Dr. Manuel Alvarez Cuenca

Growing up, Manuel Alvarez Cuenca had no ambitions to work in the sciences. All that changed when, one day, his uncle turned to him and suggested he become a chemical engineer. “It was an offhand remark, totally out of the blue,” says Alvarez Cuenca. “But I decided to look into it.”

What Alvarez Cuenca found convinced him. “There were so many exciting career possibilities,” he says, “and I could work around the world.” After finishing his degree, he took advantage of every opportunity, gaining experience in plastics, oil and gas, and energy generation before he found his true passion: water treatment.

Today, Alvarez Cuenca holds several patents for advanced bioreactors that remove dangerous nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous from our water. He takes great pride in his students’ successes—including wins at water treatment design competitions—and is excited about the strides they are making together.

Currently their research is focused on developing bioreactors capable of eliminating microplastics from rivers and lakes, which are thought to cause developmental, immune, and reproductive problems in humans. “Our profession is vital,” says Alvarez Cuenca. “Without purifying our water, there would be no life.”