Topic Description:

Burgeoning water demands in energy, agriculture and other sectors, coupled with depleting suitable water supplies and a changing climate, is leading to water stressed conditions in many regions globally. Improved water management and technologies are increasingly being demanded. The panel will discuss approaches toward sustainable water quality and quantity based on their extensive experience and expertise.

Speaker Bios:

Paul Block (Moderator)
Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Paul Block is an Assistant Professor of Fluid Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering as well as an Adjunct Associate Research Scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate & Society at Columbia University. His research group creatively addresses critical water resources management challenges in local to international trans-boundary capacities through stakeholder and decision-maker collaborations, with themes centered on a systems-based approach, bridging models and methods across climate science, hydrology, management, the environment, economics, and policy.

Vladimir Novotny
Director Emeritus, Center for Urban Environmental Studies, Northeastern University

Vladimir Novotny is a Professor Emeritus at Northeastern University where until 2012 was a Chair Professor of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering and Director of the Center for Urban Environmental Studies. From 1973 through 2002 he taught and conducted research at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI. He was a founding member of the International Water Association Cities of Future Committee, published 14 books and numerous articles on water quality, diffuse pollution and cities of the future. He received two Fulbright Scholar Awards and was elected a member of The International Water Academy. He is a partner in AquaNova LLC.

Miriam Balaban
Secretary General, European Desalination Society; Editor in Chief, Desalination and Water Treatment Journal

Miriam Balaban is the Secretary General of the European Desalination Society and Editor in Chief of the journal Desalination and Water Treatment. In 1965, after receiving her degree in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, Balaban launched the journal Desalination. Since 1975, she has been a member of the International Desalination Association, which bestowed her a Lifetime Achievement award in 2009 for her contributions to the field.

Thomas Veselka
Energy Systems Engineer, Argonne National Laboratory

Thomas Veselka is a Principal Computational and Energy Systems Engineer with 34 years of experience at Argonne National Laboratory. He builds optimization and simulation tools applying them both domestically and internationally to projects related to the power grid, energy systems, and the environment. His models are currently used for daily, monthly, and annual power systems operations and for formulating market transactions, customer offers, and long-term plans.