The KAUST Employee Service Awards 2024 honored Dr. Alla Alpatova, a distinguished member of the DESAL Research Group, for her dedication and commitment upon completing five years of service at KAUST.

Dr. Alla Alpatova joined KAUST in 2017 as a postdoctoral fellow under the guidance of Prof. Noreddine Ghaffour. By 2019, she advanced to the position of Research Scientist. 

Her research focuses on membrane processes for water treatment and desalination, brine management and mining, membrane fouling and cleaning, alternative membrane cleaning and fouling alleviation strategies, and the control of emerging contaminants and disinfection by-products in water supplies.

Reflecting on her time at KAUST, Dr. Alpatova stated, "I am glad and honored to be a member of the KAUST family for all these years. Joining the DESAL group made a pivotal shift in my academic and research career. I am happy to be involved in projects that address one of the most pressing challenges of our world - easing access to freshwater for regions that have been deprived of it for centuries. Our multinational and diverse research team comprises professionals who excel in different fields, including environmental science and engineering, chemistry, biology, and material and computational science. This helps us to tackle various water and desalination–related issues by taking cutting-edge approaches that range from the fabrication of fit-to-purpose membranes for target pollutant removal to designing complex desalination units. During my tenure in the DESAL group, I had the opportunity to work on different projects that encompass various desalination technologies ranging from conventional processes like reverse osmosis and nanofiltration to emerging processes such as membrane distillation and forward osmosis. This has widened my professional horizons and taught me how different technologies could be integrated to enhance clean water production. My journey continues…."

This award highlights Dr. Alpatova's dedication and reflects the positive, supportive environment within the DESAL Research Group. On behalf of the DESAL Research Group, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Alla Alpatova on achieving this service milestone.

The KAUST Employee Service Awards, celebrated on May 28, 2024, recognized the unwavering dedication and commitment of KAUST employees who have reached their five and ten-year service milestones.