“One Environmental Engineer's Journey for Inclusive Technologies: From Enhancing Access to Safe Water to Mitigating Perils of Climate Change”
Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Time: 4:30 P.M. ET
Location: Sinclair Auditorium
Arup K. SenGupta, P.C. Rossin Professor Emeritus
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science
Lehigh University
Abstract
Lack of access to safe water remains a primary driver of global inequality.
Natural arsenic contamination of groundwater has emerged as a major crisis affecting over 200 million people across fifty countries. Over the past 25 years, our team has developed and implemented regenerable, arsenic-selective sorbents that currently provide safe drinking water to over three million people.
In response to the existential threat of anthropogenic emissions, Direct Air Capture (DAC) has emerged as a critical strategy for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas targets. At Lehigh University, we have engineered a hybrid sorbent with a CO2 sorption capacity exceeding 4.0 moles/kg — nearly 2–3 times greater than other sorbents reported in the open literature. Furthermore, this study demonstrates for the first time that this exhausted sorbent is amenable to efficient regeneration using sea water at ambient temperature, allowing the ocean to serve as both a regenerant and a carbon sink.
About Dr. Arup K. SenGupta
Arup K. SenGupta is the P.C. Rossin Professor Emeritus in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Lehigh University. SenGupta is internationally recognized for advancing and expanding the field of ion exchange science and technology, and applying it for development of sustainable technologies and new materials. SenGupta is the author of the book ‘Ion Exchange in Environmental Processes’ published by Wiley & Sons. The book was translated in Chinese. He was the lead faculty member to introduce all three academic programs - PhD, MS, and BS in environmental engineering – at Lehigh University. SenGupta has been the recipient of Lehigh University’s Libsch Research Award in 1995 and Hilman Faculty Award in 2013 for outstanding accomplishment through impact of research. For his research and scholarly contributions, SenGupta received many national and international awards, including: 2004 International Ion Exchange Award at the University of Cambridge, England; 2009 Lawrence K Cecil Environmental Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE); and 2012 Intel Environmental Award for ‘technology benefiting humanity’ and the 2007 Grainger Challenge Award for Sustainable Water treatment from the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), to name a few.SenGupta is a fellow of AIChE, ASCE, and NAI (National Academy of Inventors).
For further inquiries, please contact:
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
(610) 758-3566
incee@lehigh.edu