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Events

• Oct

  6

  EES Seminar Series- Matthew Reid

  McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  2:00 PM A230, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  How Does Dissolved Organic Matter Impact Microbial Arsenic Transformations?

  Abstract. Growing awareness of elevated concentrations of arsenic in rice have motivated significant research attention to the biogeochemical dynamics of arsenic in rice paddy soils. However, fundamental understanding of how environmental conditions regulate microbe-mediated arsenic transformations – and the resulting impacts on arsenic speciation and fate – is lacking. This presentation explores the multi-faceted role of dissolved organic matter (DOM) quality and quantity in regulating microbial uptake and transformation of arsenic, with a focus on methylation-demethylation reactions. The presentation will discuss: (i) Bioavailability of arsenic in the presence of DOM-stabilized iron colloids; (ii) Effects of bio-labile carbon in suppressing microbial uptake and methylation of arsenic through a carbon catabolite repression-like mechanism; and (iii) Effects of methylated organic substrates for methylotrophic methanogenesis on stimulating the demethylation of methylarsenic species. Implications of the research findings for concentrations of inorganic and methylated arsenic species in rice paddy soils will be discussed.

  Bio. Dr. Matthew Reid is an assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University and directs the Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Engineering Research Group. Research in the Reid Lab focuses on applications of biogeochemistry and ecosystem engineering to water quality problems and greenhouse gas emissions from environmental processes. The Reid Lab performs research across physical scales from molecular-level investigations and modeling to field-scale observations and experiments. Dr. Reid was a postdoctoral scientist in the Environmental Microbiology Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (EPFL), where he was supported by a Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellowship. Dr. Reid completed his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Princeton University in 2014 and received his bachelors degree in chemistry from the University of Chicago. Dr. Reid has also worked as a high school chemistry teacher with the United States Peace Corps in Tanzania.

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  TIME Friday, October 6, 2023 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

  LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

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  CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

• May

  30

  EES Seminar- Plasmon- Mediated Advanced Reduction Processes for Contaminant Degradation: PFAS and Nitrate- Haklae Lee

  McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  2:00 PM A230, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  Abstract

  The use of nanomaterials has become a rapidly growing approach for advanced water treatment technologies, but the continued emergence of highly oxidation-resistant micropollutants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), calls for transformative strategies that move beyond recent oxidation-based remediation practices. Alternative reduction-based approaches utilizing aqueous electrons (eaq−, Eo = −2.9 V)—one of the most reactive nucleophilic species—are emerging as a promising solution for efficient PFAS breakdown. Herein, we leverage nanoconfinement engineering to enable a new water treatment approach—plasmon-mediated advanced reduction processes (PARPs)—for efficient, chemical-free PFAS destruction at room temperature. We first present novel nanoreactor designs that engineer the ‘nanoconfinement effect’, i.e. unique aggregation-induced interparticle interactions that are inaccessible by typical unconfined, bulk-phase nanomaterials. We demonstrate that the precisely controlled nanoconfinement of plasmonic nanoparticles can generate highly reactive reducing species under UV irradiation, capable of breaking even the strong C–F bonds in PFAS. The nanoreactor we developed achieved 81.5% mineralization of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) after 24 hours of UV irradiation in pure water at room temperature, compared to only 16.6% mineralization by UV photolysis. Further reaction monitoring under various conditions and multimodal NMR-guided investigation were conducted to elucidate PFAS degradation mechanisms and pathways. We further explored the potential of PARPs for the chemical-free remediation of nitrate, a prevalent oxyanion pollutant that is resistant to conventional oxidation-based treatments. Our findings highlight the transformative promise of nanoconfinement engineering to catalyze innovation in environmental nanotechnology and extend the frontier of advanced reduction processes for water treatment.

  Bio- Haklae Lee is a PhD student in the Environmental Engineering & Science program and a member of the Gray Lab in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Pusan National University in South Korea. His work focuses on the design and engineering of nano-sized reactors for efficient and more sustainable remediation of emerging contaminants from wastewater. He uses mesoporous silica to spatially confine various metal nanoparticles within multi-layered nanoreactors, enabling unique features such as multifunctional compartments and nanoconfinement effects for previously unexplored environmental applications.

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  TIME Friday, May 30, 2025 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

  LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

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  CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

• Jun

  4

  MMS/EBE Seminar- Additive Manufacturing of Fiber Reinforced Ultra High Performance Concrete: Experiments and Computations- Gianluca Cusatis

  McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

  11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  TBA

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  TIME Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

  LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it

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  CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

• Jun

  15

  2024-2025 Commencement Ceremony

  University Academic Calendar

  All Day

  EVENT DETAILSmore info

  2024-2025 Commencement Ceremony

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  TIME Sunday, June 15, 2025

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  CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

• Jun

  16

  Northwestern Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony

  McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  9:00 AM 2705 Ashland Ave

  EVENT DETAILS

  McCormick School of Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony. The most up to date information can be found on our graduation webpage.

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  TIME Monday, June 16, 2025 at 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

  LOCATION 2705 Ashland Ave   

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  CONTACT Northwestern Engineering Events    northwestern-engineering-events@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

• Jun

  16

  Northwestern Engineering Undergraduate Convocation

  McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  2:00 PM 2705 Ashland Ave

  EVENT DETAILSmore info

  McCormick School of Engineering Undergraduate Convocation. The most up to date information can be found on our graduation webpage.

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  TIME Monday, June 16, 2025 at 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

  LOCATION 2705 Ashland Ave   

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  CONTACT Northwestern Engineering Events    northwestern-engineering-events@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

• Jun

  23

  Summer classes begin

  University Academic Calendar

  All Day

  EVENT DETAILS

  Summer classes begin

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  TIME Monday, June 23, 2025

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  CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

• Sep

  16

  Fall 2025 Classes Begin

  University Academic Calendar

  All Day

  EVENT DETAILS

  Fall 2025 Classes Begin

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  TIME Tuesday, September 16, 2025

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  CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR University Academic Calendar