Dr. Natalie Mladenov
Associate Professor
Civil, Construction, & Environmental Engineering
San Diego State University

As global demands on fresh water resources escalate, there are mounting pressures on natural systems and increasing needs to find sustainable solutions to address global water and sanitation challenges. My research  investigates degradation of organics in anaerobic wastewater treatment and decentralized water reuse systems and applies optical spectroscopic techniques for rapid tracking of contaminants. My research also investigates sources of surface water contamination in urban environments and delves into the biogeochemical processes that influence mobility of toxic trace elements, such as arsenic. A key aspect of my research is advancing our understanding of how natural organic matter (NOM) interacts with solutes, sediments, and microorganisms to influence water quality in pristine and polluted environments.

Research Interests
Water reuse to promote water-energy-food sustainability
Surface water and groundwater quality 
NOM-microbe-trace element interactions
Fluorescence-based sensors

Education        
PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Colorado
MS in Civil Engineering, University of Colorado  
BS in Civil Engineering, University of South Florida
BA in Art, University of South Florida
WIRLab news
Now hiring Postdoc in Post-fire Water Quality!!
See announcement for details.
November 2018
  • Congratulations to Kristen Snyder who successfully defended her thesis on the persistence of dissolved compounds from oil spills and oil seeps!!
  • D. Garcia, S. Chao, and C. Graves present posters on urban creek water quality and decentralized MBRs for water reuse at SCCUR, the Southern California Conferences on Undergraduate Research in Pasadena, CA.
  • L. Mendoza and WIRLab receive SSF funds for SDSU to host a Global Water Sustainability Symposium in April 2019.
  • Wasswa et al. paper on "Assessing the potential of fluorescence spectroscopy to monitor contaminants in source waters and water reuse systems" just accepted in Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology.
October 2018
  • Kulkarni et al. paper on "Effects of acidification on the optical properties of dissolved organic matter from high and low arsenic groundwater and surface water" just accepted for publication in STOTEN .
September 2018
Congratulations!!
  • Denise Garcia selected for the prestigious National Institute of Health-funded IMSD Program to conduct undergraduate research leading up to a PhD program .
August 2018
  • Lauren, Fed, Denise, Stephanie, Justin, Kristen, and Cheyenne lead outreach activities for a 60-girl visit by San Diego Girl Scout Troupes and SDSU's Junior MESA Program .
July 2018
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