Siddhartha Paul, a Civil Engineering Ph.D. student at the Cullen College of Engineering, is one of four recipients of the 2022 American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA) and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Fellowships for Membrane Technology.
According to a press release from the AMTA, Paul's research focuses on chlorine-resistant covalent organic framework. His advisor is Devin Shaffer, Assistant Professor in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department.
“Siddhartha has been a dedicated researcher and has mastered numerous challenging experimental techniques to advance his research about the chlorine-resistance of covalent organic framework (COF) nanofiltration membranes,” Shaffer said. “His work is demonstrating that COF membranes are a robust alternative to chlorine-sensitive polyamide membranes that can be effectively cleaned with chlorine to maintain their performance and extend their useful lifespan.”
Paul noted that the award was a welcome honor for him to hear about and receive.
“I was extremely overwhelmed with joy and felt zeal to continue my research endeavors in the domain of membrane cleaning using chlorination,” he said.
Paul earned his Bachelors in Technology from the National Institute of Technology Silchar and his Masters in Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, both in India. He started his Ph.D. studies at UH in 2021.
When asked why he chose the Cullen College of Engineering, Paul spoke positively of the vibrant industrial and business atmosphere of the Houston metro area.
“I always wanted to pursue a career in industry, and Houston seemed right for me, being in the energy capital of the world,” he said. “There are lot of opportunities to build a start-up company through pitching ideas and to gather investments for my ideas.”
Paul mentioned forming a start-up, or pursuing R&D opportunities, as options he's considering for the future.
“I have a dream to make a circular economy the new norm in the future, which is a more sustainable approach given the global climate crisis,” he said. “I definitely look forward to becoming a leader in the domain of the sustainable technology sector.”
Paul's Fellowship comes with an award of $11,750. AMTA and Reclamation have awarded more than $680,000 to students since 2007.
“AMTA would like to thank Reclamation for its ongoing generous support of AMTA's fellowship program, which has awarded $680,000 to 65 of the membrane industry's brightest young leaders since 2007,” said Brent Alspach, AMTA’s Fellowship Committee Chair, in a press release. “Our collaboration continues to both advance the frontiers of membrane technology and support the next generation of leaders that will guide the industry into the future.”
For more information on AMTA/Reclamation and Paul's Fellowship, visit this website.