The Young Professionals Committee exists to increase interest and involvement in the IUVA and UV industry among young professionals (YPs), defined as students and professionals less than 35 years old or with fewer than five years’ experience post-graduation in UV-related industry, government or academia. Featured in this issue are Ehsan Banayan Esfahani and Joshua D. Erickson.
Ehsan Banayan Esfahani
Ehsan Banayan Esfahani currently is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada. His research entails the development and application of UV-based advance oxidation/reduction processes for photodegradation of hazardous micropollutants, in particular: per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). He received his bachelor’s (2013) and master’s (2016) degrees in chemical engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran. For his master’s thesis, Esfahani mainly focused on biological nutrient removal from municipal wastewater. Later, he joined an environmental consulting firm in Tehran, conducting wastewater treatment designs primarily for clients in the municipal and industrial sectors. After nearly two years in the industry, he joined Professor Mohseni’s group at UBC, where he hopes to bring his academic and professional experiences to the table in advancing novel water treatment technologies to solve today’s worldwide issue, ensuring a safe PFAS-free water for all.
Joshua D. Erickson
Joshua Erickson is a founder of Stratix Labs Corporation and currently serves as its president and chief technology officer. He has extensive experience inventing and developing novel microbiology products for laboratory, medical device and pharmaceutical applications. His prior experience includes roles as a project leader and product developer at high-caliber companies such as 3M, Rebiotix and Medivators. In his prior roles, Erickson has created significant value by inventing and developing high-potential products with special attention to the intersection of business, science and customer needs. He is an inventor on 19 patents and patent applications, and one of his inventions describes a biological test device for measuring UVC efficacy outside of the lab. This product has the potential to be an important tool for the standardization of UV testing against a biological challenge. Stratix Labs is planning to launch this product, UV-Confirm™, later this year.
To learn more, contact the YP Committee via social media (@IUVAYP) or by email (iuvayp@iuva.org).
