Diana Aga, PhD profile page

Diana Aga, PhD, is the Henry Woodburn Professor of Chemistry and a State University of New York (SUNY) Distinguished Professor at UB, where she also serves as the Director of RENEW (Research and Education in eNergy, Environment and Water) Institute. An analytical chemist, her research involves studying the fate, transport, effects and treatment of chemicals of emerging concern and persistent organic pollutants in the environment. She is an expert in developing trace analytical methods for organic contaminants in complex environmental matrices based on chromatography and mass spectrometry. Her research group, the Aga Lab for Environmental Research and Testing (ALERT), specializes in target and non-target analysis of contaminants in the environment, especially as to the identification of degradation products and novel forms of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “Forever Chemicals.” She is also investigating factors that promote emergence of antibiotic resistance in the agroecosystems and municipal wastewater treatment plants, such as the exacerbating impacts of extreme weather events caused by the changing climate. Additionally, Dr. Aga evaluates the bioaccumulation and toxicity of environmental contaminants in humans, fish and wildlife. Recipient of numerous awards and honors, Dr. Aga has received the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award; the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Fellowship; 2 Fulbright Fellowships; and, from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, the Menzie Environmental Education Award. The preeminent professional association for chemists, the American Chemical Society (ACS), has designated her a Fellow, as has the ACS AGRO Division; in 2017, she was awarded the Jacob F. Schoellkopf Medal by the Western New York Section of the ACS.