On October 1, Holly Haflich captivated Purdue students with her presentation on water treatment and resource recovery using ion exchange membranes. Following her talk, Purdue EEE students had the opportunity to go behind the scenes with Holly, where she shared her journey as an undergrad, master’s student, and now a doctoral candidate.

Hailing from Noblesville, Indiana, Holly’s early love for science, engineering, chemistry, and swimming set the stage for her future endeavors. These passions converged in an unexpected way when she began her studies in water treatment at Purdue in 2013. Holly earned her bachelor’s degree from EEE in 2017 and seamlessly transitioned into a master’s program, graduating in 2019. Now, she is in the final stretch of her doctoral studies in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).

What led you to Purdue EEE?

“I started off as a chemistry major when I started at Purdue. I really liked it, but I didn't really see the applied aspects of it. I switched to environmental engineering as a sophomore, so I could go into water treatment and water quality more specifically. I still like chemistry; I use a lot of chemistry now in my research, but I really appreciate how applied my degree and research within EEE is.”

Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?

“Initially, I transferred out of chemistry to avoid going to grad school. But after my sophomore year in EEE, I did the SURF program with EEE professors Dr. Shah and Dr. Howarter. That was my first experience working in the lab and the only undergrad research I did, but I really liked it. From that point on I wanted to pursue a master’s degree.

“I discovered that I love being in a lab, and I like to read and write a lot, which is the basis for enjoying research. So, I decided to apply to some PhD programs and eventually chose to go to UNC.”

What is your research focused on right now?

“I have been exploring processes that use ion exchange membranes. Ion exchange membranes look like a sheet of plastic, but they have expansive capabilities. For example, they are used for water desalination. When salt water is put into an ion exchange membrane-based system and you apply electricity, ions move through the membranes, while water does not. Over time, the salt water becomes desalinated.

“These ion exchange membrane-based processes are currently used in water treatment for desalination, but I am also interested in how they can be used for remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from natural waters and volatile fatty acid recovery from organic waste streams. Specifically for the PFAS work, I'm currently investigating whether the membrane can capture PFAS while still allowing salts move through the membrane desalinate and remove the PFAS from the source water.”

What did you share with EEE students in your seminar?

“I provided an overview of ion exchange membrane-based processes and specifically delved how ion exchange membrane-based processes can be used for volatile fatty acid recovery. I discussed both applied aspects of volatile fatty acid recovery and delved into fundamental volatile fatty acid transport mechanisms.

“Volatile fatty acids are short-chain carboxylic acids that can be used directly in the food industry or can be used as platform chemicals in the pharmaceutical, biopolymer, and cosmetic industries. Volatile fatty acids aren’t hard to synthesize; however, when they’re synthesized, synthesis requires harsh chemicals and produces excess greenhouse gases. Therefore, an alternative is to separate volatile fatty acids from organic waste streams. The challenge is effectively separating those acids from the waste. I'm trying to do that with ion exchange membranes in a process called electrodialysis.”

What do you miss about Purdue EEE?

“I do miss Purdue. I especially miss my EEE cohort! We're all at different places in the country now. We have a group chat (obviously), and I texted them a picture of myself with Dr. Howarter and Dr. Shah at the seminar and one of me in front of the civil engineering building.

“I miss all the engineering outreach in PSEF and Boiler Gold Rush. I really liked doing BGR with the international students. It was a good way to meet different people, obviously from different places and different cultures. (Fun Fact: EEE and BGR are how I met my fiancé.)”

What advice would you give to a current EEE student?

“First, get to know the people in your cohort and your professors. By making friends with people with relatively similar environmental interests, you'll kind of develop your own interests and learn from them.

“And then, just try different things and it's okay if you don't like them. I did research with SURF and loved it. Then, I did two internships with different environmental consulting firms, and I found that was not for me. I am pursuing my current research now because I was willing to explore back then.”