Annual university faculty and staff awards winner biography
2016 University System of Maryland Board of Regents’ Faculty Award for Excellence in Research
Upal Ghosh, Professor, Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering
Upal Ghosh joined UMBC in 2002. During his tenure, he has been instrumental in creating a thriving graduate program in the chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering department. His work has attracted significant research funds and has not only advanced the research profile of the university, but also created an environment that fosters the development of new approaches in environmental assessments and remediation.
He has mentored a diverse group of post-doc, graduate, and undergraduate students who investigate the lifecycle, effects, and remediation of toxic pollutants in the environment and their impact on human health. Ghosh, along with his research group, averages four to five journal publications per year. His contributions to the field can be found in frequent citations of his research by others, including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance documents and actions and public notices.
Ghosh’s research has secured nearly $8 million in grant funding from several agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, EPA, Department of Defense, and the private industry.
His revolutionary work has led to an international reputation as the foremost expert in his field with regard to assessing pollutant fate and pollutant bioavailability. Specifically, he is noted for the development of an original remediation technology, known as SediMite™, which allows activated carbon to be introduced in some environments. Building on the success of his novel research, Ghosh partnered with a private group to form Sediment Solutions, a startup that licensed his patented research from UMBC and manufactures, markets, and implements the new remediation technology for commercial applications. Ghosh received his B.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology and his M.S and Ph.D. from the University of Buffalo.