Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz is an American chemical and environmental engineer known for the development of technologies that turn agricultural waste into a filtration system for water.[1] While previously residing at the University of California, Riverside, she worked as an assistant professor in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering Department.[1][2] Before joining the University of Southern California, she directed the Sustainable Lab, a diagnostic center for repurposing waste materials into innovative products that offer benefits to society.[3][2]
Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Temple University University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemical and environment engineering |
| Institutions | University of Southern California |
Career and research
editAfter obtaining her Bachelor's in Chemistry in 2007 from Temple University,[2][4] she secured a role testing the refinery's waste-water and examining refined petroleum goods such as phenol and acetone at a refinery located near the Schuylkill River in South Philadelphia.[4][2] Abdul-Aziz later worked for the Philadelphia Police Department as a chemist specializing in forensic science from 2009-2011.[2] She then branched out to entrepreneurship and founded her own company called Nardo Technology in 2016, named after Leonardo Da Vinci.[4] While she founded her company she simultaneously furthered her education by pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.[4] Once Abdul-Aziz finished her Doctorate, she became an assistant professor at the University of California, Riverside in 2018, working in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering department.[2] In 2020, Abdul-Aziz received a $30,000 Hellman Fellowship to support her development of expandable technology in plastic waste repurposing.[5]
Abdul-Aziz focuses on repurposing waste materials such as corn stover and citrus peels into activated carbon filters for environmental cleanup.[6] She also explores converting plastic trash and developing absorbent materials to capture and reuse carbon dioxide emissions, aiming to create practical recycling solutions for a more sustainable circular economy.[6]
Abdul-Aziz holds the Gabilan Assistant Professorship in the Civil and Environment Engineering department at the University of Southern California.[3] She leads the Sustainable Catalysis and Materials Laboratory, focusing on transforming waste materials like citrus peel and plastic into valuable products through catalysis.[3] Her work, recently recognized with a 2024 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship in Chemistry, aims to create recyclable products and mitigate global warming by developing innovative reuse processes.[3] Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz's approach involves integrating sustainability and economic viability, with a focus on practical solutions for industry and policymakers.[3]
Her work further centers around innovational approaches to waste management, as sustainable catalysis has garnered much recognition. Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz received a $538,000 National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2021 for her research on converting greenhouse gas into energy chemicals at the University of California Riverside.[7] Her research has also been pivotal in advancing sustainable chemical processes for low-carbon chemical production.[8] Notably, her development of carbon sequestration technologies for direct methanation in an integrated CO2 capture and utilization process represents a significant step towards enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of CO2 conversion technologies.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b "How This Chemist Is Turning Agricultural Waste Into Water Filters". Science Friday. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
- ^ a b c d e f "UCR Profiles - Search & Browse". profiles.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ a b c d e "From Drug-Detection to Eco-Entrepreneurship: Introducing Kandis Leslie Gilliard-AbdulAziz". USC Viterbi | School of Engineering. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
- ^ a b c d Wood, Paul (2016-03-27). "Wired In: Leslie Gilliard". The News-Gazette. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ "Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz receives Hellman Fellowship | Inside UCR | UC Riverside". insideucr.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
- ^ a b Grunbaum, Mara (2022-10-19). "The Brilliant 10: The top up-and-coming minds in science". Popular Science. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
- ^ "Alum Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz researching novel approach to convert greenhouse gases | Chemistry at Illinois". chemistry.illinois.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
- ^ a b Jo, Seongbin; Woo, Jin Hyeok; Nguyen, Tu; Kim, Ju Eon; Kim, Tae Young; Ryu, Ho-Jung; Hwang, Byungwook; Kim, Jae Chang; Lee, Soo Chool; Gilliard-AbdulAziz, Kandis Leslie (2023-12-21). "Zr-Modified Ni/CaO Dual Function Materials (DFMs) for Direct Methanation in an Integrated CO 2 Capture and Utilization Process". Energy & Fuels. 37 (24): 19680–19694. doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.3c02935. ISSN 0887-0624.