WEST PhD Students Recognized at EPAZ Annual Conference
PhD students, Abdullah Aleidan and Simran Singh, at the EPAZ conference in March 2026.
Bianca Miguel de Souza Chaves, The University of Arizona
Simran Singh and Abdullah Aleidan, PhD students at the University of Arizona, received top honors in the Student Poster Competition during the 21st Annual Conference of the Environmental Professionals of Arizona(EPAZ). The EPAZ conference, held on March 4–5, 2026, brought together professionals to learn the latest regulatory updates, share industry information, and network among peers.
Competing among graduate students from institutions across the region, Simran Singh was awarded 1st place in the Poster Competition, and Abdullah Aleidan earned 3rd place. The students' posters showcased innovative research related to water and environmental resilience, reflecting the strong contributions of the WEST Center & WateResiliency Program to advancing water treatment and sustainability solutions.
Simran, an Environmental Science Department student working with Dr. Luisa Ikner, presented the poster, "Methods Development to Enhance Virus Detection following Advanced Water Purification." Co-researchers include Dr. Walter Betancourt, Dr. Andrea Achilli, and Principal Investigator (P.I.), Dr. Luisa Ikner.
Abdullah, also a student in the Environmental Science Department, presented the poster, "Virus rejection characterization in enhanced ultrafiltration processes for reclaimed water reuse applications." Co-researchers on the project include Simran Singh, Dr. Bianca Miguel de Souza-Chaves, Dr. Luisa Ikner, and Abdullah's supervisor and project P.I., Dr. Andrea Achilli.
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