SHAILY MAHENDRA

Associate Professor and Samueli Fellow

Environmental Engineering, University California Los Angeles (UCLA)

1. Please describe your field of research. How does your job relate to bioengineering?
I study bacteria and chemicals in water. We use chemicals to kill harmful bacteria in water. We use
bacteria to remove harmful chemicals from water. We use biotechnology to protect the environment.

2. What kinds of problems do you work to solve? How do you identify these problems and
how do you go about solving them?
I study two problems: how can we have clean water and clean energy. I study what might be polluting
water. I try to remove those things from the water. I also try to turn food waste into energy.

3. Why is your work important to society or to other engineers and scientists?

Our work helps everyone live in a clean and safe environment. Our work will help scientists and
engineers save time, money, materials, and energy, and do their jobs better.

4. What is your favorite part about what you do?

I love working with my students in the lab. Discussing new ideas or new results from our experiments is
very exciting. I also enjoy teaching students from a variety of backgrounds.

5. What did you have to study to get to where you are?

I spent 12 years in school, 4 years in college, and another 8 years after that to get a PhD degree.

6. What messages do you have for 5th graders about how scientists and engineers work
together?
Scientists make discoveries (e.g., apples fall due to gravity). Engineers use that knowledge to build a
roller coaster. Both scientists and engineers learn from each other.