AMTA/NWRI Graduate Fellowships for Membrane Technology – 2020 Award Recipients

Oct. 1, 2020

Source: American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA)

Georgia Institute of Technology and Northwestern University Doctoral Students Receive 2020 Awards

The American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA) and the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) announced the 2020 recipients of the AMTA/NWRI Graduate Fellowships for Membrane Technology. The two recipients will receive a $10,000 fellowship to support innovative research that advances membrane technology in the fields of water, wastewater, or water reuse.

The 2020 recipients of AMTA/NWRI Graduate Fellowships for Membrane Technology are:

Mr. Yousuf Bootwala, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia

Bootwala is a second-year Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering whose research, Evaluating and Tuning the Ion Transport and Selectivity through 2D Titanium Carbide Membranes, is being conducted under the guidance of Dr. Marta Hatzell. Bootwala earned an MS in Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India. Bootwala’s work addresses two emerging concerns with membrane filtration—selectivity and fouling—through field assisted membranes. By developing next generation membranes, the research aims to lower energy demand and mitigate fouling to decrease operational costs and improve material lifetime in the areas of desalination and wastewater treatment.

“Yousuf is a hardworking, forward thinking and innovative young scholar. His high intellectual curiosity, technical leadership and commitment to research will position him well to pursue advances in the field of electrochemical water treatment and make a lasting impact in water treatment membranes.”

Marta Hatzell, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology

Ms. Stephanie Ribet, Northwestern University, Illinois

Ribet is a third year Ph.D. student studying Multifunctional Nanocomposite (MNS) Membranes for Nutrient Recovery under the guidance of Professor Vinayak Dravid. Ribet earned an A.B. in Chemistry with High Honors from Princeton University. Her research focuses on developing membrane technology that harnesses the unique properties of multifunctional nanostructures: a scalable, eco friendly class of materials that can be tailored for targeted recovery of contaminants from water.

“Stephanie is an exceptional scholar and scholar-citizen for science and engineering who has every potential to achieve high technical feats in materials science. Her drive and enthusiasm to undertake complex research and develop intricate methodologies to solve real-world problems underscores an unwavering passion for the environment and a dogged commitment to sustainability and renewable energy.”

Vinayak P. Dravid, Ph.D., Abraham Harris Chaired Professor Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Northwestern University

AMTA and NWRI are partnering to support graduate student fellowships that advance AMTA’s mission to promote and advance the understanding and application of membrane technology to create safe, affordable, and reliable water treatment solutions. Since 2007, the AMTA-NWRI partnership has supported 16 students from across the country with close to $300,000 in fellowship awards for membrane research.

“NWRI is grateful for the interest and participation of students and their advisors in the NWRI-AMTA graduate fellowship program, and we congratulate this year’s recipients for their innovative research in water resources” said Suzanne Sharkey, Fellowship Coordinator and Water Resources Scientist, NWRI.

As the leading professional association dedicated to membrane treatment technology and research, AMTA administers fellowships for university students to support academic scholarship and innovative membrane research, with more than $550,000 awarded since 2007. Through partnership, this financial support not only yields cutting-edge innovations in membrane technology, but also provides career development for the industry’s brightest young minds.