Durga Sankar麓s research addresses one of the most pressing issues of our time: access to clean and safe water. His work focuses on advanced water purification technologies that use sunlight and sustainable materials to remove hazardous contaminants in an energy efficient and environmentally friendly way.
鈥淚 am deeply honored to receive this scholarship. It is not only a recognition of my work, but also a testament to the growing importance of wastewater treatment in advancing sustainability,鈥� says Durga Sankar. 鈥淭his award underscores how vital this field is in addressing today鈥檚 global challenges. I am especially grateful to my mentor, Prof. Johanna Rosen, whose unwavering support and belief in this research have been truly invaluable.鈥�
By combining photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and novel material design, Durga Sankar develops cost effective low dimensional materials and metal oxides capable of removing persistent pollutants such as antibiotics, phenols, and PFAS from water systems. His long term goal is to create scalable purification technologies that can be deployed in real world settings, contributing to environmental protection and public health.
Visiting world leading institute
The scholarship will be used to support an international research visit to the Rice Water Institute at Rice University in Houston, USA, a leading center for advanced water research. During this stay, he will gain hands on experience in membrane design and fabrication for next generation water filtration technologies.
Durga Sankar, originally from India, has an interdisciplinary academic background. He earned his Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Electrical Engineering from JNTU Kakinada and a Master鈥檚 degree in Green Energy Technology from Pondicherry University. He completed his PhD in Materials Science at Anna University, India, with part of his doctoral research conducted at Rutgers University in the United States. His doctoral work was supported by the Fulbright Doctoral Fellowship and the QuantEmX Emerging Scientist Exchange Award from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Real solutions for real problems
What continues to motivate Durga Sankar is the potential impact of his work. 鈥淲hat excites me most is the potential to create real world solutions to one of the most pressing global challenges, access to clean water,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he idea that sunlight driven and sustainable technologies can transform polluted water into safe, usable resources is incredibly motivating. It鈥檚 rewarding to work on research that can have a direct and meaningful impact on both the environment and people鈥檚 lives.鈥�
Looking ahead, he emphasizes that even countries with strong water infrastructure, such as Sweden, face emerging challenges.
鈥淓nsuring high water quality remains a key priority in Sweden, despite its well-established and generally clean water systems. However, emerging challenges such as pharmaceutical residues, PFAS contamination, and increasing pressure from industrial and urban activities are becoming more prominent鈥�, he says.
On May 19th Durga Sankar will receive the scholarship from Carl XVI Gustaf, the King of Sweden, in a ceremony at the Royal castle in Stockholm.
