Michael Adelman, pictured front row, center
Congratulations to Michael Adelman, professional civil engineer based in the MWH Global Pasadena office, in being selected by the Environmental and Water Resources Institute to receive the 2015 Rudolph Hering Medal for the paper, “Novel Fluidic Control System for Stacked Rapid Sand Filters,” published in the Journal of Environmental Engineering, July 2013. In being selected for this award, a judging committee particularly noted contributions Michael has made to environmental engineering.
The Rudolph Hering Medal was instituted and endowed in 1924 by the Sanitary Engineering Division (now the Environmental and Water Resources Institute) of the American Society of civil Engineers (ASCE), in honor of Rudolph Hering, past Vice President of the Society.
The paper was the second of two articles Michael published with the AguaClara research group at Cornell University, describing invention of the “Stacked Rapid Sand Filtration” process. This process is a novel multi-layer self-backwashing filter designed for sustainable and robust application anywhere in the world. The first paper is a pilot-scale and field demonstration of the concept. The second paper (which won the award) describes, through laboratory and full-scale studies, a novel hydraulic control system that allows an operator to control filtration and backwash of a stacked rapid sand filter with one small air valve. This design eliminates complex electronic controls and mechanical equipment.
The AguaClara group is advised by Dr. Monroe Weber-Shirk, and does innovative research on drinking water treatment technologies coupled with design and implantation at full scale in multiple countries.
In accepting the award, Michael received a medal and cash prize, during the ‘World Environmental and Water Resources Congress’ in Austin, TX, May 17-21, 2015.
