Team
Principal Investigator (PI) and Lab Director , SALAR Lab
Dr. Amirsalar (Salar) R. Esfahani is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Kennesaw State University, where he directs the SALAR Lab (Selective Advanced Layers for Aquatic Remediation) and serves as the Environmental Engineering Program Coordinator. His research focuses on advancing next-generation membrane science and scalable separation technologies for sustainable water treatment, resource recovery, and environmental remediation.
His work integrates nanostructured selective layers, graphene-derived materials, electrospun functional membranes, and roll-to-roll manufacturing platforms to develop programmable membrane systems for the removal of emerging contaminants, including PFAS, microplastics, nanoplastics, and heavy metals, while enabling selective recovery of valuable resources from complex aqueous streams.
The SALAR Lab brings together students and collaborators from environmental engineering, materials science, and chemical engineering to develop innovative and scalable solutions for global water challenges.
Current Graduate Students
Ph.D. Student
Anira Latif
Anira is a Ph.D. student and Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Environmental Engineering at Kennesaw State University, working under the supervision of Dr. Amirsalar (Salar) R. Esfahani. She holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in Environmental Engineering, where her research focused on water and wastewater treatment. Her current research involves the development of advanced membrane systems for the removal of micro- and nanoplastics from contaminated water through nanomaterial-based surface modifications and photocatalytic treatment processes.
Current Undergraduate Researchers
Nicole Ward
Nicole is a senior undergraduate student in Civil Engineering at Kennesaw State University and an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the SALAR Lab. Her research interests include membrane-based water treatment technologies and sustainable environmental engineering solutions. She is particularly interested in membrane filtration processes for contaminant removal and water purification. Nicole plans to pursue her M.S. degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in environmental engineering and continue her involvement in research and academia. Outside of school and research, she enjoys working out, playing soccer, reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. Her favorite travel destination so far has been Paros, Greece. Nicole will join the SALAR Lab as a Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant beginning in Fall 2026.
Alumni
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
Gibriel Massoud
Gibriel was an undergraduate researcher in the SALAR Lab at Kennesaw State University, where he pursued a major in Chemistry. He was also a participant in the Kennesaw State University First-Year Scholars Program (2025–2026). His research interests focused on water sustainability, resource recovery, and improving water accessibility through wastewater treatment and reuse. During his time in the lab, he contributed to projects related to environmental remediation and sustainable water management. Gibriel plans to pursue a degree in Chemical Engineering and continue exploring innovative solutions to environmental challenges. Outside of his academic interests, he enjoys reading and has a particular interest in literature and social sciences.
