Norma Alcantar

Norma Alcantar is a Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Engineering, where she leads in the Department of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering. Her research focuses on Energy and Sustainability, leveraging natural materials like cactus mucilage for water purification, drug delivery, and sustainable technologies.

Her scientific work spans Environmental Engineering, Biomaterials, and Nanotechnology, addressing challenges in water treatment, biomedical applications, and green manufacturing. Her recent publications highlight innovations in ammonia removal, off-flavor degradation, nano-drug delivery, and diversity initiatives in STEM. She has contributed to Sustainable Chemical Engineering Materials (SusChEM) grants and symposiums.

Her research trends include bioinspired materials for pollution control, targeted therapeutics for cancer, and interfacial science applications. She utilizes cactus mucilage in water purification, oil spill response, and biomedical systems, emphasizing scalability and environmental compatibility. Her work bridges green chemistry with public health and infrastructure sustainability.

Grants and collaborative efforts include NSF SusChEM funding for graded polymer membranes and interdisciplinary programs like CAI-STEM. She has no listed scientific awards in the provided text. Her email contact is norma@usf.edu, and her office is at ENC 3201, USF.