Learn how to turn waste into resources at Loyola’s Grand Seminar
Loyola University Maryland will hold the 2022 Grand Seminar with guest lecturer Kartik Chandran, Ph.D., professor of earth and environmental engineering at Columbia University, who will present “The re-engineered ‘waste’ cycle: Pathways, protagonists, processes.” The seminar will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. in McGuire Hall in Loyola’s Andrew White Student Center.
Chandran received a MacArthur Fellowship, known as a “Genius Grant,” for his research into bioengineering microbial communities to transform wastewater from pollution to valuable products, such as commodity chemicals, energy sources, and fertilizers. His research and its practical applications demonstrate the hidden value of wastewater, conserving vital resources, and protecting public health.
“As the need for creative solutions to waste management and sustainability becomes more and more clear, we’re proud to welcome Dr. Chandran to Loyola to share his groundbreaking research,” said Bahram Roughani, Ph.D., associate dean for the natural and applied sciences at Loyola. “Through the power of microbes, Dr. Chandran is discovering how to spin straw into gold, so to speak, with enormous implications into the future of waste management and resource recovery.”
Chandran received a fellowship with the Water Environment Federation, the Paul L. Busch Award from The Water Research Foundation and a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation. He holds a doctorate in environmental engineering from the University of Connecticut and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee.
The Grand Seminar will begin with a reception, award presentation and student research poster presentation at 5 p.m. followed by the lecture. Loyola’s natural and applied sciences division will present an alumni award to Adam Phillippy, ’02, senior investigator at the National Human Genome Research Institute.
To learn more and register for the Grand Seminar, visit www.loyola.edu/grandseminar. The event is free and open to the public.