The cocktails and sparkling bubbly were flowing Thursday, June 6 as the University Houston Engineering Alumni Association (EAA) hosted its annual gala at the Bayou City Event Center.

The Engineering Alumni Awards program, established in 1987, recognizes alumni, faculty and friends of the Cullen College and the EAA for significant contributions to society and the engineering profession.

The 2019 UH Cullen College of Engineering Alumni Awards Gala will be held at the Bayou City Event Center on Thursday, June 6. The annual event, hosted by the Engineering Alumni Association (EAA), celebrates the professional accomplishments and contributions of Cullen College alumni and faculty.

Learn more about this year’s honorees below:

UH Engineers Are Testing a Theory with Livestock Microbiome

Antibiotic resistance is one of the world’s most serious threats to public health, forcing the use of medications that are more toxic, more expensive and not always effective. There are several causes, including over-prescription of antibiotics in both humans and in livestock.

DOE-Funded Work Could Lead to Advances in Bioenergy

Researchers traditionally have studied individual microorganisms independently of how those organisms interact with their surroundings. Now an international team of researchers is looking at how bacteria and fungi interact in soil, fundamental scientific research that could lead to advances in plant productivity and bioenergy.

When it comes to clean water, Yandi Hu and Debora Rodrigues have a thirst for it. Hu, UH assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, works with Flint, Michigan on their water crisis and conducts research on reducing lead release in water lines. Rodrigues, UH associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, helps improve global access to clean water with a nano-sized technology that can weed out metals and microorganisms from drinking sources.

It actually does take a rocket scientist to be a rocket scientist. Case in point: Professor of physics and electrical engineering at the UH Cullen College of Engineering Edgar Bering, whose business card really does say he’s a rocket scientist – and for good reason. He’s been working with NASA on sending things airborne for decades.

WAVVE Stream, a University of Houston startup company committed to increasing global access to clean water, recently racked up another award for their novel nano-sized water filtration system.

Researchers at the Cullen College of Engineering have discovered an innovative method for destroying bacteria in a matter of seconds by using light to heat highly porous gold nanodisks. A research paper describing the method was featured on the cover of the April issue of Optical Materials Express.

Debora Rodrigues, an assistant professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering, said many of her female students approach her not just for course help, but for life advice. They ask about things like balancing work and home life, childcare, and prejudices in STEM careers.