Julia Valla

Julia Valla is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Connecticut (UConn), part of the College of Engineering. She holds a PhD from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2005), Greece. Her research focuses on sulfur reduction in transportation fuels, coal and biomass conversion, and hierarchical pore structure zeolites. Key projects include developing adsorbents for desulfurization, advanced coal-biomass-to-liquid systems, and novel zeolite-based catalytic materials.

Her work emphasizes sustainable energy solutions, such as converting biomass and waste into energy via pyrolysis and hydrodeoxygenation. She leads a research group with graduate students David Gamliel and Monica Dahl, and undergraduate researchers like Zachary Rom. Awards include an NSF Award (2012) and a Precision Combustion Award (2012) for zeolite-based technologies.

Her research trends span carbon capture materials, electrochemical fuel upgrading, and waste-to-energy processes. Recent publications highlight innovations in mesoporous silica skins for CO2 capture and food waste-derived activated carbons for fuel purification. She collaborates with industry and academic partners, including Rive Technology Inc. and UConn’s Clean Energy Engineering Center.