People

Jessica Ray is the Robert and Irene Sylvester Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington. Ray's research focuses on developing, characterizing and applying new composite materials for selective contaminant removal in water, for enhanced degradation of persistent contaminants, and for recovery of valuable species in waste streams. Her research explores structure-function relationships and survey physicochemical properties during synthesis and application of novel composites to understand their capabilities under conditions representative of real water sources and waste streams. Currently, her research group is creating low-cost, engineered media to remove and/or degrade contaminants in urban stormwater. They are also generating functionalized composite materials to target and destroy persistent organic compounds such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).