Marcia Silva, Ph.D.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Dr. Marcia Silva is a Researcher and a Facility Manager of the UWM Water Technology Accelerator (WaTA). She is also an Adjunct Professor with the School of Freshwater Sciences and with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Dr. Silva has more than 20 years of industrial and academic experience. She obtained a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from UWM in 2013 and holds a M.S. in Environmental Engineering (2006) from UWM and a B.S. in Food Engineering (2004) from University of the Sinos Valey, Brazil.

Dr. Silva’s most recent research lies on the interface of Environmental Engineering and Materials Science, focusing on the research, development, fabrication, and testing of novel filtration media for water purification by utilizing nanotechnology and biotechnology. Her research interests also include the understanding of the mechanisms of association of microbial and chemical pollutants to particles, microbial biofilms, and fate and transport of pollutants in waterways. Dr. Silva’s current research effort also comprises the development of sensors for bacteria detection in environmental and medical samples and quantification of suspended solids in wastewater.