FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. — The National Water Research Institute (NWRI) is pleased to announce that David Sedlak, Ph.D., civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of California, Berkeley, will be the 21st recipient of the NWRI Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize for excellence in water research, according to a press release.
Sedlak is also co-director of the Berkeley Water Center and Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Research Center on Re-Inventing the Nation's Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt).
Consisting of a medallion and $50,000 award, the NWRI Clarke Prize is given out each year to recognize research accomplishments that solve real-world water problems and to highlight the importance and need to continue funding this type of research, stated the release.
Sedlak was selected as the 2014 recipient because of his pioneering research on advancing the way water resources and urban water infrastructure are managed, including implementing water reuse and reducing the discharge of emerging contaminants (such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products). His work has served as the foundation for major policy and technical initiatives to reduce the effects of these contaminants and protect public health.
“Dr. Sedlak has had a profound influence on all aspects of the scientific and technical issues arising from the presence of trace organic contaminants in wastewater discharges that ultimately impact the quality of water provided to consumers,” said Michael Kavanaugh, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, principal at Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. and Sedlak’s colleague. “His academic, research and publication achievements, combined with his communication abilities, make him an outstanding choice for the Clarke Prize.”
