Hooman Vatankhah

Dr. Hooman Vatankhah is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Florida International University (FIU). His research focuses on characterizing and managing emerging contaminants like PFAS, advancing physico-chemical treatment processes for water quality improvement. He develops innovative membrane-based and non-membrane-based systems for potable reuse and unconventional water treatment.

Dr. Vatankhah holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, an M.S. from the Technical University of Munich, and a B.S. from the Technical University of Hamburg. He previously served as a Research Fellow at the U.S. Department of Defense and a Research Assistant Professor at the Colorado School of Mines.

His research interests include PFAS remediation, ozone-biological filtration, adsorption science, and interfacial chemistry. Notable projects involve optimizing granular activated carbon and ion exchange resins for contaminant removal, as well as evaluating cost-effective treatment strategies.

He has been honored with the American Water Works Association’s Young Professional Award for contributions to emerging contaminant research. Dr. Vatankhah serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the RemTEC & Emerging Contaminants Summit and is part of the Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC) PFAS team. His work addresses critical challenges in environmental protection and public health through interdisciplinary approaches.