SPEAKERS
PLENARY LECTURERS
Menachem Elimelech
Solvent Transport in Dense Polymer Membranes: Separating Facts from Fiction
Menachem Elimelech
Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
Menachem Elimelech moved from Yale University to Rice University in January 2025 as the Nancy and Clint Carlson Chair, with joint appointments in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. Professor Elimelech’s research focuses on membrane-based processes for energy-efficient desalination and wastewater reuse, advanced materials for next-generation separation and water decontamination technologies, and environmental applications of nanomaterials. Professor Elimelech was the recipient of numerous awards in recognition of his research contributions. Notable among these awards are the 2005 Clarke Prize for excellence in water research; election to the US National Academy of Engineering in 2006; Eni Prize for ‘Protection of the Environment’ in 2015; and election to the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2017, the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering in 2021, and the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2022. Professor Elimelech has advised 52 PhD students and 50 postdoctoral researchers, many of whom hold leading positions in academia and industry. In recognition of his excellence in teaching and mentoring, he received the W.M. Keck Foundation Engineering Teaching Excellence Award in 1994, the Yale University Graduate Mentoring Award in 2004, and the Yale University Postdoctoral Mentoring Prize in 2012.
Nidal Hilal
New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Through his role as director of the NYUAD Water Research Center, he holds the position of Professor of Chemical Engineering at New York University in Abu Dhabi. Prof. Nidal Hilal is a recognized expert in the development of innovative and economical solutions in nano-water, membrane technology, and water treatment, including desalination and colloid engineering. His globally acknowledged research has facilitated the application of atomic force microscopy (AFM) in the creation of novel membranes with enhanced characteristics for challenging separations.
Ahmad Fauzi Ismail
Harnessing the potential of functional membranes for sustainable environmental and energy application
Ahmad Fauzi Ismail
University of Technology Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia
Ahmad Fauzi Ismail is a professor of energy engineering at the University of Technology Malaysia in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. His research concentrates on the advancement of polymeric, inorganic, and mixed matrix membranes for applications in reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, membrane contactors, gas separation, and the development of nanofibers and carbon nanostructured materials for energy-related applications. He investigates the broad fields of application, including water desalination, wastewater treatment, gas separation, fuel cells, palm oil refining, and hemodialysis, employing the developed materials.
Michael Guiver
Towards practical polymer-supported MOFs and other frameworks for high permeance gas separation membranes
Michael Guiver
Tianjin University, China
Michael D. Guiver is currently working as a professor at the State Key Laboratory of Engines, which is based at Tianjin University in China. He has been conducting research on high-performance membrane materials for fuel cells and as well as gas separation products.
Kang Li
Nanostructured Membranes for Separation and Chemical Reaction
Kang Li
Imperial College, London, UK
Kang Li is Professor of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. He works on the advancement of hollow fiber membranes and membrane systems for fluid separations and reactions. He is especially focused on defining the fundamental relationship between membrane structure and their particular separation properties.
Inmaculada Ortiz Uribe
Functionalized membranes for high-performance separations. The long journey from the laboratory to the commercial level
Inmaculada Ortiz Uribe
University of Cantabria, Cantabria, Spain
Inmaculada Ortiz Uribe is as a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cantabria in Spain. Her research interests includes the design of magnetically driven separation micro-devices, membrane-based advanced separations for environmental, energy, and industrial applications, as well as water and wastewater treatment in developing nations. Her research concentrated on novel materials, nanomaterials, and biocompatible substances; innovative separation technologies and the recovery of products from saline concentrates powered by renewable energy sources.
Takeo Yamaguchi
Membranes towards 2050 - Fuel cells, Water electrolysis, Disease diagnosis, and Water purification
Takeo Yamaguchi
Tokyo Institute of Technology Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science Institute of Innovative Research, Yokohama, Japan
Takeo Yamaguchi is a Professor at Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science, Institute of Innovative Research under Tokyo Institute of Technology. Through his publications, he conducts multidisciplinary research in the domains of organic chemistry, biochemistry, metallurgy, and chemical engineering. His research mostly focuses on membrane technologies for water treatment, systematic design and development of energy materials and systems, and stimuli-responsive membranes influenced by biosystems.
Mark Wiesner
Duke University, North Carolina, USA
Mark Wiesner is a Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in Duke University. Prof. Wiesner's research interests include membrane processes, nanostructured materials, transport and fate of nanomaterials in the environment, nano plastics, colloidal and interfacial processes, and environmental systems analysis. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (2015).
Saravanamuthu Vigneswaran
University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Saravanamuthu Vigneswaran, an Emeritus Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UTS, is an award-winning researcher who has made a sustained and outstanding contribution to the water profession. He was Distinguished Professor from 2017 to Dec 2021 and Professor at UTS since 1996. He is a member of MIE Aust and holds CPEng NER APEC Engineer Int PE(Aus). Prof Saravanamuthu’s research interests include sustainable water management, resource recovery, membrane technologies and hybrid systems for water reuse and desalination.
Seda Keskin Avcı
Advancing Gas Separation Technologies: AI-Driven Design of High-Performance MOF Membranes
Seda Keskin Avcı
Koç University, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Türkiye
Seda Keskin Avcı is a Professor at the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department of Koç University and the Director of Nanomaterials, Energy, and Molecular Modeling Research Group (NEMO). She has >180 publications on energy applications of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) which received >12,000 citations. She has been recognized as one of the “Outstanding Women in Chemical Engineering Across the Globe” in 2022 by the Chemical Engineering Research and Design Journal (ChERD). She was born in Istanbul on April 28, 1982. She received her BSc. and MSc. degrees from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Boğaziçi University in 2004 and 2006, respectively. She completed her PhD at the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology in 2009 by receiving the Sigma Xi Best Doctoral Dissertation Award, and the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering School Outstanding PhD Thesis Award. She joined Koç University in 2010 and became a full professor in 2018. She is the youngest woman professor in Türkiye in her field. She was awarded the European Research Council’s (ERC) Starting Grant with her project COSMOS (Computational Simulations of MOFs for Gas Separations) in 2017 and the ERC Consolidator Grant with her project STARLET (Atomistic Modelling and Machine Learning of Advanced Porous Materials for Energy, Environment, and Biomedical Applications) in 2023. She became the first woman in Türkiye who receive an ERC grant in the field of engineering in 2017 and she became the first researcher to receive a consolidator grant in the field of process engineering in 2023. Prof. Keskin is awarded the The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) Science Award in 2024, Europen Commission Mediterranean Science Team Award in 2023, Koç University Outstanding Teaching Award in 2023, Turkish Journalists’ Association Sedat Simavi Commendation Award in the field of Science in 2022, American Chemical Society I&EC Research Excellence in Review Award in 2022, 2023, and 2024, ODTÜ Prof. Dr. Mustafa N. Parlar Foundation Science Award in 2021, Koç University Outstanding Faculty in Research President’s Award in 2017, FABED Eser Tümen Outstanding Achievement Award in 2016, ODTÜ Prof. Dr. Mustafa N. Parlar Foundation Research Incentive Award in 2015, the Science Heroes Association Scientist of the Year Award in 2014, Science Academy The Young Scientists Award (BAGEP) in 2014, Koç University Outstanding Faculty Award in 2014, Turkey Academy of Sciences Distinguished Young Scientist Award (GEBIP) in 2013, TUBITAK Encouragement Award in 2013, L’Oreal Turkey Young Women in Science Award in 2011, European Commission FP7 PEOPLE Marie Curie International Reintegration Grant in 2010, Sigma Xi Best Doctoral Dissertation Award in 2010 and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Outstanding PhD Thesis Award in 2010. She was elected as EuroMOF International Scientific Committee member in 2017, and elected to Global Young Academy (GYA) in 2018 as the first Turkish woman engineer. She serves on the editorial advisory board of the journal of I&EC Research by the American Chemical Society and Chemistry – An Asian Journal by Wiley-VCH .
KEYNOTE LECTURERS
Jose Luis Cortina
Enhancing materials circularity in management of salinity in industrial process streams by membrane integration processes
Jose Luis Cortina
Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
José Luis Cortina is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Technical University of Catalonia, Spain. José Luis Cortina conducts a multidisciplinary investigation in physical chemistry and chemical engineering. His studies concentrate on membrane technologies, resource recovery, separation processes, urban mining, and waste valorization.
Wojciech Kujawski
Pervaporation and membrane distillation in the processing of biofuels
Wojciech Kujawski
Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland
Wojciech Kujawski is a Professor in the Department of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physical Chemistry at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland. His research activities focus on the characteristics of polymeric and ceramic membranes, as well as the modification of these membranes to generate materials with innovative or enhanced properties. His research concentrated on various membrane processes, including pervaporation, gas separation, membrane distillation, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, and forward osmosis, utilized for organic solvent dehydration and the treatment of water and wastewater.
Mitsuru Higa
Charged mosaic membrane with high salt permselectivity and high mechanical strength
Mitsuru Higa
Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
Mitsuru Higa is a Professor at the Graduate School of Science and Engineering in Yamaguchi University. His research focuses on high-performance membranes derived from block copolymers and graft copolymers, and innovative chemical engineering systems that utilize these membranes for water treatment and energy production. He is mainly engaged in polymer electrolyte membranes for direct methanol fuel cells, ion-exchange membranes for electrodialysis and reverse electrodialysis, ion-barrier membranes for forward osmosis and pressure-retarded osmosis processes, charge mosaic membranes with high salt permselectivity, and externally stimuli-responsive charged membranes for smart sensors and intelligent drug delivery systems.
Marek Bryjak
Electromembrane processes for selective recovery of lithium battery components
Marek Bryjak
Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
Marek Bryjak is a professor at the Department of Polymer and Carbon Materials in Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland. His research essentially includes functional polymeric materials, plasma activated modifications, separation processes, polymer modification, surface characterization, novel membrane materials and processess, removing hazardous compounds from water and desalination of water.
Alberto Figoli
A more sustainable approach in membrane fabrication
Alberto Figoli
Institute on Membrane Technology- National Research Council of Italy, Rende, Italy
Alberto Figoli has been the Director of the Institute on Membrane Technology of the National Research Council of Italy, ITM-CNR, since March 2019. His primary research focus includes the fabrication of polymeric membranes utilizing less toxic and environmentally friendly solvents, the development of bio-polymeric membranes, phase inversion techniques for membrane fabrication, membrane characterization, capsule production via membrane emulsification techniques, mixed matrix membranes, ionic liquid membranes, and the preparation and application of pervaporation (PV) membranes.
Victor Nikonenko
Concentration polarization in electromembrane system
Victor Nikonenko
Kuban State University, Russia
Victor Nikonenko is Professor of Physical Chemistry at the Kuban State University, Krasnodar, Russia. He graduated from the Mathematical Faculty of the Kuban State University and defended his Doctor of science thesis at the A.N. Frumkin Institute of Electrochemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences (1996) and his HDR thesis at the Paris-Est University (2001). He works in the field of transport phenomena in membrane systems, including membrane structure/properties relationships, coupling between ion and water transport, coupling between ion/molecule transport and chemical reactions, and mathematical modelling. He is a member of the editorial board of the “Russian Journal of Electrochemistry” and “Membranes and Membrane Technologies” (published in Russian and English), and a member of the editorial board and guest editor of the “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” (MDPI) journal and “Membranes” (MDPI). He is head of the Laboratory of Ion-Exchange Membranes and Related Processes; Membrane Institute, Kuban State University; Doctor Honoris Causa at the University of Montpellier, France, and is an associated professor at the Laval University, Quebec, Canada.
Gangasalam Arthanareeswaran
Progressive future of membrane materials for sustainable gas and liquid separation
Gangasalam Arthanareeswaran
National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India
Gangasalam Arthanareeswaran is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India. His current research encompasses wastewater treatment utilizing self-cleaning membrane technology and the regeneration of membranes through natural sources to restore aquatic ecosystems; the creation of biofouling-resistant membranes for wastewater treatment; the development and application of inorganic membranes for wastewater treatment; and the implementation of multibore hollow fiber ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes enhanced by nanostructured materials for environmental applications.
Volodymyr V. Tarabara
Michigan State University, Michigan, USA
Volodymyr Tarabara is a Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University in Michigan, USA. His research is on membrane fabrication and membrane-based separation technologies, with applications in water treatment, industrial pollution management, and biosafety monitoring.
Izumi Kumakiri
Yamaguchi University, Japan
She is a professor at Yamaguchi University. Prof. Kumakiri is working on the research field of the separation technology by using zeolite and carbon membranes. She aims at the developments of the unique and innovative technology by the combination use of the chemical reaction and the film separation methodology. She has been involved in various national and international projects related to hydrogen carrier systems, artificial photosynthesis systems, biowaste upgrading systems and others, by applying nanoporous inorganic membranes.
Ş. Birgül Tantekin-Ersolmaz
Designing Nanocomposite Membranes for Advanced Gas and Liquid Separations: Challenges and Promises
Ş. Birgül Tantekin-Ersolmaz
Professor of Chemical Engineering at Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Türkiye
Ş. Birgül Tantekin-Ersolmaz is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at Istanbul Technical University (ITU), where she leads the Membrane Materials and Separations (MeMaSep) research group. She is also the head of the Membrane Separations Laboratory at the Center for Synthetic Fuels and Chemicals (ITU-SENTEK). Her research interest lies in the cross-sections of molecular separations, advanced materials, and membranes for applications in energy, water, and the environment. Specifically, her work involves the synthesis of novel, high-performance polymers, the fabrication of polymer-based composite and nanocomposite membranes for gas and liquid separations, and the development of structure/property relationships to guide these investigations.
Mehmet Kitis
Problems and obstacles encountered in industrial cleaner production projects employing membrane processes
Mehmet Kitis
Dept. of Environmental Engineering in Suleyman Demirel University, Türkiye
Mehmet Kitis is professor in Dept. of Environmental Engineering in Suleyman Demirel University, Türkiye. He has a Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering and Science from Clemson University, USA. He worked as a process engineer in CH2MHILL Inc., CA USA. His main research areas include water/wastewater treatment and reuse, membrane processes, industrial cleaner production applications, industrial water efficiency. He has been making research and consulting for more than 25 years in these areas. Prof. Kitis has published 123 peer-reviewed papers and books/book chapters (web of science h-index: 39) and presented more than 200 conference papers. He worked in 76 research and engineering projects including those of USA AWWARF, USEPA, EU IPA, TÜBİTAK, NATO, MEDRC, Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia National Science, Technology and Innovation Plan, and others. He received 26 national/international scientific/engineering awards. He has advised a total of 29 M.Sc. and Ph.D. thesis. He has involved in a total of 47 technical/academic/administrative positions including department chair, vice rector, consultant to ministries, international companies and various industries, research institute director (TÜBİTAK MAM), editorial board member, chamber of commerce advisor, and others.
Andrea Iris Schäfer
Decentralized water supply membrane systems for surface and brackish water
Andrea Iris Schäfer
Andrea Schäfer is Professor of Water Process Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering and (founding) Director of the Institute for Advanced Membrane Technology (IAMT) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Previously she was Professor at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology in Tanzania, East Africa. 2006 to 2013 she was the Chair of Environmental Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK following 3 years as a senior lecturer at the University of Wollongong, Australia and 3 years as postdoc & lecturer at the University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia. She holds four engineering degrees from three countries (Germany, France (2) & Australia) including a PhD from the UNESCO Center for Membrane Science and Technology at the University of New South Wales in Chemical engineering and has worked in many countries. Passionate about membrane process engineering she has experience with several membrane processes encompassing predominantly water treatment, desalination, water recycling, remote water supplies and international development. Her work spans from fundamental research, nanomembrane materials through to commercialisation projects, from water chemistry and engineering to socio-economic issues relevant to water. Prof Schäfer has published extensively in high impact journals and authored or edited several books, including ‘Nanofiltration: Principles, Applications and New Materials’. She collaborates extensively with colleagues in many leading academic institutions worldwide and works towards her long-term vision ‘I have a dream: safe water for all children’.