University of Arkansas KAUST seminar speaker, Dr. Gyorgy Szekely

Date: September 22, 2026

Time: 12-1:30 CDT

Title of the talk: Data science and machine learning for advancing organic solvent nanofiltration

Abstract: Industrial chemical manufacturing relies heavily on separation processes to isolate valuable compounds, presenting major challenges in energy management and operational efficiency. While thin-film composite membranes provide a versatile alternative to conventional thermal methods, accelerating their impact requires unifying molecular-level design with system-level process evaluation. This seminar presents a data-driven paradigm that spans virtual monomer discovery, predictive film synthesis, and comparative separation modeling.

Bio: Dr. Gyorgy Szekely is an associate professor in chemical engineering at KAUST and a visiting professor at MIT, with prior appointments at the University of Manchester and Imperial College London. His research focuses on addressing the global challenges of energy and sustainability using membrane separations in harsh environments, and expanding their applications via materials science, process intensification and data-driven approaches. He has published over 160 articles, holds 13 patents, has delivered 22 keynote and 5 plenary lectures. He serves in several editorial roles across leading journals in the field and has been elected a council member of the European Membrane Society. His honors include Fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Lectureship Award from the American Chemical Society.