Doris van Halem

Doris van Halem is Professor in Drinking Water Quality & Treatment at Delft University of Technology's Civil Engineering & Geosciences faculty, where she leads the Sanitary Engineering department. As program leader of TU Delft | Water for Impact, she drives water research initiatives focused on the Global South.

• MSc in Civil Engineering & Geosciences (cum laude, Gijs Oskam Award recipient)
• PhD in Subsurface Iron and Arsenic Removal (cum laude, 2011)

Her research centers on contaminant behavior in natural waters and sustainable treatment technologies, with particular focus on biological-chemical-physical interaction mechanisms. She has pioneered work on biological sand filters, ceramic membranes, dune filtration, and electrochemical treatment systems for removing health-threatening contaminants like arsenic and iron.

Recent publications reveal a strong trend toward integrating biotechnological approaches with traditional water treatment methods, particularly in groundwater remediation and resource recovery from waste streams. Her work increasingly addresses climate resilience and emissions reduction in water infrastructure.

• Steven Hoogendijk Award (2013)
• UNESCO-L'Oréal For Women in Science Fellowship (2015)
• NWO VIDI Grant (2020)
• Fulbright Scholar (2024)
• RELX Environmental Challenge Winner (2023)

Professor van Halem actively mentors through her Massive Open Online Course on drinking water treatment (EdX), reaching global audiences. She leads NWO-funded research projects and collaborates with international organizations including UNICEF and UNESCO. Her current work includes developing the 'Water for Impact' initiative to strengthen water research capacity in developing regions.

She maintains active research partnerships with EAWAG (Zurich), Universidad de las Américas Puebla, and serves on the SIA RAAK committee (2024-2026), while contributing to policy discussions through media appearances and UN side-events.