Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz is a 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]}

Career and research

After 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]

Kandis Leslie 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