Research Team
Dr. Arjun K. Venkatesan - Principal Investigator
I am an environmental chemist and engineer, conducting research in developing new interventions and technologies that will improve our water quality. I am currently an Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology. I received my Ph.D. from Arizona State University (2013) and my Masters of Science from University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2009), both in environmental engineering.
Bishnu Pandey - Ph.D. Student
As a dedicated PhD student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NJIT, I focus on advancing environmental sustainability through my research on the removal of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from various environmental media. My work contributes to addressing critical challenges associated with PFAS contamination in soil, drinking water, and wastewater by employing innovative treatment techniques. I received my master’s from the University of Idaho in Water Resources Engineering and Science (2021). I am passionate about the environment and am committed to exploring and implementing effective solutions to address emerging environmental challenges.
Farhaneh Maghsoudi - Ph.D. Student
I am a Ph.D. student in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, specializing in water and wastewater treatment. My research is centered on improving water quality by removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) via the adsorption process utilizing Granular Activated Carbon (GAC). I hold a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Tehran and a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology.
Justice Chigonum Woke - M.S. Student (CCWT)
I am a Masters student in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and a Master's degree in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. I have a research background in analyzing organic and metallic contaminants in soil and water. I am interested in understanding the source, fate, transport, and removal of contaminants in water. I will be working on contaminants of emerging concern, specifically on perfluoroalkyl substances.
Dr. Sudheera Yaparatne - Post-Doc
I am an environmental chemist and currently a postdoctoral research associate at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. My research focuses on advancing innovative and sustainable methods for water and wastewater treatment. My research specialization includes nanobubble applications in environmental contexts, nano photocatalysts, analytical chemistry, and material characterization. I received my Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Maine (2021).
Dr. Yi Zhang - Research Scientist (CCWT)
I am an environmental analytical chemist and my current research interests include: (i) investigating the mechanistic redox transformation of organic containments in natural or engineered aquatic systems using kinetic modeling or molecular probing; and, (ii) developing models for real world application with emphasis on emerging contaminant (e.g., PFAS) removal and destruction. I have a M.S. in Material Science from the University of Science and Technology of China (2008) and a PhD in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Maryland-College Park (2014).
Sophie Calish - Undergraduate Researcher
I am a Civil Engineering undergraduate student at NJIT with a minor in Environmental Studies and Sustainability. My research interests include investigating methods for treating drinking water and wastewater and developing ways to make these treatment processes more environmentally sustainable. I am planning to get a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering and pursue Environmental Engineering professionally.
Co-advisee
Duning Li - Ph.D. Student in Chemistry Department, SBU
Andrew Wright - Ph.D. Student in Chemistry Department, SBU
Former Researchers
Graduate Students
Dr. Kaushik Londhe (PhD Advisee) - Engineer at Geosyntec Consultants
Dr. Patricia Clyde - (PhD Co-Advisee) - Environmental chemist at Gradient
Dr. Yuyin Tang - (PhD Co-Advisee) - Postdoc at NYS Center for Clean Water Technology
Postdocs/Technicians
Dr. Cheng-Shiuan Lee (Post-doc) - Assistant Research Fellow, Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica
Dr. Xiayan Ye (Post-doc) - Analytical Chemist
Dr. Amith Maroli (Post doc) - Senior Scientist, Mount Sinai
Barbara Morrow (Technician) - M.D. student at West Virginia University
Undergraduate Researchers
Amanda Thomas (Undergraduate Researcher) - PhD student at Northeastern University
Guangmei Liu (Undergraduate Researcher) - Ph.D. student in Biology at Boston University
Jie Tang (Undergraduate Researcher)
Jonathan Lubiantoro (Undergraduate Researcher)
Kellianne Ticcony (Undergraduate Researcher)
High School Interns
Isabella Sha (Simons Summer Research Intern)
Abhinav Avvaru (Simons Summer Research Intern)
Tanakamon Yimsiri (Simons Summer Research Intern)