Overview
The team of Menachem Elimelech (Yale University) and Chinedum Osuji (University of Pennsylvania)
Dr. Elimelech and Dr. Osuji has made significant advances in nanostructured materials for next-generation membranes and water purification technologies, with a particular focus on implementation issues like manufacturing, sustainability, self-assembled materials, and biofouling. They have advanced our knowledge on a wide range of issues: from carbon nanotubes to graphene oxide, cellulose triacetate and plant-derived feedstocks; from the use of magnetic fields to surface confinement, to engineering crystallite size; and from pressure retarded osmosis to membrane distillation and nanofiltration.
Winner Profile
Dr. Menachem Elimelech
Dr. Elimelech is the Roberto Goizueta Professor, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University.
Education:
• 1989 – PhD; The Johns Hopkins University (Environmental Engineering)
• 1985 – MSc; The Hebrew University, Jerusalem (Environmental Science & Technology)
• 1983 – BSc; The Hebrew University, Jerusalem (Soil and Water Sciences)
Selected Awards:
2019 –AEESP Outstanding Paper Award (with Nathalie Tufenkji)
2015 – Eni Prize for ‘Protection of the Environment’
2014 – The Charles R. O’Melia Distinguished Educator Award, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors
2012 – Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Outstanding Paper Award (with Amy E. Childress)
2012 – Super Reviewer Award, Environmental Science & Technology
2012 – Yale University Postdoctoral Mentoring Prize
2011 – The Simon W. Freese Environmental Engineering Award and Lecture, ASCE
2010 – Liza Cariaga-Lo Faculty Award for Diversity in Scholarship and Service, Yale University
2009 – World Class University Professor, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
2008 – American Institute of Chemical Engineers Lawrence K. Cecil Award in Environmental Chemical Engineering
2006 – Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Frontier of Research Award
2005 – The Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize, National Water Research Institute
2004 – Excellence in Review Award, Environmental Science & Technology
2004 – Yale University Graduate Mentor Award
2002 – Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Outstanding Paper Award
1996 – American Society of Civil Engineers, Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize
1994 – W.M. Keck Foundation, Engineering Teaching Excellence Award
1990 – National Science Foundation, Research Initiation Award
1989 – Environmental Engineering and Chemistry Graduate Student Award, American Chemical Society-Division of Environmental Chemistry
Dr. Chinedum Osuji
Dr. Osuji is the Eduardo D. Glandt Presidential Professor and Department Chair in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania.
Education:
• 2007 – Post-doctoral research; Cornell University (Materials Science and Engineering)
• 2003 – PhD; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Materials Science & Engineering)
• 1996 – BS; Cornell University (Applied Physics)
Selected Awards:
2019 – Nano Research Young Investigator Award
2016 – Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Graduate Mentor Award
2016 – YSEA Award for Advancement of Basic and Applied Science
2016 – Yale Science and Engineering Association “Advancement of Basic Science” Award
2015 – Hendrick C. Van Ness Award
2015 – American Physical Society John H. Dillon Medal
2012 – Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award
2012 – 3M Nontenured Faculty Award
2010 – Yale College Arthur Greer Memorial Prize
2008 – National Science Foundation CAREER Award
2000 – Omnova Polymer Science Award, MIT
TEXT OF ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
TEXT OF ACCEPTANCE SPEECHWinning Work
[1] Park, H.B., Kamcev, J., Robeson, L.M., Elimelech, M., & Freeman, B.D. “Maximizing the right stuff: The trade-off between membrane permeability and selectivity”, Science, Volume 356. June 2017, eaab0530.
[2] Yao, Y., Zhang, P., Jiang, C., DuChanois, R.M., Zhang, X., Elimelech, M. “High performance polyester reverse osmosis desalination membrane with chlorine resistance” Nature Sustainability, October 2020, pages 1-9
[3] Werber, J.R., Osuji, C.O., & Elimelech, M. “Materials for next-generation desalination and water purification membranes”, Nature Reviews Materials, Volume 1, April 2016, page(s) 16018.
[4] Werber, J.R. and Elimelech, M., “Permselectivity limits of biomimetic desalination membranes”, Science Advances, 4(6). June 29, 2018, eaar8266.
[5] Lu, X., Feng, X., Yang, Y., Jiang, J., Cheng, W., Liu, C., Gopinadhan, M., Osuji, C.O., Ma, J. & Elimelech, M., “Tuning the permselectivity of polymeric desalination membranes via control of polymer crystallite size”, Nature Communications, 10(1), May 28, 2019. pages 1-7, #2347.