Coronell named to Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research's 2019 "Class of Influential Researchers"
December 20, 2019
Dr. Orlando Coronell
Orlando Coronell, PhD, associate professor of environmental sciences and engineering at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, has been selected as a member of the 2019 Class of Influential Researchers by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research editorial team. The class includes 32 scientists and engineers whose work has been considered influential in quality and impact on the fields of applied chemistry and chemical engineering. Each of the members of the 2019 class is considered an “early career researcher,” meaning they have undertaken independent career research for around 10 years or less.
Coronell’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of transport of water, salts and other solutes through membranes. He also studies the development of new and improved membranes, as well as ways to optimize membrane processes and systems. This research has broad public health applications in the advancement of production and storage of clean, efficient water and energy.
A virtual special issue celebrating the 2019 Class of Influential Researchers includes original articles from each of the 32 selected researchers. This special issue was published by the ACS in September. Coronell’s research group contributed a study on the “Influence of Water Uptake, Charge, Manning Parameter, and Contact Angle on Water and Salt Transport in Commercial Ion Exchange Membranes.”
In addition, Coronell was recently elected as a member of the North Carolina Water Treatment Facility Operation Certification Board. The board, which is part of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, serves to protect the public health interests of water quality and resources in N.C. by regulating water treatment facilities and overseeing examinations for facility operators to certify competency. This board reports to the Governor and to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Coronell was elected as a university faculty member whose major field of research is related to water supply.
“Orlando Coronell strives to understand how membranes work on a fundamental level and then to design membranes with desirable properties for a range of applications,” said Barbara Turpin, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering. “This American Chemical Society award reflects the respect he has earned from the scientific community for his foundational work and creativity. I am also happy that he will serve the state on the N.C. Water Treatment Board.”
Contact the Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@unc.edu.
