Rate My Professor David Waite

Scientia Professor David Waite is a leading figure in environmental engineering, serving as Scientia Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of New South Wales. He obtained his PhD in Environmental Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1983, Master of Applied Science from Monash University in 1978, Graduate Diploma of Electronic Instrumentation from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1977, and BSc Honours from the University of Tasmania in 1974. Over four decades, Waite has made significant contributions to environmental chemistry, authoring over 350 peer-reviewed articles and editing influential books such as Nanofiltration: Principles and Applications (2005, co-edited with Schafer AI and Fane AG), Surface complexation modelling of uranium (VI) on ferihydrite (2001, co-authored with Davis JA and Payne TE), and Using thermodynamic sorption models for guiding radioelement distribution coefficient (Kd) investigations - A Status Report (2001). His research centers on the behavior of elements including iron, manganese, copper, silver, and uranium in natural and engineered aquatic systems, advanced oxidation processes, nanoparticle-based water treatment technologies, membrane-based processes for desalination and wastewater treatment, and the generation and role of reactive oxygen species.

Waite leads the Biogeochemical Engineering, Management and Systems research group in the UNSW Water Research Centre and holds the position of Executive Director and CEO of the UNSW Centre for Transformational Environmental Technologies. He has attracted over $16 million in competitive research funding, including ARC Linkage grant LP130101107 for innovative hybrid membrane-based pretreatment strategies ($720,000, 2013-2016) and ARC Discovery grants DP120103222 and DP120103234. His accolades include the UNSW Scientia Professorship (2011-2016), Royal Australian Chemical Institute Environment Medal, Fellowship of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (1994), Fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), Fellowship of the Royal Society of New South Wales, and Foreign Membership of the United States National Academy of Engineering. Waite chairs the Interfaces Against Pollution International Conference Series (since 2010), directs the Australia China Consortium for Water Research (since 2006), serves as Technical Expert for Singapore's Environment & Water Industry Development Council, and acts as Associate Editor for Environmental Science and Technology. He has held guest professorships at ETH-Zurich (2013), Harbin Institute of Technology (since 2009), and others, influencing global advancements in water quality management and environmental remediation.