Associate Professor Fernando Rosario-Ortiz has been appointed the new director of the Environmental Engineering (EVEN) Program, effective July 1. He will continue to develop the program alongside his research and teaching.
Rosario-Ortiz is the first Latino director of EVEN. He was born in Puerto Rico and attended the University of Puerto Rico and the California Institute of Technology on his way to becoming a professor. His research focuses on water treatment, including wastewater reuse, advanced oxidation processes and environmental photochemistry. He teaches courses in environmental organic chemistry, analytical methods in environmental engineering, and water chemistry.
In addition to being the EVEN associate director for the past two years, Rosario-Ortiz has served as a Research and Innovation Faculty Fellow and an AWWA trustee for the Water Quality and Research Division. Last fall, he met with the Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Roselló. They discussed water quality in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.
“I am very excited to become to new director of the EVEN Program,” Rosario-Ortiz said. “ I look forward to working with the faculty, students and staff to continue the growth of the program.”
Rosario-Ortiz will take the reins from Professor R. Scott Summers, who has led the EVEN Program since 2013.