Civil engineering Ph.D. candidate Coleman Henry (right) studies meter readings in Associate Professor Jon Brant's water resources lab, in which he researches physicochemical separation processes for water and industrial wastewater treatment.
Water Research Duo Recognized At Membrane Tech Conference
March 28, 2018
Two University of Wyoming engineering students claimed top awards at one of the nation’s premier membrane technology conference.
The American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA) hosted the 2018 Membrane Technology Conference and Exposition in March in West Palm Beach, Fla. UW civil engineering Ph.D. candidates Coleman Henry and Mahdi Shahabadi were honored at the awards ceremony for their research. Both work in the UW Center of Excellence in Produced Water Management under the direction of Associate Professor Jonathan Brant.
Henry won the conference’s Student Best Paper Award for his presentation, "Modeling Water Transport Mechanisms in Soil-Water Potential Driven Desalination."
Shahabadi came away with the Student Best Poster Award for his presentation, "Bio-Inspired Superhydrophobic/Superoleophilic Membranes Prepared by Electrospinning and Electrospraying for Oil Separation."
“The American Water Works Association and the American Membrane Technology Association are the leading professional organizations related to water treatment in the United States,” Brant says. “The Membrane Technology Conference is among the largest professional gatherings for professionals and academics involved in membrane technologies. As such, student awards are highly competitive.
“Having two students win two out of three awards is truly an accomplishment and a testament to the innovative work being done by our graduate students. These awards bring a great deal of recognition to them and to our growing research program in physicochemical separation processes at UW.”
Formed in 1972, AMTA is a nonprofit scientific and educational association dedicated to solving water supply and quality issues through the widespread application of membrane technology. AMTA's mission is 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.
