Research Team News
August 18, 2025: We are delighted to announce that two new members have joined our lab this semester! Their passion and expertise will further strengthen our research efforts in water quality, contaminant transport, and sustainable infrastructure.
- We are excited to welcome a new and very first PhD student, Priya Chowdhury, who will contribute to advancing our long-term research goals and exploring new frontiers in stormwater quality, AI and green infrastructure. Congratulations, Priya! We’re excited to have you on board and look forward to your contributions!
- Kironmoy Paul Shourov has also joined us as a Master’s student, bringing enthusiasm and fresh perspectives to our ongoing projects. Congratulations, Kiron! We’re excited to have you on board and look forward to your contributions!
July 2025: We are excited to share that our graduate student, Nisha, presented her microplastic research poster at the KY/TN Water Professionals Conference in Knoxville, TN. This milestone provided her with the opportunity to showcase her research, connect with many water professionals, and build valuable networks. She also gained important insights into the current issues and challenges facing the water industry today.
June 2025: Our team is committed not only to advancing research but also to engaging and inspiring future leaders. Recently, Grace Pippin and Dr. Jejal-Reddy Bathi visited a class of high school juniors to discuss sustainable urban development and the importance of protecting water quality. Through this outreach effort, students gained insights into how engineering and science play a critical role in building resilient communities and safeguarding natural resources. Read full story here.
May 2025: We are proud to share that our Principal Investigator has been honored with the Outstanding Service Award from the Department of Civil and Chemical Engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) for their exceptional service during the 2024–2025 academic year. Congratulations to our PI on this well-deserved recognition! Your leadership and service continue to inspire our team and contribute to the growth and impact of the department and the broader academic community.
May 17-20, 2025: We are proud to share that our lab’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Bathi, recently presented two impactful presentations at the prestigious ASCE World Environmental & Water Resources (EWRI) Congress, held from May 18–21, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. Dr. Bathi also spent a wonderful time connecting with many water and environmental professionals, exchanging ideas and sharing perspectives on how to address today’s pressing challenges.
April 9, 2025: Our graduate student, Nishat Tasnim Nisha, presented her first graduate posters at the UTC Spring Research and Arst Conference at UTC University Center. Her poster titled “Challenges in Analyzing Environmental Field Samples for Microplastics,” explored practical limitations in microplastic detection from sediment samples — including pretreatment, density separation, and imaging challenges.
January 3, 2025: We are thrilled to welcome Nishat Tasnim to our team as a Graduate Research Assistant starting Spring 2025. Congratulations, Nishat! We’re excited to have you on board and look forward to your contributions!
December 17, 2024: We are excited to announce that our research has been featured on the cover of the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science Annual Review for 2023-2024. This recognition reflects the dedication and excellence of our team’s efforts. Congratulations to everyone involved!
December 13, 2024: We celebrated our recent graduate, Mithu Chanda, on his commencement day alongside our PI, Dr. Bathi. Congratulations once again, Mithu, on this wonderful achievement!
November 11, 2024: Congratulations to our team member, Mithu Chanda, for successfully defending his MS thesis titled “Microplastics in Urban Environments: Distribution, Fate, and Transport.” Well done, Mithu!
October 10, 2024: Our team had the privilege of presenting our research findings, titled “Treatability of Microplastics by Urban Stormwater Controls,” at the 19th Annual Regional Stormwater Conference in Chattanooga, TN.
October 9-11, 2024: Our research team member, Mithu Chanda, was honored to receive the SESWA Scholarship, along with other deserving candidates, to attend the 19th Annual Regional Stormwater Conference held in Chattanooga, TN.
May 31, 2024: Mithu Chanda has been nominated for the UTC SEARCH Award (The Scholarship, Engagement, the Arts, Research, Creativity, and Humanities) for 2024-2025 academic year. Under this program, he will have the opportunity to receive scholarship from UTC and carry out research under the guidance of esteemed UTC faculty. Congratulations Mithu!
May 21, 2024: Our PI, Dr. Bathi, had an excellent presentation on stormwater management for informed decision-making, where vital climate change data sources and methodologies were discussed in detail at the ASCE EWRI Congress 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
May 20, 2024: Our team member, Mithu, presented recent research findings on microplastic distribution in the Urban Environment at the ASCE EWRI Congress 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The research mainly discussed the source-specific distribution of microplastics in urban sediments.
May 19-22, 2024: Our team members, Dr. Bathi and Mithu, attended this year’s ASCE World Environmental and Water Resources Congress in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
May 17, 2024: Mithu Chanda has been nominated as one of the eight awardees for this year’s SESWA (Southeast Stormwater Association) Scholarship. The 19th Annual Regional Stormwater Conference will be held on October 9-11 in Chattanooga Marriott Downtown, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402. Congratulations Mithu!
May 5, 2024: Our team had a fantastic session with high school students at Skyuka Hall School, Chattanooga, TN, where Dr. Bathi delivered an excellent speech on the urbanization impacts of water hydrology. How does urbanization affect hydrology, particularly water quality and pollutant discharge? Researchers and students delve into current environmental issues and engage in critical discussion through excellent questions and answers.
April 16, 2024: Our team had an excellent talk on microplastics in stormwater runoff, aiming to enhance the water quality of Chattanooga’s water. During the ASCE meeting at the DRC Center, Chattanooga, the team shared recent and future research endeavors on microplastics.
April 15, 2024: Our team won two awards at the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science Technology Symposium 2024. Kara Kimes, an undergraduate student, secured 1st place, while Mithu Chanda, a graduate student, secured 2nd place for their research presentations at the CECS Tech Symposium. Congratulations Kara and Mithu!
April 10, 2024: Our team was privileged to present ongoing research at UTC Spring Research & Arts Conference 2024.
April 2, 2024: Our team presented two posters at the American Water Resources Association (TN Section) Conference 2024 at Montgomery Bell State Park.
March 18, 2024: MOCS Innovate! mini-grants take faculty inventions one step closer to commercialization
October 23, 2023: Micromanagement: Research aims to find, remove plastic particles in Chattanooga’s water
October 10, 2023: You probably ate plastic for breakfast
October 4, 2023: Research Aims To Find, Remove Plastic Particles In Chattanooga’s Water
August 12, 2023: UTC students undertake EPA-funded project to tackle microplastic pollution in Chattanooga’s stormwater | WTVC (newschannel9.com)