITY POLLUTANTS
NANOPHOTONICS ENHANCED WATER PURIFICATION | THRUST 2 SCALING & FOULING CONTROL | THRUST 3 SAFETY & SUSTAINABILITY THEME
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Enhance water treatment processes Develop ways to treat Hypersaline Brines RESEARCH PROJECTS Desalination of Hypersaline Brines using Temperature Swing Solvent Extraction
Rayan Alghanayem
BACKGROUND B.S., Chemical Engineering, King Saud University. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - 2018
Ralghana@asu.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3
GOALS Economical, sustainable, scalable & safe nanomaterials RESEARCH PROJECTS Supercritical fluid approaches in flow reactors for nanomaterial synthesis Water pricing mechanisms
Andreas Backhaus andreas.backhaus@yale.edu Thrust 1
BACKGROUND M.Sc. Chemical & Environmental Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
DAAD Master’s Thesis Scholar, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2018 DAAD Exchange Student, UC Berkeley, 2017
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Design a point-of-use system to lower the economic costs of treating water RESEARCH PROJECTS Developing Nano-enabled electrodes to reduce nitrate from water
Rishabh Bansal
BACKGROUND B.Tech Polymer Science and Chemical Technology; 2019 Delhi Technological University
rbansa15@asu.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
GOALS Improve cost efficiency and performance of membrane distillation for water desalination RESEARCH PROJECTS Fundamentals of temperature and permeate flux in membrane distillation
Marion Bellier (Ivy) mbellier@asu.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3
Nanophotonics-enabled membrane distillation for inland water desalination BACKGROUND Graduate Student part of the Perreault Laboratory, Arizona State University ASU NEWT Social Chair NSF Graduate Research Fellow, 2020 Ira A. Fulton Fellowship Recipient, Arizona State University, 2019 B.S. Nanoscience, Astronomy minor, Virginia Tech 2018
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS To find novel measures that are sustainable and can provide clean potable water to low and middle-income countries Understand the behavior of naturally or incidentally created nano and micro-scale particles in the environment
Kartik Bhagat kbhagat@asu.edu LinkedIn Safety & Sustainability
RESEARCH PROJECTS Development of a lab-based model in order to understand the fate and transport of microplastics in the aquatic environment Evaluate the effect of surface weathering on the interactions of microplastics with organic contaminants and microbial population BACKGROUND B.S. Civil Engineering, 2020, Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, India
GOALS Modeling selective removal of toxic oxo-anions in water using novel nano-adsorbents Linking atomistic surface interactions of sorption to macroscale applications RESEARCH PROJECTS Chemical equilibrium surface complexation modeling and pore surface diffusion modeling
Emily Briese Ebriese@ASU.edu GoogleScholar Linkedin Thrust 1
BACKGROUND BS, Environmental Engineering, 2020 The University of Toledo, Ohio
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Develop methods to evaluate the aging of nanomaterials in nano-based water treatment technologies Create technologies for the removal of toxic compounds in drinking water
RESEARCH PROJECTS Developed a carbon black detection method for the quantification and qualification of metals in carbon materials
Alexandria Castillo acastillo27@miners.utep.edu LinkedIn Safety & Sustainability
Assisted the development of a portable assay that detects and quantifies titanium dioxide nanoparticles in various aqueous matrices
Synthesized ZnO/MoS2 photocatalysts for the degradation of triazine herbicides under visible light radiation
BACKGROUND MS Chemistry; UTRGV 2019; GPA 4.0 BS Chemistry, Honors College; UTSA 2017; GPA 3.5/4.0
GOALS Sustainable utilization of nanomaterials in water treatment. Understanding the mechanisms of Advance Oxidation Process (AOP) for its efficient application RESEARCH PROJECTS Production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) through utilization of nanobubbles Investigating the reactions that occur on the interface of the nanobubbles
Seung Hee Chae seunghee.chae@yale.edu Linkedin Thrust 1
BACKGROUND Fulbright Scholar, 2021-2023 PhD Environmental Engineering, Yale University (in progress) MS Civil & Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University 2021 BS Civil & Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University 2019
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Develop cost effective water reuse processes
Provide humanitarian work in developing countries by implementing sustainable and affordable water treatment processes RESEARCH PROJECTS Optimize a zero liquid discharge desalination water treatment system for implementation in water reuse applications
Martin Chavarin mchavarin@miners.utep.edu LinkedIn Thrust 2 & Thrust 3
Develop a system using solar and wind evaporative technologies for the disposal of waste brine from ZLD desalination process BACKGROUND M.S. Environmental Engineering, UTEP 2020-Present GPA 4/4 B.S. Civil Engineering; UTEP 2017; GPA 3.1/4
GOALS Create a pervaporation technology to help desalination RESEARCH PROJECTS Pervaporation Desalination
Li Chen lchen5@miners.utep.edu LinkedIn Thrust 2
BACKGROUND Technical Researcher; University of Texas at El Paso 2019 Jiangsu Nine Heaven HiTech Co. Ltd Master Environmental Engineering; 2018 SSPU Bachelor Water Engineering; 2012 HHU
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Uncover the fundamental photo-electrochemical and electrochemical mechanisms that are responsible for the removal of the water contaminants (i.e., PFAS and nitrate/nitrite), which in turn will inform design strategies for better catalysts.
RESEARCH PROJECTS Mechanistic insight into the photo-oxidation of PFCA over hBN and TiO2
Yu Chen yc116@rice.edu Thrust 1
Electrocatalytic nitrate/nitrite reduction on Cu-Pd bimetallic surfaces
BACKGROUND B.S. in Chemistry; 2019 East China Normal University
GOALS Develop patterned electroactive membranes for electrochemical fouling control
RESEARCH PROJECTS Fabricate interdigitated electrodes on membrane films for anti-biofouling
Soobin Cho sc150@rice.edu GoogleScholar
BACKGROUND MS, Environmental Engineering, 2020 Pusan National University BS, Environmental Engineering, 2018 Pusan National University (South Korea)
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Optimize and enhance performance of pre-existing/novel point-of-use water treatment technologies
RESEARCH PROJECTS Membrane Distillation to Treat Wastewater using Onsite Heat from Fryer Water Vapor
Maximilian Cobos mc144@rice.edu Thrust 3
BACKGROUND BA Mathematics Magna Cum Laude, Chemistry minor; Wabash College 2021
GOALS Engineer modular, off-grid industrial wastewater treatment systems Design selective treatment methods for organic and bacterial wastewater contaminants RESEARCH PROJECTS Applying Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) towards industrial wastewater treatment
Christian Conrad clc10@rice.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
Electrochemical anodic oxidation in high-salinity wastewater Scale-up of heterogenous catalytic reactors for in-situ oxidant production BACKGROUND BS Chemical and Bio-molecular Engineering; 2016 University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Better understanding the interaction of graphene nanoparticle and plant. Application of nanoparticle to reduce nitrate leaching from agricultural system. RESEARCH PROJECTS Application of graphitic nanoparticles in reducing nitrogen loss from agricultural systems; Funded by USDA
Partho Das pdas17@asu.edu LinkedIn
BACKGROUND M.Sc. Civil Engineering (Environmental), BUET, Bangladesh; 2018 B.Sc. Civil Engineering, BUET, Bangladesh; 2015
GOALS Lowering the cost of improved water qualities Utilizing complex waste streams
RESEARCH PROJECTS Biofouling and energy efficiency Developing water treatment technologies from novel materials
Eva Deemer emdeemer@utep.edu LinkedIn Test Beds
Extraction of valuable resources to enhance sustainable processes BACKGROUND Studied bio-reactors in Municipal Waste Water Treatment as intern for Ovivo; Currently Postdoctoral Fellow with Center for Inland Desalination; Interested in manufacturing technologies; feasability studies; scaling and growth of engineering and technology application PhD. Materials Science and Engineering; UTEP 2013-2017 B.S. Chemistry; UTEP 2005-2008
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Create mathematical models and tackle design challenges to improve catalysis based water decontamination reactors Develop new concepts and designs for nanotechnology enabled treatment of Nitrates and PFOA RESEARCH PROJECTS Developed a mathematical model for simulating the performance of membrane palladium film reactor
Juan Donoso jad15@rice.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
Working on creating 3D printed macroscopic supports for nanoparticle catalysts
BACKGROUND BS Chemical Engineering; USFQ (Ecuador) 2015; GPA 3.61/4 Fulbright Scholar from Quito, Ecuador 2019-21 MS Chemical Engineering Student, Rice University 2019-2021
GOALS Create a membrane able to transport only a single species
RESEARCH PROJECTS Highly precise ion separations with polymeric membranes via host–guest chemistry
Effect of ion exchange groups on ion separations with polyelectrolyte multilayer membranes Ion separations in electrodialysis using multilayered polymer membranes
Ryan DuChanois ryan.duchanois@yale.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3
BACKGROUND Ph.D. Candidate in Chemical & Environmental Engineering; Yale University M.S. in Chemical & Environmental Engineering; 2019 Yale University AWWA Abel Wolman Fellowship Recipient; 2020 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Recipient; 2016 M.Phil. Engineering for Sustainable Development; 2016-17 Cambridge University; Gates Cambridge Scholar; 2016-17 B.S. in Civil Engineering; 2014 University of Arkansas; GPA 4.0/4.0
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Efficient management of nitrogen cycle imbalance, through electrochemical reduction treatment, using nanoparticles Design and construction of different electrochemical reactors for nitrate remediation Real-time Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy of nitrate reduction to elucidate nitrate removal mechanisms and novel photo-electrocatalytic materials
Ana Fajardo adossan3@asu.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
RESEARCH PROJECTS Nitrate Imbalance-control by TRAnsformative Technologies that are Electrochemically-driven
BACKGROUND Postdoc Petroleum Engineering Science; 2019 Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte Postdoc Chemistry; 2018 Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte PhD Chemical Enginering; 2017 University of Coimbra M.Sc. Chemical Engineering; 2011 University of Coimbra B.Sc. Chemical Engineering; 2010 University of Coimbra
GOALS Designing and synthesis of selective high-capacity adsorbents for removal of contaminants from water RESEARCH PROJECTS Impregnation of activated carbon block with amorphous TiO2 for efficient removal of arsenic Investigation of the amorphous metal oxide adsorbents for highcapacity removal of oxyanions
Alireza Farsad afarsad@asu.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
Synthesis and optimization of mixed metal oxide adsorbents to increase the selectivity and capacity toward different hazardous oxyanions BACKGROUND M.Sc. Chemical Engineering; 2015 Ferdowsi University of Mashhad B.Sc. Chemical Engineering; 2012 University of Tehran
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Removing containment ions from water by electrochemical processes RESEARCH PROJECTS Enhancing Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction by Using Polarity Exchange on Iron Cluster Catalyst Concentration Countered Electrodialysis for selective and Efficient Extraction of Lithium in Geothermal Brine
Yuren Feng yf19@rice.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3
Advanced Materials for Selective Selenium removal by electrochemical processes BACKGROUND Lowenstein scholarship recipient; 2019 PhD in Environmental Engineering; 2019-present Rice University BS in Environmental Engineering; 2019 Tsinghua University
GOALS To create new nanomaterials that inactivate biological contaminants in water without polluting ecological systems RESEARCH PROJECTS Characterization and Fabrication of Gold Nanoparticles for Biomedical and Water Treatment Applications Toxicity and Potential of Metal Organic Frameworks (MOF)
Taylor Mackenzie Fisher tmfishe6@asu.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
BACKGROUND Environmental Engineering PhD Student in the Perreault Laboratory at Arizona State University (ASU) ASU Dean’s Fellowship Recipient, 2021 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Recipient, 2021 B.S. Bioengineering, Minor in Spanish, University of Louisville
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Develop an understanding of the structure-function relationships of nanocatalysts and their effects on product selectivity
Evaluate safe and sustainable approaches to “nano-enabled” water purifications methods & help raise public awareness of the benefits of nanotechnology
Kenneth Flores krflores1@miners.utep.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1 Safety & Sustainability
RESEARCH PROJECTS Targeting Metal Impurities for the Detection of Carbon Black Particles in Water Utilizing MoS2/GO Nanocatalyst s for the Electrocatalytic Reduction of Nitrate BACKGROUND B.S. Chemistry; University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Edinburg, Tx- 2016 M.S. Chemistry; University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Brownsville, Tx -2018
GOALS Improve water remediation processes for removal of advanced toxic contaminants such as oxo-anions, volatile organic compounds and nitrates by understanding remediation mechanisms using computational chemistry
RESEARCH PROJECTS Predicting selective metal-oxide nano-adsorbents for selective removal of Se and As oxo-anions using Density Functional Theory
Srishti Gupta sgupt151@asu.edu GoogleScholar Thrust 1
Electrochemical recycling N from wastewater towards fossil-free NH3 production BACKGROUND MS, Chemical Engineering, 2018 Arizona State University, Tempe BE, Chemical Engineering, 2016 Birla Institute of Technology and Science – Pilani, India
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Enhance the membrane distillation performance through materials and process design RESEARCH PROJECTS Incorporation of carbon nanotube mitigates partial wetting in membrane distillation Impact of polydopamine coating on the mechanical strength of membranes
Ze He zh23@rice.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3
Multi-effect solar membrane distillation of low cost and high energy efficiency Wastewater treatment by membrane distillation with waste heat recovery BACKGROUND Ph.D. student in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering; Rice University M.S. in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering; 2020 Rice University B.S. in Chemical Engineering; 2018 Tianjin University
GOALS Develop membrane technologies that improve the efficiency of water treatment RESEARCH PROJECTS Creating a catalyst-functionalized membranes for contaminant filtration and degradation Optimization of a single atom catalyst-functionalized membrane with an active support
Tayler Hedtke tayler.hedtke@yale.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3
BACKGROUND M.S. in Chemical and Environmental Engineering; 2021 Yale University B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry minor; 2015 UH; GPA 3.88/4
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Ensure safety and sustainability of nano-enabled water treatment devices through detection and mitigation of released nanomaterials Develop standard protocols for nanoparticle analysis in water samples through collaboration with NSF International
Austin Henke ahenke1@asu.edu Linkedin Safety and Sustainability
RESEARCH PROJECTS Understanding dissolved and particulate Pd/In catalyst release from nitrate reduction reactors Collaborating with Folia Water company to test their inexpensive carbonsilver nanomaterial water filters BACKGROUND Ph.D., Chemistry, 2021 University of Wisconsin – Madison M.S., Chemistry, 2018 University of Wisconsin – Madison B.S., Chemistry, 2015 Truman State University
GOALS Contribute to the development of water treatment technologies for inland desalination RESEARCH PROJECTS USBR project: Advancing Pervaporation for the Treatment of Concentrates in Inland Desalination
Mariana Hernandez-Molina mhern207@asu.edu LinkedIn Thrust 2
BACKGROUND Chemist - Freeport-McMoran Inc. 2018-2020 BS Environmental Science, Chemistry concentration; UTEP 2018; GPA 3.5/4 REU in Sustainable Land and Water Resources; UMN Summer 2017
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Cost effective options for environmentally sustainable solid concentrate disposal Help provide potable water in smaller communities RESEARCH PROJECT High- recovery Zero Liquid Discharge Desalination for Direct Potable Reuse
Marcela Herrera
BACKGROUND BS Geological Sciences; University of Texas at El Paso 2019
mcherreraal@miners.utep.edu
GOALS Develop catalysts that address water-related challenges RESEARCH PROJECTS Design nanostructured catalysts to remove nitrate/nitrite via converting them into gas and/or water phase
Kiheon Hong kh67@rice.edu Thrust 1
BACKGROUND MSE, Civil & Environmental Engineering; Seoul Nation University 2019 BS, Civil & Environmental Engineering; Yonsei University 2017
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Expand my knowledge on water chemistry and Environmental Engineering Explore and optimize the application of low-energy desalination RESEARCH PROJECTS The scaling and fouling in Membrane Distillation systems Effect of membrane surface properties on heterogeneous nucleation
Xiaochuan Huang xh22@rice.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3
Develop anti-scaling membranes with tailored surface properties BACKGROUND PhD, Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 2017-present MS, Environmental Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2017 BS, Environmental Science, Sun Yat-sen University, China, 2014
GOALS Analyze nationwide de facto wastewater reuse in drinking water using DRINCS model Implement artificial intelligence in environmental datasets RESEARCH PROJECTS
Minhazul Islam mislam23@asu.edu LinkedIn Safety & Sustainability
2020-Present: Nationwide de facto reuse analysis by GIS modeling (DRINCS) 2021-Present: Water Research Foundation Project 5082: PFAS incidence modeling 2021-Present: Fingerprinting metal mixture from nationwide groundwater dataset 2021-Present: National phosphorus budget and mapping Phase I - STEPS project 2018-2020: Development of GIS based vegetated swale algorithm for TDOT highways 2018: Development of Bias correction techniques for satellite rainfall dataset TRMM
BACKGROUND MS Civil Engineering; Tennessee Technological University 2020 BSc Water Resources Engineering; BUET 2017
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Create technologies that address specific water-related challenges RESEARCH PROJECTS Selective ions transportation using carbon-based materials BACKGROUND PhD Environmental Engineering;2017 POSTECH, South Korea
Taehwa Jeon tj20@rice.edu Thrust 1
GOALS Develop humanitarian disinfection technologies for developing countries RESEARCH PROJECTS Develop nanomaterial-based disinfection technology
Inhyeong Jeon inhyeong.jeon@yale.edu Thrust 1
BACKGROUND MSE Environmental Engineering; 2019 Seoul National University; GPA 4.17/4.30 BS Environmental Engineering; 2017 Seoul National University; GPA 4.13/4.30
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Enhance and optimize the growth of crops with the help of Graphene nanoparticles as platform
RESEARCH PROJECT Application of Graphene and its derivative as micro-nutrient transporter for germination of crops in soil
Abhishek Kumar
BACKGROUND B.E. Civil Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, India; 2015
akuma269@asu.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
GOALS Use the principles of Green Engineering and Green Chemistry to design controlled nanoparticle synthesis methods Career aspiration is to join academia as a professor
RESEARCH PROJECTS Graduate research conducted in Dr. Julie Zimmerman’s Green Engineering group
Mary Kate Lane marykate.mitchell@yale.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
Investigated the utilization of supercritical carbon dioxide as a green solvent in the breakdown of bio-oils
Designing green nanomaterial synthesis processes with supercritical fluids Synthesizing new nanomaterials for use in water treatment, catalytic, environmental remediation, and other applications
BACKGROUND NSF Graduate Research Fellow, 2017 - Present MS Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, 2018 BS Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, 2017
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Advanced treatment processes for PFAS remediation: physical and chemical approaches Explore the critical role of organic coating on fate and transport behavior of nanomaterials for aqueous environmental application
Junseok Lee junseok.lee@yale.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
RESEARCH PROJECTS Impacts of surface coating aging on the fate, transport, and efficacy of nanofertilizers during Foliar Application Develop Reactive Materials Capable of Degrading and/or Sequestering PFAS and Chlorinated Ethenes BACKGROUND BS and MS Civil and Environmental Engineering; Korea University
GOALS After obtaining my PhD, my goal is to use the knowledge I have gained to work on water utility treatment processes. RESEARCH PROJECTS Catalytic Hydrogenation of Nitrate
Juliana Levi jnlevi1@asu.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
BACKGROUND 2018 Chemical Engineering PhD at Arizona State University 2015-2018, Worked in industry doing research & development on a melt polymerization reactor unit 2015, Bachelor’s from Case Western Reserve University, Chemical Engineering with an environmental concentration
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Fabricate novel nano-composite membrane for low-energy pervaporation desalination RESEARCH PROJECTS Using nanomaterials to improve the efficiency of pervaporation membrane for desalination Optimizing the pervaporation process in desalination field
Yusi Li yusili@asu.edu LinkedIn Thrust 2
BACKGROUND BSc Environmental Science (Concentrate on Environmental Ecology Engineering); Qinghai University, Xining, China – 2013 MSc Civil and Environmental Engineering; The George Washington University, Washington D.C. - 2017
GOALS Evaluate potential applications of biosynthesized and engineered nanomaterials Investigate potential health risks associated with the nanoparticles entering human body RESEARCH PROJECTS Studying the neurotoxic potential of magnetic pollution nanoparticles
Xiangxing Long xlong9@asu.edu LinkedIn Safety & Sustainability
Quantifying and tracking the reactivity of biosynthesized and engineered nanomaterials BACKGROUND Ira Fulton Fellowship Award 2018; Arizona State University GIS Undergraduate Research Assistant; Purdue University; 2016-2018 BS Environmental and Ecological Engineering; 2018 Purdue University; GPA 3.72/4.0
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Synthesize novel materials for emerging contaminant removal from water Focus on engineering sustainable processes RESEARCH PROJECTS Advanced nanomaterials for PFAS removal
Susanna Maisto
BACKGROUND NIH Postbaccalaureate Research Fellow, 2020-2021 BS Chemistry, The College of William & Mary 2020, GPA 3.76/4.0
susanna.maisto@yale.edu LinkedIn Multi-Functional Nanomaterials
GOALS Design, synthesis and characterization of magnetic nano composites for specific contaminant removal in water
RESEARCH PROJECTS Magnetic graphene oxide-supported zeolitic imidazolate frameworks for arsenic removal from drinking water Reusable magnetic hybrid Fe-Al nanomaterials for removal of silica in reverse osmosis (RO) membranes systems Fe3O4@APTES nanoparticles for enhanced biofouling removal
Mariana MarcosHernandez mmarcos@miners.utep.edu
LinkedIn Thrust 1
Goethite facet engineering for preferential oxoanion adsorption
BACKGROUND CONACYT abroad scholarship recipient; 2017 ConTex fellowship recipient; 2017 BS Chemistry; 2015 Monterrey Institute of Technology, Mexico; 3.3/4.0
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Utilize all resources within water and wastewater to their maximum value Improve global access to clean and safely managed drinking water RESEARCH PROJECTS Precise ion separations in electrodialysis using multilayered polymer membranes
Lauren Mazurowski lauren.mazurowski@yale.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3
BACKGROUND MS Civil and Environmental Engineering; UNR 2021; GPA 3.80/4.0 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Recipient; 2020 BS Environmental Engineering; UNR 2019; GPA 3.78/4.0
GOALS Utilize nanomaterials to create lower-energy methods of desalination and water treatment. Use solar energy to efficiently generate clean water. RESEARCH PROJECTS Synthesize plasmonic nanoparticles to generate extreme temperatures using light.
Jordin Metz jordin.metz@rice.edu LinkedIn Thrust 2
Adapt this system for broadband absorption and solar steam generation. BACKGROUND BS in ACS Certified Chemistry; Tufts University 2016
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Control the biofouling and Improving the water quality in space RESEARCH PROJECTS Investigate the antimicrobial properties on different substances Increasing the stability of silver coated surface on metallic materials for space application
Afsana Munni amunni@asu.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3
BACKGROUND BSc in Textile Engineering, Bangladesh University of Textiles, Bangladesh
MSc in Biomedical Engineering , University of Bedfordshire. United Kingdom Former Assistant Professor , Primeasia University ,Dhaka, Bangladesh
GOALS Become more familiar with different modeling programs and underlying physicochemical mechanisms To become a research professor, hoping to teach and mentor students RESEARCH PROJECTS Applied a Monte Carlo Simulation / Sensitivity analysis to a Pore-Surface Diffusion Model (PSDM)
Ken Niimi
Helps to optimize and test theoretical operating conditions and/or sorbent properties
ktniimi@asu.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1 & Thrust 2
Creating PSDM for impregnated materials, accounting for dead space and “fractional” diffusion BACKGROUND MS Environmental Engineering; ASU 2021; GPA 3.92/4 Environmental Competition PM, Pacific South West Conference (ASCE), 2019-2020 Social Chair, American Society of Civil Engineers, ASU 2019 BSE Environmental Engineering, ASU 2020; GPA 3.2/4
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Expand my knowledge in chemical engineering concepts to have a greater application to sustainability research with a focus on water purification Develop technological innovations, in water quality, that will serve communities in the US as well as developing nations RESEARCH PROJECTS Experimental and Computational Studies of Selective Lithium Removal through Electrosorption
Njideka Nnorom
BACKGROUND B.S. Chemical Engineering; Arizona State University. Tempe, AZ - 2018
ncn2@rice.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3
GOALS Application of computational chemistry techniques toward understanding and designing highly selective adsorbent materials via hybrid electronic structure and atomistic scale approach RESEARCH PROJECTS Ab initio investigation of transition–metal crosslinked chitosan for selective removal of arsenic over phosphate
Obinna Nwokonkwo onwokonk@asu.edu Thrust 1
BACKGROUND B.Eng Chemical Engineering, 2014 Federal University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria. MS, Mechanical Engineering, 2020 Southern University and A&M College Baton Rouge
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Optimize electrodialysis desalination technologies to reduce economic burden Push the capabilities of desalination processes past their current limitations to achieve high recovery
Reduce the amount of concentrate generated by desalination processes
Tayia Oddonetto tloddonetto@miners.utep.edu LinkedIn Testbed
RESEARCH PROJECTS ‘More Water Less Concentrate’ Bureau of Reclamation desalination competition, Yuma AZ 2022 High-recovery concentrate treatment with salt-free electrodialysis metathesis (EDM) BACKGROUND PhD Environmental Engineering; UTEP in progress; GPA 4.0/4.0 UTSA Jefferson Scholar 2018-20 UTSA College of Sciences Jordan Fellow 2019-20 BS Environmental Science, Minor in Mathematics; UTSA 2020; GPA 3.75/4.0
GOALS Create stimuli responsive technologies that will address water and wastewater treatment challenges RESEARCH PROJECTS Synthesizing and testing stimuli responsive polymers with the goal of creating a membrane that will self-clean and release adsorbed foulants
Durnian Parulski-Seager durnian.c.parulskiseager@rice.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3
BACKGROUND BS Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Systems Analysis minor; 2019 RIT; GPA 3.52/4 Chemistry R&D Student Associate; Summer 2019; LORD Corporation Student-Cop; Summer 2018; Sun Chemical Corporation
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS To continue developing cost-efficient, applicable engineering processes for the benefit of underrepresented populations globally To disseminate scientific research to students and the general public as an engineering professor
Kevin Pataroque Kevin.Pataroque@yale.edu LinkedIn Thrust 2
RESEARCH PROJECTS Elucidating transport phenomena in High Pressure Reverse Osmosis. Characterizing salt flux and partitioning across an RO membrane. Understanding the impact of compaction on membrane performance. BACKGROUND Ph.D. Environmental Engineering, Yale University (In Progress) Beckman Scholar, 2019-2020 B.A. English, CWRU 2021; GPA 3.84/4 B.S.E. Chemical Engineering, CWRU 2021; GPA 3.84/4
GOALS Make clean drinking water accessible to the poorest 50% of world population Address the NASA urine-water recovery challenge and achieve >98% water recovery from urine in microgravity and gravity dominated environments RESEARCH PROJECTS Non-contact Leidenfrost distillation in gravity and microgravity environments
Rawand Rasheed rmr8@rice.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3
BACKGROUND MS Mechanical Engineering; 2019 PSU; GPA 4/4 BS Mechanical Engineering; 2017 PSU; GPA 3.96/4 Life Support Systems Graduate Pathways Intern; NASA JSC; 2019 Mechatronics Intern; Daimler Trucks; 2017&2019 Manufacturing Engineering Intern; Intel; 2015-2016
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Improve methods for removing environmental contaminants from water Lower environmental costs of treating water RESEARCH PROJECTS Develop single atom catalysts for the reductive removal of halogenated organic compounds and nitrate from water
Kali Rigby
BACKGROUND Sc.B. Chemistry; 2019 Brown University; GPA 3.85/4
kali.rigby@yale.edu Thrust 1
GOALS Target application: Clean Drinking water in rural communities and offthe-grid communities Daydreaming application: Clean drinking water for the Moon and Mars RESEARCH PROJECTS Continuous flow Nitrate removal/reduction using bimetallic nanocatalysts by electrofishing
Tanya Rogers tanya.rogers@rice.edu Thrust 3
Development of a lunar wastewater treatment system for astronaut urine and shower water
BACKGROUND Houston Community College (degree: associates in science) Prairie View A&M University (degree: Bachelor's of Chemical Engineering) Rice University (3rd year PhD candidate, chemical and biomolecular Engineering) NASA Johnson Space Center environmental systems team: 2015 - present
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Improve water treatment processes for unconventional water sources. Expand my knowledge of pretreatment and membrane filtration processes to lower treatment costs.
Julianne Rolf julianne.rolf@yale.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Co-Chair
RESEARCH PROJECTS Study antiscalants mechanistically for tailored selection with water sources. Modification of membrane distillation membranes for increased permeability and water recovery. BACKGROUND Yale SEAS Advance Graduate Leadership Program Fellow; 2021-2023 MPhil Chemical and Environmental Engineering; 2020 Yale University MS Chemical and Environmental Engineering; 2018 Yale University NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Recipient; 2016 U.S. Fulbright Scholar-Germany; 2016-2017 BS Environmental Engineering; 2016 University of California, Riverside; GPA 3.9/4.0
GOALS Optimization of metal oxide nanomaterials for specific and selective contaminant removal RESEARCH PROJECTS Metal oxide facet engineering for preferential oxoanion adsorption Evaluation of biopolymer support structures for nanomaterial impregnation
Holly Rudel holly.rudel@yale.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
Determination of interfacial sorption mechanisms between sorbent and sorbate for applications in water treatment, catalysis, and gassensing BACKGROUND NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention; 2019 MS Chemical & Environmental Engineering; 2020 Yale University AB Chemical Physics; 2017 Bowdoin College
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Expand on the photocatalytic properties of BN-based materials to other organics in wastewater (Gulf Coast Authority wastewater, household greywater) Establish the ability of RF heating to enhance nitrate/nitrite reduction over commercial PtFe magnetic nanoparticles
Joshua C. Samba joshua.samba@rice.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
RESEARCH PROJECTS Photocatalytic degradation of PFAS over BN-based materials BACKGROUND Applied Physics Ph.D. Student; Rice University GEM Full Fellow; 2021 The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellowship Finalist; 2021 M.S. Physics; Morgan State University, May 2020 B.S. Physics, magna cum laude; Morgan State University, May 2017
GOALS Promote drinking water safety Remove biofilms in drinking water distribution and storage systems to eliminate potential health threats RESEARCH PROJECTS Screening phage M13 with high affinity to Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm
Ruonan Sun rs70@rice.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
Loading antimicrobial nanoparticles or lytic phage onto the screened phage M13 for efficient biofilm removal
BACKGROUND BS Environmental Science, Biology minor; Peking University 2017; GPA 3.80/4
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Improve existing processes for desalination of highly saline waters Develop modular technologies for water purification RESEARCH PROJECTS Membrane technologies for purification of highly concentrated wastewater streams
Elisabeth Thomas ethoma22@asu.edu LinkedIn Thrust 2
Water reclamation in complex spaceflight scenarios BACKGROUND MS Chemical Engineering: 2021 Arizona State University NASA Space Technology Research Fellow Advancing Science in America ARCS Fellow ASU Dean’s and Fulton Fellow ASU NEWT Center Outreach Coordinator 2018-2019 ASU NEWT Vice President 2019-2020 NEWT Science Communications Chair 2020-2021 BS in Chemical Engineering: 2018 University of New Mexico Intern: Los Alamos National Laboratories
GOALS Bring up new materials with higher performance and lower cost to treat water Find out novel mechanisms to build the more efficient and environment-friendly water treatment system RESEARCH PROJECTS Synthesizing a Co-doped MoS2 for nitrogen fixation
Xiaoyin Tian xt14@rice.edu LinkedIn Thrust 3
Developing a coating method to protect Perovskite quantum dot form degradation in water BACKGROUND Professional MS; 2019 Rice; GPA 4/4 BE; 2017 Lanzhou University; GPA 3.38/4
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Design highly efficient but cost-effective treatment methods for degrading water pollutants, especially PFAS RESEARCH PROJECTS Efficient Photocatalytic PFOA Degradation Over Boron Nitride
Surface hydrophobicity of hBN contributes to enhanced PFOA photodegradation
Bo Wang
Broad-spectrum photocatalytic degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid on boron nitride/titanium oxide
bw23@rice.edu GoogleScholar Linkedin Thrust 1
BACKGROUND MS, Chemical Engineering; 2018 China University of Petroleum (Beijing) BS, Chemical Engineering; 2015 China University of Petroleum (Beijing)
GOALS Develop potential nanomaterials for water treatment Reduce the cost of water treatment and improve treatment efficiency RESEARCH PROJECTS Developing various nanomaterials for PFAS treatment, by different methods, including adsorption and degradation
Sheng Yin syin2@miners.utep.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
BACKGROUND Ph.D. Chemistry; UTEP 2019 MS Agricultural, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences; UTRGV 2017 BS Environmental Engineering; WIT 2012
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Apply my knowledge and experience in environmental engineering into application Develop nanotechnology-based treatment methods to remove or destruct emerging contaminants (e.g. PFAS) in drinking water systems RESEARCH PROJECTS Removing PFAS in groundwater through adsorption
Chao Zeng chao.zeng@asu.edu LinkedIn Safety & Sustainability
Using nano-based advanced technology for PFAS destruction BACKGROUND Ph.D. of Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona (2017) College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student Award, University of Arizona (2017)
GOALS Create and optimize new technologies for wastewater treatment process RESEARCH PROJECTS Side-Emitting Optical Fibers for Delivery of UV-C Light to Disinfect Key Bacteria in Space Station Water Storage and Conveyance Systems
Zhe Zhao zzhao146@asu.edu Thrust 1
BACKGROUND B.S. Environmental Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, China-2018 M.S. Environmental Engineering, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China-2019
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Promote high quality teaching & mentoring in engineering programs and develop adaptable and prepared future engineering workforce Get a teaching faculty position post graduation RESEARCH PROJECTS Develop a suite of common evaluation tools for ERC education and diversity impact evaluation that can be used across ERCs nationwide
Zhen Zhao zzhao35@asu.edu LinkedIn Education
Explore how serving as mentors benefits ERC graduate students and postdoc scholars, especially on leadership development and making career choices BACKGROUND MSE Industrial Engineering; ASU 2012 MS Software Engineering; Xi’an Jiaotong University 2008 BS Computer Science; Xi’an Jiaotong University 2004
GOALS Fabricate robust and high-performance membranes for desalination and water purification purposes RESEARCH PROJECTS Surface functionalization of current polymeric desalination membranes with atomic layer deposition technique in order for advanced water purification membrane design
Xuechen Zhou xuechen.zhou@yale.edu Website Thrust 3
BACKGROUND B.Eng. Environmental Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2015 B.S. Economics, Tsinghua University, 2015
NEWT CENTER STUDENT BIO BOOK
GOALS Develop technologies for efficient biofilm control and reduction of biofouling in water treatment
RESEARCH PROJECTS Combining phages and nanotechnology to enable precision and autonomous targeting of biofilms using a cost-effective and chemical free approach
Pengxiao (Peter) Zuo pz13@rice.edu LinkedIn Thrust 1
BACKGROUND PhD Civil & Environment Engineering, Rice University, Expected 2022 MS Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, 2016 BS Biology, McGill University, 2015