Neil Fisher manages the environmental engineering laboratories as well as being a Lab instructor for basic Civil Engineering courses. Neil has over 18 years of experience working on innovative research and his specialties include custom instrumentation and data collection techniques in the lab.

Paulina is an MS student in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus on Environmental and Water Resources Engineering at the University of Maine. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito-Ecuador. Her research interests are environmental chemistry, advanced oxidation processes, and  nanomaterials to address innovative solutions against environmental pollution, climate change, and clean water scarcity in rural and urban
areas. Additionally, she is interested in understanding the source and  pathway of emerging pollutants in the environment and their effect on human health. In her spare time, Paulina enjoys outdoor activities like biking and running, and also reading, watching movies, and traveling.

Kenneth is a Ph.D. student at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Maine. He has an M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering from the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology in Egypt and a B.S. degree in Minerals Engineering from the University of Mines and Technology in Ghana. Kenneth's research interests include advanced oxidation processes, adsorption, and biological treatment of water and wastewater. He is researching metastable oxygen nanobubbles for space exploration and other environmental applications, with the Apul Research Group. Kenneth spends his leisure time playing soccer, exercising at the gym, traveling, swimming, and hanging out with friends.

Grace is an MS student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maine. She holds a B.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, also from the University of Maine. She is researching the extent of microplastic pollution off the coast of Maine, as well as mitigation strategies that can be implemented to reduce it. In her spare time, Grace enjoys hiking, watching movies, and playing the flute.

Dilara is a Ph.D. student who started her work in Spring 2022. She holds an M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering from Middle East Technical University and a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey. Her master's studies focused on investigating the fate and effects of microplastics during sewage sludge treatment processes. In her spare time, Dilara enjoys swimming, cycling and oil painting.

Sonia is a Ph.D. student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Maine. She earned her MS degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering at K. N. Toosi University of Technology in Tehran. Her research interest is utilizing nanomaterials for enabling pragmatic and sustainable water treatment methods to overcome emerging water treatment problems. She applies experimental and theoretical methodology for problem-solving in her research. In her spare time, Sonia likes swimming, watching movies, meeting with her friends, and traveling. 

Would you like to live and work in Vacationland of the US? We always seek motivated and hard working team players to fill in positions at the University of Maine. If you are interested in becoming a team member, please email your (i) research interests in a cover letter (ii) a CV along with (iii) the names of your references to onur.apul@maine.edu.  

University of Maine, a Carnegie R1, land, sea and space grant school, and  flagship campus of UMaine system is located in town of Orono, which is a small, safe, lovable college town less than 15 minutes to Bangor. The campus is on Marsh Island surrounded with Penobscot and Stillwater Rivers about 2 hours north of Portland and 1.5 hours away from the popular coastal destination Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. 

Thesis: Role of Microplastics on the release and adsorption of organic compounds in natural waters

Publications: 

Collins, A., Ateia, M., Bhagat, K., Ohno, T., Perreault, F., Apul, O.G. 2023. Emerging Investigator Series: Microplastic-based Leachate Formation under UV Irradiation: The Extent, Characteristics and Mechanisms. Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology. 9: 363-374.

Costigan, E., Collins, A., Hatinoglu, M.D., Bhagat, K., MacRae, J., Perreault, F., Apul, O.G. 2022. Adsorption of Organic Pollutants by Microplastics: Overview of A Dissonant Literature. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances. 6: 100091.

Selected Presentations:

Collins, A., Ateia, M., Bhagat, K., Ohno, T., Perreault, F., Apul, O.G. Microplastic leachate formation under UV irradiation: extent, characteristics, and mechanisms. AEESP Research and Education Conference, June 2022 (Poster Presentation).

Collins, A., Adams, A., Ateia, M., Perreault, F., Apul, O.G. Determination of organic matter leaching from microplastics during ultraviolet weathering. 95th ACS Colloid and Surface Science Symposium (Virtual), June 2021 (Poster Presentation).

Collins, A., Costigan, E., Bhagat, K., Oswald, J., Perreault, F. Apul, O.G. Adsorption of synthetic organic compounds by microplastics: A cacophonous literature. Maine Sustainability & Water Symposium (Virtual), March 2021 (Poster Presentation).

Publications: 

Hoogesteijn von Reitzenstein, N., Sonmez, B., Pruitt, E., Hristovski, K., Westerhoff, P. Apul, O. G. 2022. Comparing the Morphologies and Adsorption Behavior of Electrospun Polystyrene Composite Fibers with 0D Fullerenes, 1D Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and 2D Graphene Oxides. Chemical Engineering Journal Advances. 9: 100199.

Sonmez, B., Zhang, Y., Reuther, J., Saleh, N., Venkatesan, A., Apul, O.G. 2021. Thermal Regeneration of Spent Granular Activated Carbon Presents an Opportunity to Break the Forever PFAS Cycle. Environmental Science and Technology, 55: 5608-5619.

Shahrokhinia, A., Rijal, S., Sonmez Baghirzade, B., Scanga, R., Biswas, P., Tafazoli, S., Apul, O.G., Reuther, J. 2022. Chain extensions in photoATRP-induced self-assembly (photoATR-pisa): A route to ultra-high solids concentrations and click nanoparticle networks as adsorbents for water treatment. ACS Macromolecules. 55: 3699-3710 (cover article).

Areeb, H., Sonmez-Baghirzade, B., Apul, O.G., Kirisits, M.J., Dev, S., Das, S., Islam, S., Lai, Y., Huntington, H., Umanzor, S., Wan-Ting, C., Aggarwal, S., Saleh, N. 2022. A symbiotic engineering approach for microplastic remediation in mariculture systems. ACS ES&T Engineering. 2: 606-616.

Selected Presentations:

Sonmez, B., Biswas, P., Reuther, J., Apul, O.G. Adsorption Capacity Enhanced by Tuning Carbon Size of Superfine Powdered Activated Carbon Electrospun Fiber. 2021 Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization Conference, November 2021 (Oral Presentation).

Sonmez, B., Zhang, Y., Reuther, J., Saleh, N. B., Venkatesan, A., Apul, O.G. Regeneration of Spent Granular Activated Carbon Presents an Opportunity to Break the Forever PFAS Cycle. SERDP & ESTCP (Virtual) Symposium, December 2020 (Poster Presentation)

Reuther, J., Apul, O.G., Shahrokhinia, A., Sonmez, B. Towards Dynamic Nanosphere Networks (DNNs): A Novel Platform for Regenerable Water Treatment Systems. American Chemical Society National Meeting, Division of Environmental Chemistry, August 2020, Virtual Meeting (Oral Presentation).

Sonmez, B., Wei, J., Wong, H.W., Apul, O.G. Breaking the Cycle of Forever Chemicals, Per- And Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) in Water Treatment Systems. UMass Lowell Student Research & Community Engagement Symposium, April 2020, Lowell, MA (Poster Presentation).

Thesis: Repeatable use assessment of microwave susceptors as permanent bed in ex situ remediation of petroleum contaminated soils. 

Publications: 

Lafaille, R., Bozkurt, Y., Pruitt, E., Lewis, J., Bernier, R., Kong, D., Westerhoff, P., Dahlen, P., Apul, O.G., 2021. Repeatable Use Assessment of Silicon Carbide as Permanent Susceptor Bed in Ex Situ Microwave Remediation of Petroleum-Impacted Soils. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 4: 100116.

Bozkurt, Y., Lafaille, R., Lu, D., Zhang, X., Giles, R., Apul, O.G. 2021. Effects of carbonaceous susceptors during microwave pretreatment of waste activated sludge and subsequent anaerobic digestion. Bioresource Technology Reports 13: 100641.

Selected Presentations:

Lafaille, R., Pruitt, E., Lewis, J., Bernier, R., Dahlen, P., Apul, O.G. Repeatable Use of Susceptors in Microwave Remediation of Petroleum Contaminated Soils. New England Graduate Student Water Symposium, September 2019, Amherst, MA (Poster Presentation).

Lafaille, R., Zhang, X., Giles, R., Apul, O.G. Nano-Enabled Microwave Pretreatment of Waste Activated Sludge. New England Graduate Student Water Symposium, September 2018, Amherst, MA (Poster Presentation).

Thesis: Nano-Enabled Microwave Pretreatment of Waste Activated Sludge Prior to Anaerobic Digestion Using Carbon Nanofibers.

Publications:

Lafaille, R., Bozkurt, Y., Pruitt, E., Lewis, J., Bernier, R., Kong, D., Westerhoff, P., Dahlen, P., Apul, O.G., 2021. Repeatable Use Assessment of Silicon Carbide as Permanent Susceptor Bed in Ex Situ Microwave Remediation of Petroleum-Impacted Soils. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 4: 100116.

Bozkurt, Y., Apul, O.G.  2020. Critical Review for Microwave Pretreatment of Waste Activated Sludge Prior to Anaerobic Digestion. Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health. 14: 1-9.

Bozkurt, Y., Lafaille, R., Lu, D., Zhang, X., Giles, R., Apul, O.G. 2021. Effects of carbonaceous susceptors during microwave pretreatment of waste activated sludge and subsequent anaerobic digestion. Bioresource Technology Reports 13: 100641.

Selected Presentations:

Bozkurt, Y., Lu, D., Zhang, X., Giles, R., Apul, O.G. Nano-enabled Pretreatment of Waste Activated Sludge prior to Anaerobic Digestion. Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization Conference, November 2019, San Diego, CA (Oral Presentation).

Bozkurt, Y., LaFaille, R., Zhang, X., Yu, T., Giles, R., Apul, O.G. Nano-Enabled Pretreatment of Waste Activated Sludge Prior to Anaerobic Digestion. Gordon Research Conference: Environmental Nanotechnology, June 2019, Newry, ME (Poster Presentation). 

Bozkurt, Y., Zhang, X., Giles, R., Apul, O.G. Minimization of Biosolids by Microwave Pretreatment of Waste Activated Sludge Prior to Anaerobic Digestion – Critical Review. University of Massachusetts Lowell Student  Symposium, April 2019, Lowell, MA (Poster Presentation).

Thesis: Removal of Organic Contaminants of Incipient Concern from Water by Graphitic Adsorbents

Publications:

Khalid, A., Rowles, L.S., Ateia, M., Xiao, M., Moses, I., Bello, D., Karanfil, T., Saleh, N., Apul, O.G.* 2020. Mesoporous activated carbon shows superior adsorption affinity for 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in water. Clean Water (Nature Partner Journal) 

Saleh, N., Khalid, A., Tian, Y. Ayres, C., Sabaraya, I., Pietari, J., Hanigan, D., Chowdhury, I., Apul, O.G. 2019. Degradation and removal of poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances from aqueous systems by nano-enabled water treatment technologies. Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology. 5: 198-208. (Journal Cover, selected for the Best Papers 2019 Collection).

Apul, O.G., Rowles, L.S., Khalid, A., Karanfil, T., Richardson, S., Saleh, N. 2020. Transformation potential of 11-Nor-9-Carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol during its passage through engineered water treatment systems: A perspective. Environment International. 137: 105586.

Selected Presentations:

Khalid, A., Pagsuyoin, S., Bello, D., Karanfil, T., Apul, O.G. Adsorption of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol by Carbon-Based Nano Adsorbents. 256th American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exhibition. August 2018, Boston, MA (Oral Presentation).

Khalid, A., Tian, Y., Ayres, C., Sabaraya, I.V., Pietari, J., Chowdhury, I., Saleh, N.B., Apul, O.G. Removal of Poly- and Per-fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Natural Waters. Cabot Corporation, Student Material Research Symposium. May 2018. Billerica, MA (Poster Presentation). 

Khalid, A., Rowles, L.S., Apul, O.G., Saleh, N. Readily Deployable Electrospun Polymer/Nanocomposite Cartridge for Lead Removal from Drinking Water Distribution Pipelines. University of Massachusetts Lowell, Francis College of Engineering Prototyping Competition. December 2017. Lowell, MA (Poster Presentation/Best Poster Acc. to Crowd Voting).