Engineering Assistant
Resume:
Mai Pham
**** ***** ***** **** 217-***-****
Urbana, IL 61802 ********@********.***
EDUCATION
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Ph.D., Agricultural and Biological Engineering: Bioenvironmental Engineering; Anticipated August 2013
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Thesis: Characterizing the Effects of Hydrothermal Liquefaction on Bio-active Compounds in
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Wastewater Bio-energy Systems
Advisor: Professor Lance Schideman
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M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2009: Water Quality Process Engineering
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Thesis: Deposition Kinetics of Bacteriophage MS2 to Natural Organic Matter: Role of divalent
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cations
Advisor: Professor Helen Nguyen
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Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
B.S., Environmental Science, 2005: Environmental Management
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Graduated with Honors: top 2/87
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HONORS AND AWARDS
Vietnam Education Foundation Fellowship for Graduate Study in the US, 2007-2009
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Representative at Conference of Young Scientists at Vietnam National University, 2005
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Annual Vietnamese Government Scholarship for Outstanding Undergraduate Students, 2001-2005
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First prize, Vietnam National University Undergraduate Student Research Competition, 2004
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Second prize, Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training Undergraduate Student Research
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Competition, 2004
RESREACH INTERESTS
Bio-energy recovery from human, animal and food waste streams
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Integrated wastewater-bioenergy production system
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Effects of waste-to-energy processes such as hydrothermal liquefaction and catalytic hydrothermal
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gasification on the fate and transport of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in biowastes
Animal waste treatment systems that synergistically integrate biological, adsorptive, and waste to
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energy processes to provide enhanced removal of CEC’s and increased bioenergy production
W ater and wastewater treatment processes focusing on
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Algal-based wastewater treatment systems
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Granular activated carbon for water/wastewater treatment
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Chemical of emerging concerns including pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, and homeland
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security contaminants
Interfacial behavior of viruses in natural environment for controlling of emerging waterborne pathogens
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for a sustainable water supply
Interactions of bacteriophage MS2 with surfaces coated with natural organic matter: Role of
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solution compositions
PUBLICATIONS
Pham, M., Schideman, L., Sharma B.K., Zhang Y., 2013. Effects of Hydrothermal Liquefaction on the
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Fate of Bioactive Contaminants in Biowastes and Biomass Feedstocks. Bioresource Technology (In
submission).
Pham, M., Schideman, L., Scott, J., Rajagopalan, N., Plewa, M.J., 2013. Chemical and Biological
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Characterization of Wastewater Generated from Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Spirulina. Environmental
Science & Technology 47, 2131-2138.
Zhou, Y., Schideman, L., Zhang, Y., Yu, G., Wang, Z., Pham, M., 2011. Resolving Bottlenecks in
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Current Algal Wastewater Treatment Paradigms: A Synergistic Combination of Low-Lipid Algal
Wastewater Treatment and Hydrothermal Liquefaction for Large-Scale Biofuel Production. Proceedings
of the Water Environment Federation 2011, 347-361.
Pham, M., Mintz, E.A., Nguyen, T.H., 2009. Deposition Kinetics of Bacteriophage MS2 to Natural
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Organic Matter: Role of Divalent Cations. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 338, 1-9.
Yuan, B., Pham, M., Nguyen, T.H., 2008. Deposition kinetics of bacteriophage MS2 on a silica surface
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coated with natural organic matter in a radial stagnation point flow cell. Environmental Science &
Technology 42, 7628-7633.
PRESENTATIONS (*indicates presenter)
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Mai Pham, Lance Schideman. “Chemical and Biological Characterization of Wastewater from
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Hydrothermal Liquefaction Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels”. Oral Presentation. Bioenvironmental
Engineering Meeting. February 20 2013. Urbana, Illinois, USA.
Mai Pham*, Lance Schideman. “Characterizing Effects of Hydrothermal Liquefaction Bioenergy
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Production Process on Emerging Contaminants and Wastewater Reuse Potential”. Oral presentation.
ASABE Annual International Meeting. July 29 - August 1 2012. Dallas, Texas, USA.
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Mai Pham, Lance Schideman. “Evaluating Granular Activated Carbon Filter Caps for Control of
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Disinfection By-product Precursors”. Oral Presentation. Bioenvironmental Engineering Meeting.
February 22 2010. Urbana, Illinois, USA.
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Mai Pham, Lance Schideman. “Destruction of Antibiotic Resistant Genes and Emerging Contaminants
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via a Hydrothermal Liquefaction Process”. Oral Presentation. Bioenvironmental Engineering Meeting.
October 22 2010. Urbana, Illinois, USA.
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Mai Pham, Thanh H.(Helen) Nguyen. “Role of Divalent Cations in the Deposition Kinetics of MS2 Virus
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to Natural Organic Matter”. Oral Presentation. WaterCAMPWS National Science Foundation Site Visit.
June 3-4, 2009. Urbana, Illinois, USA.
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Mai Pham, Thanh H.(Helen) Nguyen. “Deposition Kinetics of Bacteriophage MS2 to Natural Organic
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Matter: Role of Divalent Cations”. Poster Presentation. MRS Annual International Meeting. April 13-19,
2009. San Francisco, California, USA.
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Mai Pham, Thanh H.(Helen) Nguyen. “Deposition Kinetics of Bacteriophage MS2 on a Silica Surface
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Coated with Natural Organic Matter in the Presence of Divalent Cations”. Oral Presentation.
Environmental Engineering Science Symposium. April 8 2008. Urbana, Illinois, USA.
GRANTS AND FUNDING
Characterizing the Fate and Transport of Chemicals of Emerging Concern (CECs) from Animal
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Manures during Waste to Energy Processes (2013, Under Review)
Funding Agency: United States Department of Agriculture
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Total Funding: $500,000
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Role: Grant writing, researcher. PI. Co PIs: Prof. Lance Schideman, Prof. Yuanhui Zhang, Dr. B.K.
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Sharma; Prof. Michael Plewa
Characterizing the Effects of Thermochemical Bioenergy Production Process on Emerging
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Contaminants and Wastewater Reuse Potential (2011-2012)
Funding Agency: Illinois Sustainable Technology Center; University of Illinois at Urbana-
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Champaign
Total Funding: $25,000
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Role: Grant writing, researcher. PI. Co PIs: Prof. Yuanhui Zhang, Prof. Lance Schideman, Dr. B.K.
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Sharma
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Research assistant in Bioenvironmental Engineering Division, actively worked on the project
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“Characterizing Effects of Hydrothermal Liquefaction Bioenergy Production Process on Emerging
Contaminants and Wastewater Reuse Potential”; 2011-Present
Conducted hydrothermal liquefaction of wet biomass (animal waste, algae, and activated sludge)
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to produce renewable bio-crude oil
Characterized and quantified composition of wastewater generated from hydrothermal liquefaction
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of wet biomass
Evaluated toxicity effect of hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater on mammalian cells and algal
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growth
Developed and evaluated the use of algal bioreactors, activated carbon adsorption, and catalytic
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gasification to improve chemical and biological quality of hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater
Research assistant in Bioenvironmental Engineering Division, actively worked on the project “Evaluating
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Granular Activated Carbon Filter Caps for Control of Multiple Organic Compounds”; 2009-2011
Performed bench-scale and pilot scale granular activated carbon column experiments to remove
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emerging contaminants and natural organic matter in natural water
Conducted bench-scale testing to evaluate the reduction of natural organic matter preloading
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effect by novel granular activated carbon adsorbents
Developed and evaluated predictive modeling tools to predict removal of trace contaminants and
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natural organic matter by granular activated carbon filter caps
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Research Assistant in Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory, actively worked on the project
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“Characterizing the Interfacial Behavior of MS2 Bacteriophage in Natural Environment”; 2007-2009
Cultured, purified viruses, and characterized surface properties of bacteriophage MS2 using
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Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) technique
Investigated fate and transport of bacteriophage MS2 in natural environment using Quartz Crystal
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Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D)
Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
Research Assistant at Center of Environmental Modeling and Monitoring, Department of Environmental
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Science, worked on the project “Apply Turbulent Diffusion Models of Pollutants to Estimate Suitable
Height of Factory Chimneys”; 2003-2005
Collected data of air pollutants from weather stations in Hanoi, Vietnam
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Developed and tested turbulent diffusion models to predict the concentration of air pollutants from
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industrial factories in Hanoi, Vietnam
TEACHING AND MENTORING EXPERIENCES
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Teaching assistant for ABE/TSM 430, “Project Management”, Fall 2012
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Authored and delivered lecture material
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Developed and evaluated homework assignments
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Teaching assistant for TSM 372, “Environmental Control and HVAC Systems”, Fall 2011
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Delivered lab material and instructed lab experiments
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Evaluated homework assignments
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Teaching assistant for ABE 141, “ABE Principles: Biological”, Spring 2011
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Delivered lab material and instructed lab experiments
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Evaluated homework assignments
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Mentoring as a PhD Student:
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One Master Student: Bridge Cameron, 2010-2011
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Two Undergraduate Students: Alexandra Breban, 2008-2009; Randy Leibowitz, 2012-Current
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Vietnam Forestry University, Hanoi, Vietnam
Lecturer in “Introduction to Environmental Science”, 2005-2006
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Authored and delivered lecture material
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Developed and evaluated homework assignments and exams
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TECHNICAL SKILLS
Technical Skills: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
(GC-MS); Hydrothermal liquefaction and gasification; Virus, mammalian cell and algae culture; In vitro
toxicology assays; Aseptic technique and molecular biology, e.g. RNA/DNA extraction and DNA electrophoresis;
Aerobic batch and continuous algal bioreactors; Quazt microbalance with dissipation; Dynamic light scattering;
Radioactive labeled compounds.
Operating Systems: Windows, MacOS
Software: MatLab, MS Project, R Project, ProEst, SigmaPlot, Origin Pro, Microsoft Office
REFERENCES
Professor Lance Schideman (Ph.D. Advisor), Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Email: ********@********.***; Phone: 217-***-****)
Ivan Racheff Professor Vernon Snoeyink, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Email: ********@********.***; Phone: 217-***-****)
Professor Michael Plewa, Department of Crop Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Email:
******@********.***; Phone: 217-***-****)
Professor Yuanhui Zhang, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign (Email: *******@********.***; Phone: 217-***-****)
Professor Helen Nguyen (M.S. Advisor), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Email: ***@********.***; Phone: 217-***-****)
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