{"id":7295,"date":"2026-05-11T16:09:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T21:09:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/cem\/?p=7295"},"modified":"2026-05-11T16:09:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T21:09:43","slug":"und-civil-engineering-student-wins-national-water-quality-scholarship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/cem\/2026\/05\/und-civil-engineering-student-wins-national-water-quality-scholarship\/","title":{"rendered":"UND civil engineering student wins national water quality scholarship"},"content":{"rendered":"

Faisal Ahmed, UND Civil Engineering graduate student, recognized by Water Quality Research Foundation for PFAS removal research<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"A
Ahmed\u2019s research explores a practical and sustainable approach to one of today\u2019s most pressing drinking water challenges: how to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, from water. Photo by Russell Hons Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the second year in a row, a UND Department of Civil Engineering<\/strong><\/a> student has been named the David Loveday Scholarship winner by the Water Quality Research Foundation.<\/p>\n

Faisal Ahmed, a UND civil engineering student, earned the 2026 scholarship for his poster, \u201cUpscaling Soybean Hulls into Activated Carbon for Effective Removal of PFAS in Water Treatment.\u201d The research was completed with Dr. Mahmut S. Ersan<\/strong><\/a>, assistant professor of civil engineering at UND.<\/p>\n

The annual WQRF poster contest gives students a platform to engage with real-world issues and contribute to conversations about water treatment and public health. Ahmed\u2019s recognition follows UND student Tihitna G. Mulugeta\u2019s 2025 David Loveday Scholarship win, also for PFAS-related water treatment research with Ersan.<\/p>\n

Ahmed\u2019s research explores a practical and sustainable approach to one of today\u2019s most pressing drinking water challenges: how to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, from water. Often referred to as \u201cforever chemicals,\u201d PFAS are persistent contaminants that can accumulate in the environment and raise concerns for drinking water systems.<\/p>\n

His project focuses on converting soybean hulls \u2014 an agricultural byproduct sometimes used as animal feed \u2014 into activated carbon that can help remove PFAS from water. According to the poster, the United States produces 10 billion to 15 billion pounds of soybean hulls annually, creating a potential opportunity to turn a low-value waste product into a useful water treatment material.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis approach not only addresses a critical environmental challenge but also contributes to waste valorization, circular economy, and sustainable water treatment technologies,\u201d said Ahmed. \u201cI would like to sincerely thank my advisor, Dr. Mahmut Selim Ersan, for his continuous mentorship, encouragement, and support, and for inspiring me to actively engage in professional and research communities. I would like to sincerely thank the North Dakota Soybean Council for their generous funding and support, which made this research project possible. I\u2019m looking forward to continuing this work toward sustainable and scalable solutions for water quality challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Ersan, the award reflects both Ahmed\u2019s careful work and UND\u2019s growing strength in water quality research.<\/p>\n

\u201cFaisal Ahmed\u2019s research addresses one of today\u2019s most pressing water quality challenges: the removal of persistent PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ from drinking water,\u201d explained Ersan. \u201cHis work focuses on synthesizing activated carbon from soybean hull waste in North Dakota as a sustainable approach. This approach advances sustainable treatment technologies and waste valorization while highlighting UND\u2019s growing leadership in preparing students to develop practical, scalable solutions to real-world environmental problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

The David Loveday Scholarship honors David Loveday, a longtime governmental advocate for the Water Quality Association who passed in 2021. WQRF describes Loveday as someone with a passion for education, and the scholarship program encourages continued research and education in drinking water quality.<\/p>\n

Ahmed\u2019s recognition adds to a growing record of UND student success in water treatment research and highlights the Department of Civil Engineering\u2019s focus on applied research that addresses real-world environmental challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Written by\u00a0Paige Prekker<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 \/\/\u00a0\u00a0UND College of Engineering & Mines<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Faisal Ahmed, a UND Civil Engineering graduate student, has been recognized by the Water Quality Research Foundation for PFAS removal research.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":7296,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[893],"tags":[908],"class_list":["post-7295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-civil-engineering"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUND civil engineering student wins national water quality scholarship - College of Engineering & Mines<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Faisal Ahmed, a UND Civil Engineering graduate student, has been recognized by the Water Quality Research Foundation for PFAS removal research.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/cem\/2026\/05\/und-civil-engineering-student-wins-national-water-quality-scholarship\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UND civil engineering student wins national water quality scholarship - 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