About the series
The NSF Directorate for Engineering presents a Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Pedro Alvarez of Rice University on "Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment." This virtual event will be held on Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 11:00 AM Eastern.
Join Us
Register in advance at https://nsf.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_fROTHOOmSHqLxFkgPwpSMg
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Live captions will be available. If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to attend, please email rarequest@nsf.gov in advance.
Abstract
This presentation will address emerging opportunities for nanotechnology to meet a growing need for safer and more affordable decentralized water treatment and reuse. Through control over material size, morphology and chemical structure, nanotechnology offers novel materials that are nearly “all surface” and hence can be more reactive per atom than bulk materials. The vision is that these enabling technologies will be leveraged to develop compact modular water treatment systems that are easy to deploy and can treat challenging waters to protect human lives and support economic development
Biography
Dr. Pedro J.J. Alvarez is the George R. Brown Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University and is the founding Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT). He also serves on the board of directors of the Houston Endowment, a private foundation that partners with the nonprofit, public and private sectors to improve quality of life for the residents of greater Houston.
Alvarez's research interests include environmental implications and applications of nanotechnology, bioremediation, fate and transport of toxic chemicals, water footprint of biofuels, water treatment and reuse, and antibiotic resistance control. He received his B.Eng. in civil engineering from McGill University and M.S. and Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Michigan. Among his many honors, Alvarez was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2018 for outstanding contributions to the practice and pedagogy of bioremediation and environmental nanotechnology.
