Community Spotlight - Ameet Pinto

-Written by Benjamin Wright-

Ameet Pinto, who is the Carlton S. Wilder Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was drawn to Georgia Tech because of the depth and breadth of the research expertise on campus, as well as the collaborative atmosphere.

“I know that if I want to write a research proposal next week for a new idea and I lack expertise in one area, I can find a collaborator on campus with the necessary skillset,” they say. “We have a critical mass of highly skilled researchers across disciplines, and that’s truly amazing.” Helping others tap into that critical mass will be their primary role as one of two associate co-directors for interdisciplinary research in the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems. Ameet will work with associate professor Yuanzhi Tang from the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences to help bring like-minded researchers within the sustainability field together and shepherd them through the grant-writing process.

“My role, as I see it, is to help faculty from across the campus find synergies in their research and then amplify the impact of those synergies by assisting them in going after large thematic proposals with bid support,” says Ameet. “I’m super excited to help make those connections, and where those connections already exist, provide the support to help them take off.”

With degrees in chemical engineering, environmental engineering, and civil engineering and a personal research area that falls under environmental engineering, Ameet is used to working across interdisciplinary lines. Ameet uses their background in chemical engineering to develop sustainable methods to produce drinking water and treat wastewater.

“A major goal for my research group is to look at the microorganisms within the engineered water cycle. We can leverage them, beneficially, to make water treatment, wastewater treatment, and water delivery, both safe and sustainable,” he explains. “If we can use biological processes to remove contaminants, or to produce safe water, then we are not using chemicals.”

After stints teaching at Northeastern University and University of Glasgow, Ameet joined the Georgia Tech faculty in 2021 when the campus community was largely remote during Covid restrictions. Ameet is excited to use this new leadership role within BBISS to connect with others and help build a vibrant community of sustainability researchers.

“My personal vision is closely aligned with BBISS so I was excited to join the leadership team. I know there are other researchers like me looking to make connections with sustainability fields and I know I can help in that area. This is an amazing opportunity to get to know the campus community and connect with like-minded researchers while realizing a shared vision and mission.”

Outside of work Ameet loves to cook. They also have three cats, nine chickens, and their wife is an avid gardener who keeps them fully stocked in fresh produce. Originally from India, Ameet earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology (University of Mumbai), master’s from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Ph.D. from Virginia Tech.