David L. Sedlak

David L. Sedlak is the Plato Malozemoff Professor of Environmental Engineering and Vice Chair for Graduate Studies at the University of California, Berkeley in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering within the College of Engineering. He serves as Co-Director of the Berkeley Water Center, Deputy Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Reinventing the Nation's Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt), and Chair of the Research Advisory Council for the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI).

His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Water Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin at Madison (1992) and a B.S. in Environmental Science from Cornell University (1986). After completing his doctorate, he spent two years as a postdoctoral researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science & Technology before joining UC Berkeley's faculty in 1994.

Sedlak's research primarily focuses on the fate of chemical contaminants in water systems, with the long-term goal of developing cost-effective, safe, and sustainable water management systems. His work spans several interconnected areas including water reuse and recycling, urban water infrastructure, engineered treatment wetlands, in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO), electrochemical water treatment processes, and brackish water management. He is particularly interested in developing local sources of water for urban environments and has pioneered research on the Horizontal Levee project, which studies subsurface constructed wetlands for treating wastewater effluent.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) remediation, electrochemical treatment methods, and decentralized water systems. His work increasingly addresses the challenges of water scarcity through innovative approaches to water reuse, stormwater management, and treatment of difficult-to-remove contaminants. The research shows a clear progression toward practical, scalable solutions for urban water challenges in the context of climate change.

• Elected to the National Academy of Engineering (2016)
• Fulbright Specialist Award for New Zealand (2019)

Sedlak has mentored an extensive number of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom have gone on to prominent positions in academia, government agencies, and industry. His research is supported by significant grants including the NSF Engineering Research Center (ReNUWIt) and the DOE Energy-Water Desalination Hub through the National Alliance for Water Innovation. His work often involves interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering, chemistry, and environmental science disciplines.

His research group operates several key facilities including the Horizontal Levee project at Oro Loma Sanitary District, electrochemical treatment systems for decentralized applications, and brackish water management research in collaboration with NAWI. The group maintains strong connections with water utilities, government agencies, and industry partners to ensure their research addresses real-world water challenges.