Overview
The team of Virender K. Sharma (Texas A&M University, USA)
Sharma’s team focuses on the pioneering use of activated ferrate in advanced water treatment, particularly with respect to emerging contaminants. They have developed innovative strategies to generate highly reactive high-valent iron intermediates for the treatment of polluted water with greater efficiency as well as highly effective techniques using ferrate in advanced oxidative processes for the removal of antibiotics and pharmaceuticals in wastewater. Importantly, they have demonstrated techniques that work at high, and even enhanced, efficiency in water containing commonly occurring natural organic matter that often inhibits the effectiveness of oxidative processes in removing micropollutants.
Team members include: Chetan Jinadatha (Texas A&M University, USA), Ching-Hua Huang (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA), and Radek Zbořil (Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic)
Winner Profile
Virender K. Sharma
Affiliation at the time of the award:
Virender K. Sharma is Distinguished Professor at the School of Public Health and Director of the Program on Environment and Sustainability at Texas A&M University.
Education:
• 1989 – PhD; University of Miami, Florida (Marine & Atmospheric Chemistry)
• 1984 – MTech; Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India (Chemical Analysis & Control)
• 1982 – MSc; University of Delhi, India (Physical Chemistry)
• 1980 – BSc (Hon); University of Delhi, India (Chemistry)
Selected Awards:
2022 – ACS ES&T Water Excellence in Review Award – American Chemical Society Publications
2022 – ACS ES&T Engineering Excellence in Review Award – American Chemical Society Publications
2020 – Steven K. Dentel AEESP Award for Global Outreach - Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors
2019 – Bush Excellence Award for International Research - George H W Bush Presidential Library Foundation
2019 – Sigma Xi Outstanding Distinguished Scientist Award – Texas A&M University Chapter of Sigma Xi
2008 – Faculty Excellence in Research Award – Florida Institute of Technology
2008 – Faculty of the Year Award – Awarded by Student Affiliation of the American Chemical Society
2006 – Outstanding Chemist Award – Orlando Section, American Chemical Society
Chetan Jinadatha
Affiliation at the time of the award:
Chetan Jinadatha is Clinical Professor at the College of Medicine at Texas A&M University.
Education:
• 2010 – Fellowship; Scott & White Memorial Hospital, Texas A & M Health Science Center (Infectious Diseases)
• 2008 – Residency; Scott & White Memorial Hospital, Texas A & M Health Science Center (Internal Medicine)
• 2005 – Internship; Scott & White Memorial Hospital, Texas A & M Health Science Center (Family Medicine)
• 2004 – Master’s in Public Health; Texas A & M University (Epidemiology & Biostatistics)
• 2001 – J.J.M; Medical College, Davangere, Karnataka, India
Selected Awards:
2024 – Excellence in Technology Transfer – Federal Laboratory Consortium
2024 – Samuel Arnold Greeley Award – American Society of Civil Engineers (EWRI Congress)
2023 – Mid-Career Scholarship Award – Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)
2023 – Distinguished Alumi Award – Texas A&M University, School of Public Health
2022 – Distinguished Teaching Award for Medical Residency & Fellowship – Texas A&M School of Medicine
2008 – William A. Rutala Best Research Award
Acceptance Speech
Respected dignitaries, Council Chairman, Colleagues, and Fellow Awardees.
On behalf of our team leader Dr. Virendra Sharma, myself, the rest of our team members we want to thank his Royal Highness Prince Sultan Abdulaziz and the Prince Sultan Abdul Aziz International Prize for Water chair and the selection committee for bestowing us with this prestigious honor at this impressive location. Many researchers, scientists, and inventors can only dream about being honored with such a prestigious award. We are humbled, honored, and even more motivated because of this prestigious honor.
Unfortunately, Dr. Sharma could not be due to unavoidable circumstance, but I can assure you he is as excited about this as I am receiving this honor today on behalf of him and the entire team. As both our mothers who are looking down upon us from heaven would say “well done” in our native languages and that all their sacrifices were worth it.
As researchers and inventors, we all have our calling, our team’s calling is “Ferrate”. A unique molecule so powerful that presents us with a unique opportunity to make a difference in other peoples lives. A molecule that can disinfect and kill pathogens, a molecule that can oxidize antibiotics, chemicals in wastewater through its oxidation power, a molecule that is green, and economical.
Today, on this humbling occasion, we are more than ever motivated to keep going with our research and we will work hard to make this a better place for all with our goal of “Saving Lives, even One Life.”
I also want to thank the team at United Nations for hosting this event and giving us this important platform. We also want to thank our wives, parents, and our children for their constant support, sacrifice, and encouragement. Our work would not have been possible without them.
Winning Work
[1] V.K. Sharma, X. Ma, and R. Zboril, “Single Atom Catalysts-Mediated Generation of Reactive Species in Water Treatment” Chem. Soc. Rev., 52, 7673 - 7686 (2023).
[2] B. Guo, J. Wang, X. Ma, Xingmao; E. Lichtfouse, C-H, Huang, and V.K. Sharma, “Enhanced Oxidation of Antibiotics by Ferrate Mediated with Natural Organic Matter: Role of Phenolic Moieties” Environ. Sci. Technol., 57(47), 19033–19042 (2023).
[3] V.K. Sharma and C. Jinadatha, “Ferrate Composition for Surface Disinfection” United States Patent Office; US Patent No. 11,523,613 (2022).
[4] V.K. Sharma, M. Feng, D.D. Dionysiou, H-C, Zhou, C. Jinadatha, K. Manoli, M. Smith, R. Luque, X. Ma, and C-H. Huang, “High-Valent Iron-Oxo Intermediates in Enhancing Treatment of Water by Ferrate” Environ. Sci. Technol., 56(1), 30-47 (2022).
[5] C. Luo, M. Feng, V.K. Sharma, and C-H. Huang, “Oxidation of Pharmaceuticals by Ferrate(VI) in Hydrolyzed Urine: Effects of Major Inorganic Constituents” Environ. Sci. Technol., 53(9), 5272–5281 (2019).