2025 Student Poster Gallery
The Poster Contest provides a platform for students to engage with real-world issues and contribute to the ongoing dialogue about water treatment and public health. These posters are making waves and sparking important conversations about the future of water.
WQRF is excited to showcase the incredible talent of our participants. Special thanks to our poster gallery sponsor, Pentair!
Poster Title 1
This study highlights the potential of Ion Exchange (IX) processes for removing various PFAS structures from contaminated waters, highlighting its suitability for use as in-home water treatment filtration. This study also reveals that IX resins, distinguished by kinetics and elevated PFAS removal capacity, particularly for short-chain variants, emerge as a highly recommended choice for in-home water treatment filters (POU/POE). Fatemeh is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Chemical and Biological Engineering Department at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Fatemeh received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Sharif University of Technology in 2014 and 2017, respectively. During her study in Sharif, she was involved in several environmental projects focusing on micropollutants’ removal from water and industrial wastewater using membrane technologies. Her experience and passion in the water treatment field led her to join SWIRL team at UBC, working under the supervision of Prof. Madjid Mohseni. Her research aims to develop and assess novel technologies based on ion exchange and electrochemical processes for remediation of recalcitrant PFAS or “forever chemicals." 
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Poster Title 2
The study aimed to understand Point-of-Use filter removal mechanisms for difficult-to-treat lead suspensions demonstrating the sometimes-complex chemistry of lead removal. Recent water crisises in Washington D.C. and Flint, Michigan have raised concerns about filter performance during lead contamination events. Chantaly Villalona is originally from Newark, NJ, and is currently in pursuit of world-class training in applied aquatic chemistry in drinking water systems. She is a second-year masters student in Environmental Water Resources in Dr. Marc Edwards’ lab in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. Her thesis research focuses on lead reduction methods, namely POU particle removal mechanisms and inhibition of lead-tin solder spallation in the presence of elevated nitrate. These interests arose in response to her community’s experience navigating the Newark Water Crisis. Her lived experience and commitment to her community are the driving force behind her dedication to science communication and the advancement of knowledge in the drinking water field.
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