Ranil Wickramasinghe is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering within the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas. He holds the Ross E. Martin Chair in Emerging Technologies and leads the Membrane, Science, Engineering and Technology Center (MAST). His academic journey began with Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Melbourne, Australia, followed by a PhD from the University of Minnesota, all in Chemical Engineering. Prior to joining the University of Arkansas in 2011, he worked for 5 years in the biotechnology/biomedical industry in the Boston area and was faculty at Colorado State University. Dr. Wickramasinghe's research interests center around membrane science and technology, with specific focus areas including: Synthetic membrane-based separation processes for purification of pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals Water and wastewater treatment and reuse technologies Production of biofuels through membrane processes Surface modification of membranes to impart unique surface properties Development of responsive membranes that change physical properties based on environmental conditions Catalytic membranes for biomass hydrolysis through grafted catalytic groups His research program has resulted in over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, several book chapters, and he is co-editor of a book on responsive membrane and materials. Dr. Wickramasinghe's work primarily falls within chemical engineering, membrane science, separation processes, biotechnology, environmental engineering, and materials science, with particular emphasis on responsive and catalytic membrane technologies. Dr. Wickramasinghe has received significant recognition for his contributions to the field: Fellow, American Institute of Chemical Engineers He is actively involved in professional service, having served as Meeting Program Chair of the 2014 AIChE Annual Meeting in San Francisco and on the Board of Directors of the North American Membrane Society. His research group collaborates extensively, particularly with Professor Xianghong Qian, and their work has implications for pharmaceutical purification, water treatment, and biofuel production. Dr. Wickramasinghe leads the Membrane Research Laboratory at the University of Arkansas, which focuses on membrane separation processes specifically for bio-separation/purification, water and wastewater treatment, catalytic membrane for biofuels and chemicals, and related membrane material development.
