The International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) is proud to celebrate the outstanding contributions of young professionals who are shaping the future of the UV industry. Each year in UV Solutions, the IUVA Young Professionals committee highlights individuals whose work exemplifies innovation, dedication and impact on the industry. In this edition, the committee is pleased to recognize Andrea Martinez and Danmei Chen for their exceptional achievements and commitment to advancing UV technologies.
Andrea Martinez
Andrea Martinez has demonstrated remarkable leadership and technical expertise in her field, consistently pushing boundaries and inspiring others through her work. When Oliver Lawal, president and CEO of AquiSense, nominated Martinez, he shared the following: “Andrea grew up in Venezuela and was made keenly aware of the scarcity of water and its limited access for the average person. After spending time in a US high school, she studied environmental engineering at Louisiana State University and was profoundly impacted by a course on Water Treatment in Developing Countries. It highlighted to her the immense technological gap in the water sector between developed and developing nations and inspired her to dig deeper into solutions for these issues.
“Fast forward to today, Andrea has worked at AquiSense for over two years. From collaborating on projects with NASA and advancing pharmaceutical process applications to developing a groundbreaking oil and gas UV system, she has gained exposure to a wide range of complex industries. Andrea is intelligent, an extremely strong problem solver and a fun person to be around. She’s an asset to the industry and a great role model.”
Q&A with Andrea Martinez
Introduce yourself
I work as the LATAM Applications Engineer and Project Manager at AquiSense Inc., where I help bridge the gap between technical innovation and real-world implementation of UV-C LED disinfection systems. My background is in Environmental Engineering, with both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Louisiana State University, where I focused my research on UV-C LED water disinfection. In my current role, I manage projects across industries, including pharmaceutical, aerospace, and oil and gas, ensuring each application meets strict technical and performance standards. I’m especially passionate about bringing UV-C LED solutions to Latin America, where decentralized systems can make a real difference in daily life.
Describe a major project you’ve been working on.
A major project I’ve been leading is installing point-of-use UV-C LED systems in rural communities in Nicaragua, funded by a grant from the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). The goal is to provide safe drinking water in areas where access to treatment is limited and waterborne illness is a persistent risk. My role included project design, coordination with local partners, training for field staff and biological testing using portable microbiology methods. The impact of this project extends beyond water quality. It also is about empowerment and education, helping communities understand how UV disinfection works and how they can maintain the systems independently.
What do you see as the biggest challenge in the current UV industry?
A major challenge, particularly in water treatment, is awareness and adoption of new technologies. Many regions still rely on traditional mercury systems, and there often is a limited understanding of the current capabilities of UV-C LED technology. Regulatory guidelines and testing infrastructure also can make implementation more difficult, which contributes to hesitation in adopting newer systems. While there always is room for improvement with emerging technologies, UV-C LEDs are more ready for deployment than many people realize.
What key pieces of advice can you give to YPs who are early on in their career?
It is important to be curious and proactive. Some of the best opportunities come from asking questions or reaching out to people who inspire you. For example, I asked my professor to join his lab and later requested the chance to attend a conference, which ultimately led to a career opportunity at AquiSense. Developing networking skills early in your career can be challenging, but it is essential for growth and creating new opportunities. I also would advise choosing a purpose and staying grounded in it. Personally, on the Nicaragua project, seeing the work come to life and directly impacting people’s lives reinforced the importance of my purpose and the real-world impact of my efforts.
Danmei Chen
Danmei is a Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto and has demonstrated outstanding leadership and deep technical expertise during her previous tenure as the IUVA Young Professionals Co-Chair. When Professor Ron Hofmann from the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering at the University of Toronto nominated Chen, he shared the following: “Born and raised in Hangzhou, China, Danmei Chen has carried her curiosity and drive across continents to Canada. Her research focuses on numerical modeling of ultraviolet systems for disinfection and advanced oxidation.
“Beyond her academic achievements, Danmei stands out as a leader and mentor. As president of the University of Toronto chapter of the American Water Works Association, she has organized professional development events that connect students with industry leaders and helped coordinate regional water conferences for students across the Greater Toronto Area. She has been an outstanding volunteer for the IUVA, initially joining as a member of the Young Professionals Committee, before becoming its Co-Chair in 2023-2024. The IUVA is lucky to have wonderful young volunteers such as Danmei to provide energy and enthusiasm to its activities!”
Q&A with Danmei Chen
Introduce yourself
I’m a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto under Yuri Lawryshyn and Ron Hofmann. My research focuses on UV disinfection and advanced oxidation, including system validation and control, for applications in both air and water treatment. Much of my work is based on numerical modeling tools, including computation fluid dynamic and irradiation modeling, to understand the physics behind UV and radical chemistry impacting UV advanced oxidation. Over the past two years, I was pretty involved volunteering for the IUVA YP committee and also on the global scale of IUVA. I’m also involved in the University of Toronto AWWA. Some recent accomplishments include the IUVA scholarship and a publication on ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) for air disinfection. I also entered a space technology competition to innovate water treatment technologies on the moon, and my team made the semi-finals.
Describe a major project you’ve been working on?
A recent paper I published in Indoor Air (Performance Evaluation of In-Duct Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation Air Disinfection Systems: The Role of Reduction Equivalent Dose Bias), focused on addressing the underlying reduction equivalent dose (RED) bias within HVAC systems. The research showed that many evaluations may be overestimating pathogen inactivation in such systems. I participated in the GUV workshop, collaborated with other researchers and found it very interesting and impactful that the RED-bias topic is well known in water treatment, but less so in the air treatment industry.
What do you see as the biggest challenge in the current UV industry?
First, data is not as publicly available in the UV industry as it is in many other industries. For example, in computer science, GitHub publishes data and work publicly for industry-wide sharing. The UV industry would benefit and advance significantly if data were more readily available to those working on solving problems. Second, UV is driven by profit, but UV can be beneficial in low-resource/income settings. I see that UV systems installed in such applications may lack operations and maintenance of these systems. Perhaps the UV manufacturers can be more inclusive of these scenarios to help the world ensure the UV systems are being maintained and operated optimally. In my post-doc, I want to focus more on the intersection of UV and AI, so for now all I can do is be an advocate for resource sharing in the UV industry.
What key pieces of advice can you give to YPs who are early on in their career?
You don’t always have to be ready – grab opportunities as they present themselves. I did not think I was ready to be the IUVA Chair. However, by saying ‘Yes’ and getting involved in committees and projects, I made very meaningful connections that have impacted my career.
Editor’s Note: Extended versions of these interviews can be found online at www.uvsolutionsmag.com.