The 2026 Annual Conference of the New Jersey Section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, bringing together researchers, industry professionals, and water treatment experts to discuss emerging challenges and innovations in water purification, and environmental sustainability. The conference featured technical sessions, industry exhibitions, and a student poster competition.
A total of eight students from Dr. Wen Zhang’s research group at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) participated in the student poster competition, presenting research spanning membrane science, advanced oxidation, nanobubble technologies, and resource recovery.
From top left: Guangyu Zhu, Haodong Jia, Hong Thanh Vy Le, Sowmya Atukuri; bottom row: Bhumika Ganesh Kabadi, Ianmarco Guillen, Samarpan Deb Majumder, and Jiahe Zhang
Samarpan Deb Majumder, who won the poster competition, presented “Redefining Polyamide Reverse Osmosis Membrane Fabrication via Rinse-Free Molecular Layer-by-Layer (mLbL) Deposition,” demonstrating that mLbL membranes exhibit intrinsic antifouling and antiscaling properties while achieving up to fivefold higher selectivity compared to conventional RO membranes.
Jiahe Zhang presented an electrochemical membrane system for ammonia recovery from wastewater, achieving 99.9% nitrate removal and high-efficiency ammonia production with reduced energy input.
Guangyu Zhu presented a study on PFAS rejection in RO and NF systems, demonstrating that surfactants, ion valency, and temperature significantly influence PFAS transport and removal efficiency.
Haodong Jia presented copper-based catalytic systems for degradation of phenolic pollutants in high-salinity wastewater, achieving high degradation efficiencies via oxygen vacancy-driven pathways.
Sowmya Atukuri presented nanobubble-enabled foam fractionation for PFAS removal, demonstrating strong enrichment of short-chain PFAS and improved separation efficiency in complex wastewater systems.
Bhumika Ganesh Kabadi presented electric-field-assisted demulsification for produced water treatment, showing enhanced oil droplet coalescence and improved separation efficiency under applied electric fields.
Ianmarco Guillen presented an induction-heated omniphobic membrane system for desalination, achieving rapid thermal response and >99% salt rejection with enhanced resistance to scaling and wetting.
Hong Thanh Vy Le presented ozone nanobubble technology for water treatment, showing enhanced ozone stability and significantly improved pollutant degradation and antimicrobial performance.
