Indian-origin student receives scholarship for research in advance water treatment using membrane technology

NEW DELHI: An Indian-American PhD student has received a fellowship from the American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA) and the US Bureau of Reclamation for undertaking cutting-edge and innovative research in the field of advanced treatment of alternative water supplies.

Harsh Patel, a Chemical Engineering PhD student and Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Michigan was named among the four recipients of the USD 11,750 fellowship, said the AMTA statement. Patel’s research looks at establishing novel low water content membranes capable of selectively removing targeted ions to meet rising water and energy demands, it said.

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Innovations in membrane technology have significant potential to reduce the cost, energy, and environmental impact of advanced treatment of recycling wastewater and seawater that would offer clean, safe, abundant, and cost-effective water supplies in arid areas.

"I am extremely pleased to have received this honour knowing that successful work in this area will have direct implications on global problems like water scarcity," said Patel. Patel did his Bachelor's in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2021 and is currently associated with Michigan's Kamcev Lab which aims to develop next-generation polymeric materials for water treatment and energy generation and storage applications.

Patel is set to attend the 2023 Membrane Technology Conference and Exposition to share his research through a podium presentation or poster in Knoxville in February. The AMTA and Reclamation Fellowships together award four scholarships each year to support graduate students who are pursuing a full-time Master’s degree or a PhD student conducting research in the advancements needed to pursue innovation in membrane technologies.