Elise Vermeulen, former master thesis student at CMET, has won the 2024 Water Technology Award for her master thesis research on the microbial risks associated with using aquathermal energy from drinking water.

The Flanders water technology network, watercircle.be , annually awards young engineers for their promising research for the water industry. Elise received the first price for her master’s thesis ‘Aquathermal energy: effect of unwanted microorganisms on the microbiological drinking water quality’.

She was guided here in the lab by PhD students Thomas Pluym and Fien Waegenaar, with the help of promotors Prof. Nico Boon and Prof. Bart De Gusseme. The research  was performed in collaboration with the CAPTURE Water partners and is part of the Universiteit Gent – AquaFlanders, the Academic Chair for Sustainable Drinking Water.