Polina (Poly) Popova
San Diego State University Environmental Engineering Major Honors Minor in Interdisciplinary Studies Undergraduate Research Assistant at WIRLab NIH MARC (Maximizing Access to Research Careers) Scholar NSF CSU-LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance For Minority Participation) Scholar STEM Advantage Scholar |
About me:
I am an Environmental Engineering student at San Diego State University (SDSU), who is also pursuing an Honors Minor in Interdisciplinary Studies. After obtaining my Bachelor's degree in May 2024, I want to extend my undergraduate studies of sustainable and cost-effective water treatment through a Ph.D. in chemical and environmental engineering, exploring membrane separation technologies for efficient recovery of valuable elements and catalytic nanomaterials for the effective removal of persistent pollutants to help reduce anthropogenic footprint while combating water scarcity challenges. My ultimate goal is to build a career in research that advances environmental justice and protects public health. I want to become a professor and the principal investigator of my own laboratory who can inspire and teach the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Currently, I am working with Dr. Natalie Mladenov at her Water Innovation and Reuse Lab (WIRLab), where I investigate the potential of anammox process for countering nitrogen-rich wastewater in centralized and decentralized wastewater treatment facilities and the ability of fluorescence spectroscopy to track in real time anammox growth.
I am extremely grateful for Dr. Mladenov and SDSU MARC and CSU-LSAMP Programs' support in my academic journey towards a Ph.D.
Connect with me on LinkedIn:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/popova-polina