2017 AMTA-ADC Fellowships Awarded To Four Students Studying Membrane Technologies

The American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA) is pleased to announce that four students have been awarded the AMTA ADC Fellowship Awards for 2017.

In 2011, the Affordable Desalination Collaboration (ADC) established a fund to provide financial support to students involved in membrane research and directed AMTA to distribute those monies in the form of Fellowships.

This year AMTA received thirty three submittals from some very highly qualified students. After a committee of industry experts reviewed the applications the following students received part of the $10,000 allocated for this annual award:

• Alma Beciragic is a Graduate student at the University of North Carolina working under the supervision of Howard S. Weinberg, D.Sc., Associate Professor. Ms. Beciragic is exploring the impact of disinfectants on the identity and concentration of RO/NF membrane leachates and whether they are able to permeate and react with subsequent disinfectants.
• Douglas Davenport is a Ph.D. candidate at Yale University working under the supervision of Menachem Elimelech, the Roberto C. Goizueta Professor of Chemical & Environmental Engineering at Yale. Mr. Davenport’s research centers on making robust thin-film composite membranes for energy efficient desalination of hypersaline brines.
• Soyoon Kum, is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Texas at Austin working under the supervision of Desmond F. Lawler, University Distinguished Teaching Professor. Ms. Kum’s research is aimed at optimization for the removal of natural organic matter by an Electrodialysis and reverse osmosis combined system.
• Seyed Mahdi Seyed Shahabadi, is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Wyoming working under the supervision of Jonathan A. Brant, P.E. Associate Professor. Mr. Seyed Shahabadi is studying bioinspired multi-applicable membranes prepared by combined electrospinning and electro spraying techniques for oil/water separation and sea water desalination by membrane distillation.

Their research covers a wide range of membrane technologies and AMTA is excited to support four outstanding students in their scientific endeavors.

Each of the recipients will attend the 2018 Membrane Technology Conference and Exposition (MTC) to be held in West Palm Beach, FL on March 12-16 and personally present their work as a paper or poster presentation. The award monies are intended to support their research and to provide financial assistance for travel expenses related to the MTC attendance.

AMTA is proud to be able to provide Fellowships such as the AMTA ADC Fellowships. In 2016 AMTA issued Fellowships in the amount of $ 80,000. The NWRI AMTA Fellowships are a two year award and applications will be accepted for these Fellowships in 2018.

About The American Membrane Technology Association
The American Membrane Technology Association’s mission it to promote, advocate and advance the understanding and application of membrane technology to create safe, affordable and reliable water supplies, and to treat municipal, industrial, agricultural and waste waters for beneficial use. AMTA provides broad opportunities for the exchange of technical, operational and financial information among individuals and organizations interested in membrane technologies. As the leading advocate of membrane processes in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America, AMTA is a strong voice for regulatory and legislative reforms essential to the understanding, acceptance and utilization of membrane technologies. For more information, visit www.amtaorg.com.