| Isabel C. Escobar |
| I am an associate professor of Chemical & Environmental Engineering at The University of Toledo. I was an EPA STAR Fellow and I received my PhD in 2000 from The University of Central Florida. Regarding my research: I have over US$1,000,000 in funded research from federal, state, local and industrial sources. My research group has published over 30 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and has made nearly 100 presentations. My research group has been on the news lately on WGTE Plugged In Series, the feature of a public lecture at the Lake Erie Center (view video) and on The Independent Collegian. My university webpage is www.che.utoledo.edu. I received the 2009 YWCA Milestones Award for Education. More information can be found on the following websites: ywca, 13abc, among others. In 2009, I was also awarded the University of Toledo College of Engineering Outstanding Teacher Award, as well as the Toledo area 20 Under 40 Leadership Award (list of 2009 recipients can be found in the Toledo Business Journal). I am the Associate Editor of Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy journal, an AIChE publication. I guest edited volume 24 issue 4 of Environmental Progress, volume 27 issue 2 of Environmental Progress, and volume 43 issue 16 of Separation Science & Technology journals. I have also edited a book with Andrea Schaefer (The University of Edinburgh) entitled Sustainable Water for the Future - Water Recycling versus Desalination, co-published by Elsevier and IWA Publishing (these are links to the book URL). My current research focuses on membrane filtration with a focus on improving membrane materials. My current graduate students are 1. Tilak Gullinkala is working on increasing the hydrophilicity of ultrafiltration membranes via graft polymerization of hydrophilic monomers (PEGMA) to the surface (USBR funded - for more information, click here). 2. Colleen Gorey is developing nanostructured smart membrane sensors (NSF 0610624, for more information, click here), which is a project in collaboration with Cyndee Gruden (Civil Engineering) - www.cemag.us/articles.asp?pid=688 3. Richard Hausman is working on developing anti-biofouling polypropylene nanocomposite fibers loaded with copper or silver ions (NSF 0714539 and 0754387). 4. Brett Digman is working on developing polybenzimidazole nanofiltration membranes for forward osmosis application. This project is in collaboration with Professor Maria Coleman (The University of Toledo) and Professor Neal Chung (National University of Singapore), and initial work has been funded by NSF OISE 0832894. My past PhD graduate students are 1. Rama Chennamsetty who worked on using ion beam irradiation to decrease membrane roughness and increase pore rigidity (NSF 031778). Rama obtained his PhD in December 2007!!! 2. Weihua Peng who worked on modeling of membrane filtration, and obtained his PhD in December 2004!!! My past MS graduate students are: 1. Kevin Good 2. Mashesh Bordawekar (co-advised with Glenn Lipscomb) 3. Srinivas Kappagantula 4. Michelle Sharp 5. Stanley King 6. Colleen Gorey 7. Deepthi Mettu I chaired the 2007 North American Membrane Society (NAMS) Annual Conference (www.membranes.org) and the 2006 American Water Works Association (AWWA) Desalination Symposium. Contact Information: Isabel C. Escobar, PhD Associate Professor & Graduate Director Chemical & Environmental Engineering Department WISE Program Coordinator Eberly Center for Women The University of Toledo Toledo, OH 43606-3390 (419) 530-8267 (phone) (419) 530-8086 (fax) [email protected]du |
| Colleen Gorey, Richard Hausman and Tilak Gullinkala. |
| Isabel C Escobar |
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