Kumiko Oguma Nominated as Incoming IUVA President
The IUVA Nominating Committee and Executive Operating Committee were pleased to advance the nomination of Kumiko Oguma as incoming IUVA president for election at the IUVA World Congress. At the General Assembly in Lisbon, Oguma was confirmed and assumed the role of incoming president, with Chip Blatchley installed as president. With much thanks, Ted Mao moved to immediate past president.
Professor Kumiko Oguma is a faculty member at the University of Tokyo, where she earned her B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Engineering. Her research centers on water treatment and supply systems, with particular emphasis on UV-based technologies such as microbial disinfection and photochemical degradation. She pioneered early applications of UV LEDs for water treatment in the early 2010s, earning the IUVA Innovative UV Application Award in 2017. Committed to global equity, she currently leads field demonstrations of decentralized UV LED systems to provide safe water in underserved and remote communities.
Professor Oguma has served as Asia-Pacific Regional Vice President and on the Executive Operating Committee of IUVA for nearly a decade. She also contributes actively to International Water Association (IWA), International Standardization Organization (ISO), Science Council of Japan (SCJ), Japan Society on Water Environment (JSWE), Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE), Japan UV Water Treatment Technology Association (JUVA) and Japan Water Research Center (JWRC), advancing UV technology development and international collaboration.
IUVA Announces Record Attendance at 2025 World Congress
The International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) has announced record attendance at the 2025 World Congress, held September 7-10 in Lisbon, Portugal. The event brought together more than 200 participants from over 25 countries, marking a milestone gathering for the global UV community.
The three-day Congress featured over 100 presentations from leading researchers, manufacturers and industry leaders. Discussions spanned new technologies and the latest innovations advancing ultraviolet disinfection for water, air, surfaces and food safety.
Following two full days of three-track technical sessions, attendees came together for the Gala Dinner and General Assembly. Outgoing IUVA President Ted Mao delivered his final address, which included a membership vote confirming new leadership. IUVA welcomed Ernest Blatchley III, Purdue University, as its new president and Kumiko Oguma, University of Tokyo, as president-elect.
The evening also featured the 2025 IUVA Achievement Awards and the prestigious Jim Bolton Award for Outstanding Student Presentation, named in honor of the “grandfather” of UV disinfection research. This year’s Bolton Award winners were Karlye Wong, University of Toronto, and Ricardo Jorge Nunes Santos, CITAB – Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, recognized for their exceptional student conference presentations.
“We are thrilled with the turnout and the high level of engagement at this year’s World Congress,” said Mickey Fortune, associate executive director. “The knowledge shared and collaborations sparked in Lisbon will have a lasting impact on advancing UV technologies worldwide.”
As attendees departed Lisbon, they carried forward both new ideas and strengthened connections. The IUVA looks ahead to continuing momentum toward cleaner, safer environments through ultraviolet innovation. For more information, visit www.iuva.org.