Ayse Asatekin

I am currently an assistant professor at Tufts University in the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering. My research is on developing new materials for water purification and for energy-efficient separations using the self-assembly of polymers. I will be teaching classes in polymer science and engineering, and separations.

I am originally from Turkey, where I received B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara. I received my Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from MIT in 2009. My doctoral thesis focused on developing fouling-resistant membranes for wastewater treatment. I conducted my post-doctoral studies working for Prof. Karen Gleason at MIT, where I worked on using chemical vapor deposition to manufacture membranes that separate molecules based on their chemical structure. I co-founded a start-up which is working on commercializing filters I developed during my Ph.D., Clean Membranes, Inc. I worked there full-time during 2011-2012, but decided to move back to academia and joined Tufts University in 2012.

I hope to share my enthusiasm in chemistry and chemical engineering, and what science can do to address major problems the world faces today such as water scarcity. I look forward to working with and collaborating with other NISE Net members.