Distinguished Water Lecture

Tuesday April 21, 2026
4:30pm, Sinclair Auditorium

One Environmental Engineer’s Journey for Inclusive Technologies:
From Enhancing Access to Safe Water to Mitigating Perils of Climate Change

Arup K. SenGupta, P. C. Rossin Professor Emeritus
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University

ABSTRACT: Lack of access to safe water remains a primary driver of global inequality.
Natural arsenic contamination of groundwater has emerged as a major crisis affecting over
200 million people across fifty countries. Over the past 25 years, our team has developed
and implemented regenerable, arsenic-selective sorbents that currently provide safe
drinking water to over three million people.
In response to the existential threat of anthropogenic emissions, Direct Air Capture
(DAC) has emerged as a critical strategy for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas targets. At
Lehigh University, we have engineered a hybrid sorbent with a CO2 sorption capacity
exceeding 4.0 moles/kg — nearly 2–3 times greater than other sorbents reported in the
open literature. Furthermore, this study demonstrates for the first time that this exhausted
sorbent is amenable to efficient regeneration using sea water at ambient temperature,
allowing the ocean to serve as both a regenerant and a carbon sink.

BIO: Professor Arup K. SenGupta is the P.C. Rossin Professor Emeritus in
the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Department of
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Lehigh University. SenGupta is
internationally recognized for advancing and expanding the field of ion
exchange science and technology, and applying it for development of
sustainable technologies and new materials. SenGupta is the author of the
book ‘Ion Exchange in Environmental Processes’ published by Wiley & Sons.
The book was translated in Chinese. He was the lead faculty member to
introduce all three academic programs - PhD, MS, and BS in environmental
engineering – at Lehigh University. SenGupta has been the recipient of
Lehigh University’s Libsch Research Award in 1995 and Hilman Faculty
Award in 2013 for outstanding accomplishment through impact of research.
For his research and scholarly contributions, SenGupta received many
national and international awards, including: 2004 International Ion Exchange
Award at the University of Cambridge, England; 2009 Lawrence K Cecil
Environmental Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
(AIChE); and 2012 Intel Environmental Award for ‘technology benefiting
humanity’ and the 2007 Grainger Challenge Award for Sustainable Water
treatment from the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), to name a few.
SenGupta is a fellow of AIChE, ASCE, and NAI (National Academy of
Inventors).