Gerald Matar, Ph.D.

Alumni

Now at Nalco Water, France. (Environmental and Process Engineer)

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Biography

Dr. Gerald Matar is an experienced Research And Development Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the environmental services industry. He earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in 2015 under the supervision of Professor Pascal Saikaly. His doctoral research focused on advanced wastewater treatment technologies, biofilm development in membrane bioreactors, and molecular approaches to understanding microbial communities in water treatment systems. He also constructed and operated a lab-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) to explore key challenges in wastewater treatment and biofouling mitigation. His contributions to the field were recognized through multiple academic awards, including 2nd Prize for Best Presentation at the 250th ACS National Meeting, where he presented research on biofouling communities in submerged membrane bioreactors.

Currently, Dr. Matar is working as a Process Engineer at Nalco Water, France, where he applies his expertise in water treatment to optimize industrial water management processes.

Selected Publications

  • Matar, G. K., Ali, M., Bagchi, S., Nunes, S., Liu, W. T., & Saikaly, P. E. (2021). Relative importance of stochastic assembly process of membrane biofilm increased as biofilm aged. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12, 708531. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.708531
  • Matar, G. K., Bagchi, S., Zhang, K., Oerther, D. B., & Saikaly, P. E. (2017). Membrane biofilm communities in full-scale membrane bioreactors are not randomly assembled and consist of a core microbiome. Water Research, 123, 124-133. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.06.051
  • Katuri, K. P., Bettahalli, N. M. S., Wang, X., Matar, G., Chisca, S., Nunes, S. P., & Saikaly, P. E. (2016). A microfiltration polymer-based hollow-fiber cathode as a promising advanced material for simultaneous recovery of energy and water. Advanced Materials. DOI: 10.1002/adma.201602280
  • Matar, G., Bagchi, S., Zhang, K., Oerther, D. B., & Saikaly, P. E. (2015). Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene reveals large differences in the sessile bacterial community in five full-scale membrane bioreactors. American Chemical Society (ACS). DOI: 10.1021/es505320z
  • Matar, G., Bagchi, S., Malaeb, L., Zhang, K., Oerther, D. B., & Saikaly, P. E. (2015). Analysis of bacterial community structure and composition of early and mature biofilms from five full-scale MBR plants using 454 pyrosequencing. Water Research. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2015.06.032

Education

  • Ph.D., Environmental Engineering Technology, KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology), 2015
  • M.Sc., Water Chemistry and Microbiology, Université de Poitiers, France, 2010
  • B.Sc., Biochemistry, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Lebanon, 2008

Awards

  • Second Prize Best Presentation Award (with Prof. Pascal Saikaly) at the 250th ACS National Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, under the Division of Environmental Chemistry in the ACS symposium. The presentation, titled “Initiation and succession of biofouling communities on hydrophobic and hydrophilic membrane surfaces in a submerged membrane bioreactor”, was awarded in 2015.
  • Provost Award, KAUST, 2010