Osmar Menezes

Dr. Menezes is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (Field-Sierra Research Group). He graduated summa cum laude from the Federal University of Ceará (Brazil) with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He received his master's and Ph.D. degrees from the Federal University of Pernambuco (Brazil), researching the environmental degradation of different aromatic compounds. Dr. Menezes was a visiting scholar at the University of Arizona during his Ph.D. His research interests include bioremediation, environmental chemistry, and environmental biotechnology, and his current work focuses on the combination of biotic and abiotic strategies for the remediation of nitroaromatic pollutants.

Dr. Menezes’ career goals are to become a university professor and advise the research work of undergraduate and graduate students in environmental biotechnology while also teaching courses such as Environmental Microbiology, Wastewater Treatment Design, and Hazardous Wastes Management. His previous teaching experiences include being the instructor of two undergraduate-level courses in a Civil Engineering program and an invited instructor in Environmental Microbiology and Environmental Sanitation courses for undergraduate and graduate students. Additionally, Dr. Menezes has experience mentoring the research work of three undergraduate students and co-advising a master's student. As a postdoc pathways fellow, he is interested in inclusive learning techniques to reach students from different backgrounds in STEM disciplines and in the use of evidence-based teaching techniques to improve students' learning.