2024 Fellows
The following students are recipients of fellowships sponsored by NWRI and its partner organizations.
NWRI/AMTA Fellow
Ali Naderi Beni, Purdue University
Ali Naderi Beni is a student in mechanical engineering at Purdue University. Beni's research, titled "Experimental Batch Counterflow Reverse Osmosis for Brine Concentration," focuses on modeling and experimental aspects of high-recovery/high-salinity membrane-based desalination technologies. The goal of the study is to eliminate the environmental impacts of saline effluent using efficient dewatering methods to approach minimal/zero liquid discharge.
NWRI Member Agency Fellow
Harsh Patel, University of Michigan
Harsh Patel is entering his fourth year as a PhD student at the University of Michigan in Chemical Engineering. He is advised by Dr. Jovan Kamcev. His project, titled “ Anion-Exchange Membranes with Tunable Hydrophobicity for the Selective Removal of Nitrate from Contaminated Brackish Groundwater,” aims to investigate the thermodynamic and transport behavior of mixed anionic contaminants in charged membranes, and develop a toolkit for highly charged membranes to create advances in nitrate recovery.
NWRI Member Agency Fellow
Samantha Mohney, George Mason University
Samantha Mohney is a PhD student in Environmental Science and Public Policy at George Mason University. Mohney's research, titled “Toxic Benthic Cyanobacteria as an Emerging Environmental and Public Health Threat” focuses on characterizing the factors driving toxin-producing benthic cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) in the Potomac River Basin. The work aims to build a framework for predicting how shifts in water quality, climate, and policy will shape the future impact cHABs on water quality and public health.
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NWRI/Southern California Salinity Coalition Fellow
Sitao Liu, University of California, Riverside
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Sitao Liu is a PhD candidate in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at UC Riverside. Liu's research project titled, “Development of an Enhanced Vacuum UV system for PFAS Destruction in Brine Concentrate: Harnessing the Promotive Effects of Salinity,” aims to use the common brine anions, such as chloride sulfate to accelerate PFAS degradation under UV irradiation.
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NWRI Member Agency Fellow
Xinyi Wang, University of California, Los Angeles
Xinyi Wang is a third-year PhD student in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at UCLA. Wang's research, titled "Targeted Extraction of Valuable Intermediat Products and Clean Water from Municipal Wastewater using Electroactive Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors," aims to develop a cutting-edge mixed matrix membrane to extract phosphate from municipal wastewater and to revolutionize wastewater treatment processes from energy-intensive operations to a financially sustainable, revenue-positive model.