PFAS Abatement & Destruction Technology Showcase

Dr. Paige Jacob earned her Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University after receiving a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Marist University. Dr. Jacob's dissertation focused on characterizing the occurrence and transformation of PFAS in semiconductor fab wastewater. After Cornell, she joined Intel as a Wastewater Technologist and developed analytical methods and assessed the treatability of PFAS and other contaminants of concern in fab wastewater. She then became the Program Manager of the PFAS Reduction and Innovation in Semiconductor Manufacturing (PRISM) program at Natcast, which focused on addressing analysis, sensing, abatement, and modeling challenges of PFAS in fab air and wastewater emissions. Currently, she is a PFAS Chemistry Program Manager at Battelle. 

Dr. Igor Novosselov is a Research Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington and the leader of NRG. He earned his Ph.D. from UW in 2006 and joined the UW faculty in 2014 after a successful industry career in aerosol instrumentation R&D. Dr. Novosselov’s expertise spans fluid mechanics, aerosol science, electrohydrodynamics, and supercritical fluid processes. His current projects address challenges such as destroying toxic “forever chemicals,” developing scalable nanomaterial synthesis techniques, and advancing plasma-based flow control. He has published over 200 scientific articles and is an inventor on multiple patents for aerosol sampling and reactor technologies. Committed to translating innovation to impact, Dr. Novosselov has helped drive his lab’s hydrothermal water treatment technology toward commercialization via a UW spin‑out company targeting PFAS pollution. He is passionate about mentoring students and forging collaborations that bridge fundamental research and practical applications.

Dr. Alec Ajnsztajn is a scientist, entrepreneur, and organizer currently focused on solving the PFAS problem and creating safe water and infrastructure for all. He currently leads Coflux as Chief Executive Officer where he is leading all aspects of commercialization from fundraising to catalyst development to enable tech to solve the PFAS crisis. He has diverse expertise with organic and inorganic materials across all length scales from bulk to nano. He has strong expertise in materials science particularly in processing and catalysts applications. Previously, Dr. Ajnsztajn worked at Intel in semiconductor packaging materials, where he built his expertise on the rigors of industry and applied research for product development. Following his graduate studies, he was a post-doc in the Verduzco Lab at Rice where he focused on processing polymeric nanomaterials for applications in water treatment. He received a B.S in mechanical engineering from Duke University with a minor in history. He completed his PhD in materials science and nanoengineering from Rice University.