University of Texas, El Paso, and the Energized Watershed
February 26 & 27, 2026
El Paso Water’s TecH2O Learning Center
10751 Montana Ave, El Paso, TX 79935
Quick Links:
Forum Organizing & Coordination Team
Forum Objectives:
- Activate collaboration across academia, industry, utilities, state agencies, and federal partners.
- Map near‑term and long‑term water innovation pathways for desalination, reuse, brackish groundwater treatment, and produced water.
- Identify shared regional scenarios affecting water reliability, equity, and economic development.
- Assess technology readiness, implementation barriers, and cross‑border opportunities in a changing climate.
- Prioritize actionable strategies, partnerships, and testbed projects that can launch in 2026–2027.
- Strengthen the regional workforce pipeline through targeted development and training strategies.
Agenda
Day 0 – Wednesday, February 25
| Time | Session | Details |
| 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Welcome social | Circa 1963 5th Floor of Hotel Indigo 325 N. Kansas Street, El Paso First beverage and light fare provided See Social Events for additional information |
Day 1 – Thursday, February 26
| Time | Session | Details |
| 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Registration + Brews, Bites, & Bright Ideas | |
| 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM | Welcome, Objectives, & Ground Rules | Dr. David Hanson Dr. Alex Mayer |
| 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM | Keynote Address: Building a Sustainable Water Future for El Paso | Christina Montoya-Halter Communications & Marketing Manager, El Paso Water and President, WateReuse Texas See Keynote Speakers for additional information |
| 10:50 AM – 11:00 AM | Break | |
| 11:00 AM – 11:50 AM | Industry Panel Discussion Objective: Identify near-term deployable solutions, clarify implementation barriers, and define cross-sector partnership opportunities. | Facilitator: Deborah Radasch, UI-Collab Panelists: Dr. Zaid Chowdhury, Garver Inc. Dr. Scott Miller, Black & Veatch See Session Facilitators and Panelists for additional information |
| 11:50 AM – 12:00 PM | Break | |
| 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Networking Lunch | |
| 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Kay Bailey Hutchison (KBH) Desalination Plant Tour (short walk to adjacent building) | Only participants vetted in advance will be permitted to join this tour. See Tours & Site Visits for additional information |
| 2:00 PM – 2:50 PM | Tech Session 1: Desalination and Brackish Groundwater Treatment Objective: Examine scale-up bottlenecks, brine valorization opportunities, energy recovery potential, and priority demonstration pathways. | Facilitator: Dr. Camila Leite Madeira, UTEP Panelists: Dr. Punhasa Senanayake, NMSU From Brackish Desalination to Zero Liquid Discharge: RO Concentrate Recycling and Brine Valorization Dr. Yuhe Cao, UTEP An Integrated Electrocoagulation and Membrane Filtration Approach for Minimizing Liquid Discharge in Groundwater Reverse Osmosis Systems See Session Facilitators and Panelists for additional information |
| 2:50 PM – 3:00 PM | Break | |
| 3:00 PM – 3:50 PM | Tech Session 2: Potable Reuse and Advanced Treatment Processes Objective: Identify priority technology advancements, integration of energy and nutrient recovery, monitoring frameworks, and scalable implementation pathways for potable reuse. | Facilitator: Dr. Lauren Kennedy, UTEP Panelists: Dr. Scott Miller, Black & Veatch ReUSA a State-by-State Comparison of Direct Potable Reuse Regulations Jeff Meadows, Garver Inc. Solving Inland Water Supply Challenges with Carbon-Based Direct Potable Reuse: Liberty Hill’s Bold Approach See Session Facilitators and Panelists for additional information |
| 3:50 PM – 4:00 PM | Break | |
| 4:00 PM – 5:45 PM | Tour of UTEP Water Quality Lab (includes transportation time) | See Tours & Site Visits for additional information |
| 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM | Tour of UTEP campus | See Tours & Site Visits for additional information |
| 6:30 PM | Social Hour + Dinner | Café Mayapan 2000 Texas Ave, El Paso, TX 79901 See Social Events for additional information |
Day 2 – Friday, February 27
| Time | Session | Details |
| 6:30 AM – 8:00 AM | Sunrise Walk optional – Coffee and breakfast burritos – includes transportation time | Murchison Rogers Park (scenic drive pullout) See Tours & Site Visits for additional information |
| 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM | Registration + Brews, Bites, & Bright Ideas | |
| 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM | Welcome, Objectives, & Ground Rules | Dr. David Hanson Dr. Alex Mayer |
| 9:00 AM – 9:50 AM | Tech Session 3: Produced Water, Industrial Water Treatment & Resource Recovery Objective: Identify critical treatment challenges, emerging contaminant management pathways, regulatory priorities, and cross-sector strategies to accelerate lab-to-field translation. | Facilitator: Dr. Sungmin Youn, UTEP Panelists: Dr. Guangbin Li, UMD From Waste Stream to Water Asset: Rethinking Industrial Discharge, Emerging Contaminants, and Resource Recovery in the AI Era Dr. Thiloka Edirisooriya, NMSU Separation performance in pilot-scale fractional freeze desalination and reverse osmosis for produced water reuse Dr. Tuan Ho, SNL Molecular Science for Lithium Extraction from Aqueous Solutions See Session Facilitators and Panelists for additional information |
| 9:50 AM – 10:00 AM | Break | |
| 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM | Keynote Address: Water Stewardship in the Southwest and the Role of Non-traditional Waters | Michael Hightower Board Member, New Mexico Desalination Association and Senior Advisor, New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium See Keynote Speakers for additional information |
| 10:50 AM – 11:00 AM | Break | |
| 11:00 AM – 11:50 AM | Workforce Development Session Objective: Define priority workforce shortages, align regional training and credentialing pathways, and build a coordinated, industry-driven talent pipeline strategy. | Facilitator: Dr. Alex Mayer, UTEP Panelists: Irazema Rojas, EP Water Dr. Stephen Gomez, SFCC Rogelio Luna, Workforce Solutions Borderplex, El Paso Alex Salas, DACC See Session Facilitators and Panelists for additional information |
| 11:50 AM – 12:00 PM | Break | |
| 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch, Synthesis & Next Steps | Collective scenario planning wrap‑up |
| 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM | El Paso Treatment Plant Tour: John T. Hickerson Water Reclamation Facility (includes transportation time to facility) | 701 Executive Center Blvd Only participants vetted in advance will be permitted to join this tour. See Tours & Site Visits for additional information |
Logistics & Additional Information
Social Events
Welcome Social – Wednesday Evening
Location: Circa 1963 Rooftop, Hotel Indigo El Paso Downtown
Enjoy a relaxed welcome social at Circa 1963, a rooftop lounge with indoor and outdoor spaces and sweeping views of downtown El Paso. Pizza and light appetizers will be available, including gluten-free and vegetarian options. The first beverage is provided. The venue is surrounded by excellent restaurants if you’d like a more substantial dinner afterward. This casual gathering is an opportunity to meet speakers and participants ahead of the Forum.
Thursday Dinner – Café Mayapan
Location: Café Mayapan, 2000 Texas Ave, El Paso, TX 79901
Cocktail Hour: 6:30–7:30 PM | Beer, wine, and Mexican appetizers
Dinner: Red enchiladas or Oaxacan mole; gluten‑free & vegetarian options available
Café Mayapan is a cherished nonprofit community restaurant in South El Paso that highlights regional Mexican cuisine using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The café is part of a broader community development initiative that supports cultural preservation and economic opportunity. Although technically walkable from downtown, the surrounding area is quiet at night, so ridesharing or carpooling is recommended. Ample onsite and street parking is available.
Tours & Site Visits
KBH Desalination Plant Tour (Day 1)
Step inside the Kay Bailey Hutchison (KBH) Desalination Plant, the largest inland desalination facility in the United States, and experience how El Paso transforms brackish groundwater into a reliable drinking water supply. The tour highlights reverse osmosis systems, concentrate management strategies, and operational innovations that support long‑term water resilience for the region. The facility is adjacent to the TecH2O Center and accessible by a short walk.
Only participants vetted in advance will be permitted to join this tour.
UTEP Water Quality Laboratory Tour (Day 1)
Visit UTEP’s Water Quality Laboratory to explore the analytical tools and workflows used to quantify contaminants, verify treatment performance, and support research on desalination, reuse, and emerging contaminants. Participants will see how UTEP’s data‑driven methods and instrumentation advance technology development and support regional water operations. Transportation to the UTEP campus is provided.
UTEP Campus Tour (Day 1)
Enjoy a guided walk through the University of Texas at El Paso’s Bhutanese‑inspired campus, known for its unique architectural style and dramatic setting overlooking the Rio Grande valley. The tour includes notable landmarks and offers an opportunity to experience the rich cultural and geographic context that shapes UTEP’s identity.
Optional Sunrise Walk – Friday Morning
Location: Murchison Rogers Park overlook (transportation provided)
Begin the day with a sunrise walk overlooking El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. Guides will provide brief context on city boundaries, watershed geography, regional water sources, and shared binational water challenges. Light breakfast items and coffee will be available.
John T. Hickerson Water Reclamation Facility Tour (Day 2)
Tour the John T. Hickerson Water Reclamation Facility, which plays a key role in El Paso’s reclaimed water operations. Participants will observe primary and secondary treatment processes, filtration and disinfection systems, and ongoing efforts to expand regional water reuse capacity. Transportation to and from the facility is provided.
Only participants vetted in advance will be permitted to join this tour.
Keynote Speakers
Christina Montoya-Halter
Communications & Marketing Manager, El Paso Water
President, WateReuse Texas
Christina Montoya-Halter has 26 years of media, communications and marketing experience. As Communications and Marketing Manager for EPWater, she oversees a team responsible for public outreach, employee communications, media relations and marketing. Previously, she was a broadcast journalist at the ABC and NBC news affiliates in El Paso. For 13 years, Christina has led the planning and implementation of El Paso Water’s outreach program for the future Pure Water Center, the nation’s first direct to distribution water reuse project. She is President of WateReuse Texas and is serving her fourth term on the American Water Works Association Public Affairs Council. Montoya graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern California. Her work in communications and public outreach at El Paso Water has been awarded at local, state and national levels.
Dr. Michael Hightower
Board Member, New Mexico Desalination Association
Senior Advisor, New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium
Mike provides technical support on the use of desalination technologies to improve global and regional water stewardship. Locally, he supports the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute, the New Mexico Desalination Association, and the New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium, on the fit-for-purpose treatment and use of brackish, industrial, and produced water. Mike is retired from Sandia National Laboratories where he participated in aerospace, weapons, energy, and natural resource research and engineering. Mike holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in civil and environmental engineering from New Mexico State University, and for the past three decades has focused on improving global and regional energy, water, and natural resources security and stewardship through innovative technology research, testing, and implementation.
Panelists
Yuhe Cao
Associate Professor of Research, Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Texas, El Paso
Dr. Yuhe Cao holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from South Dakota State University. Since 2006, his research has focused on membrane science and technology, including bio-inspired nanomaterials, wastewater treatment, and gas separation. Dr. Cao aims to develop cost-effective technologies for wastewater treatment, desalination, and gas separation through advanced materials and scalable membrane devices.
Zaid Chowdhury
Water Treatment Practice Leader, Garver Inc.
Dr. Zaid Chowdhury has more than 35 years of experience in the industry. He has been involved in various water quality and treatment projects for water systems. He has also led many research projects funded by the Water Research Foundation. Dr. Chowdhury had significant contributions to the USEPA for the development of various drinking water regulations. He is also an active member of AWWA, serving as a member of the Research Division and various Technical Advisory Workgroups for their Regulatory Affairs office.
Thiloka Edirisooriya
Post-doctoral researcher, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, New Mexico State University
Dr. Thiloka Edirisooriya is a post-doctoral researcher in environmental engineering whose work focuses on advanced water and wastewater treatment, particularly produced water management, desalination processes, and resource recovery technologies, including hydrogen production. Her research integrates experimental treatment methods with data analysis, system optimization, and techno-economic evaluation, with applications in sustainable water reuse. In addition to research, she contributes to academic teaching and scholarly peer review, thereby supporting the development of practical, scalable treatment solutions for water and wastewater management.
Stephen “Steve” Gómez
Faculty Lead Water Technologies, Santa Fe Community College
Dr. Gómez, a native New Mexican and land grant heir, earned his B.S. from the California Institute of Technology and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology from UCLA, followed by Ford Fellowships in Biochemistry and Botany. His early career included biomedical research positions at UCLA, the University of Washington, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute. After returning to New Mexico, he transitioned to sustainable agriculture, biofuels, and renewable energy, consulting for Sandia National Laboratories and managing low-water agriculture programs. A faculty member at Santa Fe Community College since 2014, he leads programs in algae cultivation, water technologies, and alternative fuels and contributes nationally to algae workforce development and controlled-environment agriculture initiatives.
Tuan Ho
Principal Member of Technical Staff, Geochemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories
Dr. Ho’s research focuses on molecular-scale processes governing fluid–mineral interactions, ion pairing, and transport in confined environments, with applications spanning critical mineral extraction, subsurface energy storage, carbon capture, and natural hydrogen systems. Dr. Ho earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from University College London in 2015. Since joining Sandia in 2015, he has led and contributed to multiple DOE-funded programs and Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) projects, including initiatives on lithium extraction from geothermal brines, direct air capture of CO₂, and geomaterials for hydrogen production and storage. He has authored dozens of peer-reviewed publications and leads interdisciplinary efforts to translate nanoscale understanding into scalable solutions for sustainable energy and environmental challenges.
Guangbin Li
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland
Dr. Li leads the Nutrient, Energy, and Smart/Sustainability (N.E.S.) Lab at the University of Maryland. He received his PhD and MS in environmental engineering from the University of Arizona and his BS from Harbin Engineering University. His research focuses on sustainable water and wastewater treatment, emerging contaminant fate and remediation, waste-to-energy/resource recovery, chemical toxicity, and advanced bioreactor systems. He maintains extensive collaboration with state and regional agencies, industry partners, national laboratories, and engineering consulting firms. His work is supported by major federal and state sponsors (e.g., NSF, DOD-SERDP, EPA, DOE, NCHRP), and he has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles and serves on the editorial boards of multiple peer-reviewed journals in the field of environmental engineering and science.
Rogelio Luna
Strategic Partnership & Workforce Innovation Manager, Workforce Solutions Borderplex
Rogelio is a workforce development and strategic partnerships professional focused on building talent pipelines for critical infrastructure sectors, including water, energy, and emerging technology industries. He works to connect employers, education providers, and community partners to strengthen access to high-quality training and sustainable career pathways. Rogelio has experience managing grant-funded workforce initiatives, large-scale contracts, and regional economic development projects that support infrastructure operations and workforce innovation. He is particularly interested in preparing the future workforce for technology-driven utility and infrastructure careers while supporting regional economic growth and industry demand.
Jeff Meadows
Facilities Team Leader, Garver Inc.
Jeff Meadows has over a decade of experience in water and wastewater treatment plant design. His experience includes detailed design for small- and large-scale facilities, hydraulic modeling, membrane pilot testing, and hands-on operations. Jeff is a licensed Professional Engineer and holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Georgia Tech and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Scott Miller
Drinking and Advanced Water Process Engineer & Reuse Regulatory Lead, Black & Veatch
Dr. Scott holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from UC Berkeley and previously worked in the California Division of Drinking Water’s Recycled Water Unit on non-potable and potable reuse projects. At Black & Veatch, Scott leads permitting and compliance work on recycled water projects in California, Florida, and the federal government
Irazema Solis Rojas
Chief Engineering Officer – Engineering Services, El Paso Water
Irazema Rojas oversees the technical services portfolio for the utility, which includes engineering, planning and development, and project and construction management. Previously, she served as the Capital Improvements Program Manager. She has progressively held various technical and managerial positions at El Paso Water since 1997. Rojas has served in leadership roles in professional organizations, including the American Society of Civil Engineers – El Paso Branch, American Water Works Association (AWWA) Desert Mountain Chapter, WateReuse Association – Texas Section, and Texas AWWA. She is a licensed professional engineer and holds a Bachelor and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Alex Salas
Instructor of Water Technologies, Doña Ana Community College
Alex Salas is a multifaceted Civil Engineer and Technical Educator with a career defined by nearly two decades of dedication to water infrastructure and facilities engineering. By bridging the gap between field operations and high-level design, Alex has successfully managed diverse projects ranging from complex hydraulic analysis and foundation design to the development of academic curricula for the next generation of water technology professionals. With a robust background in regulatory compliance and advanced proficiency in industry-standard tools like AutoCAD and ArcGIS, Alex brings a precision-oriented approach to utility management and infrastructure rehabilitation. As a Licensed Professional Engineer, Alex combines technical mastery with a commitment to delivering sustainable infrastructure and high-level engineering solutions for complex facility operations.
Punhasa Senanayake
Research Engineer, New Mexico State University
Punhasa Senanayake focuses on RO concentrate management and brine valorization for high-salinity waters. His work spans advanced membrane and electro-separation processes, process modeling, and techno-economic assessment aimed at reducing brine disposal volumes while enabling resource recovery. Current efforts emphasize integrated treatment trains, scaling control, and pathways toward circular water and salt management.
Session Facilitators
David T Hanson
Professor and Associate Vice President for Research, University of New Mexico
Dr. Hanson serves as Professor of Biology and Associate Vice President for Research at the University of New Mexico. In his leadership role, he advances external engagement and regional coalition-building efforts that strengthen cross-sector research partnerships and research translation. He joined UNM in 2002 following doctoral and postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Australian National University.
Lauren Kennedy
Assistant Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Texas, El Paso
Dr. Kennedy earned her B.S. in Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University and her M.S. as well as her Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. She continued her training as a postdoc at Stanford University, where she joined the Sewer Coronavirus Alert Network (SCAN) and wastewater SCAN teams. The Kennedy Water Lab aims to characterize microbial community dynamics, occurrence, and persistence in the engineered water cycle and apply these data to protect public health and wellbeing as well as the environment.
Camila Leite Madeira
Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering, University of Texas, El Paso
Camila’s research focuses on understanding the fate of emerging contaminants in the environment and designing microbial processes for their removal. She is also interested in the design of sustainable and reliable wastewater treatment processes to achieve equitable access to safe water and sanitation.
Alex Mayer
Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Texas, El Paso
Dr. Mayer’s research examines climate change impacts on Rio Grande water systems, coastal water supply resilience, and affordable water access in arid and rural communities. His work also explores nature-based solutions for urban heat mitigation and binational management of U.S.–Mexico water resources, advancing sustainable and equitable water systems in desert regions.
Deborah Radasch
UIDP Senior Fellow & UI-Collab Consultant
Deborah Radasch brings over four decades of aerospace experience and is trained as a corporate facilitator, with a career focused on enabling collaboration among industry, academia, and government. She is known for structuring productive, outcome-oriented discussions that align stakeholder needs, surface shared priorities, and drive clear next steps. Radasch led Boeing Research & Technology’s Strategic Universities program, cultivating high-impact partnerships and guiding selection and management of Boeing’s $13M corporate R&D portfolio. Most recently, she led a systems engineering team defining supplier-support requirements for more than 600 BR&T research projects. She holds a PhD in decision sciences from Saint Louis University and MS and BS degrees from Penn State.
Sungmin Youn
Associate Professor, Civil Engineering, University of Texas, El Paso
Dr. Sungmin Youn’s research expertise centers on water treatment and environmental nanotechnology, with an emphasis on developing sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. He focused on applying nanoparticles in environmental engineering, leveraging both experimental techniques and mathematical modeling. He is also committed to cross-disciplinary collaborations and mentoring undergraduate students, fostering their academic growth through hands-on, quantitative research experiences.
Forum Organizing & Coordination Team
Ivan Olay
Senior Program Manager for the National Science Foundation–funded Energized Watershed (EW) and TRI-CEA initiatives, University of New Mexico
Ivan Olay joined the EW and TRI-CEA projects in September 2025, bringing more than 23 years of experience managing federally funded education programs that support access, equity, and student success. Before this role, Ivan served in leadership capacities within the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) and the High School Equivalency Program (HEP), U.S. Department of Education grants that serve seasonal and migrant farmworking communities. He strengthened operational systems, enhanced compliance practices, and expanded student-centered programming. In his current role, Ivan oversees strategic, operational, and financial coordination for multi-institutional partnerships, subawards, reporting, and collaborative events. Working closely with project leadership, he supports research advancement, workforce development, and regional innovation focused on water resilience and controlled environment agriculture.
Anne-Laure ‘Anlo’ Schmitt-Olivier
Research Translation Officer, University of New Mexico
Anlo connects research, industry, and innovation at UNM, advancing technology translation and strategic partnerships. A registered U.S. patent agent with over a decade of experience in intellectual property, she has worked in both private practice and university technology transfer. In private practice, she drafted and prosecuted patent applications in chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and materials science. At Florida International University, she managed invention disclosures, supported commercialization, and negotiated licensing and research agreements. She holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemistry and a graduate degree in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Strasbourg, France.
Forum Locations Map
