Absar Alum

Absar Alum serves as a Research Assistant Professor at Arizona State University's School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment and holds an additional appointment as Senior Global Futures Scientist within the Global Futures Scientists and Scholars program. His work bridges environmental engineering and public health through microbial research.

His educational credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Soil Water and Environmental Science from the University of Arizona (2001)
• M.Sc. in Mycology (Honors) from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan (1986)
• B.Sc. in Mycology (Honors) from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan (1984)

Alum's research centers on environmental microbiology with emphasis on pathogen behavior in water and soil systems. He specializes in developing detection methodologies for bacteria, viruses, parasites, algae and fungi using cultural and molecular techniques. His work extends to environmental toxicology through cell culture-based assays, particularly examining microbial threats in groundwater recharge systems and bank filtration processes.

His research has secured significant funding including:

• "Legionella- How Big is a Threat to Groundwater under High Recharge Conditions" (ASU Foundation, 2014)
• "Methods to Assess GWUDI and Bank Filtration Performance" (AWWA Research Foundation, 2006-2010)

He maintains active teaching responsibilities including CEE 790 Reading and Conference courses, and is affiliated with ASU's Water Institute where his work supports sustainable water management initiatives.