Dr. Duran’s teaching and research interests concentrate in application of biological processes for wastewater treatment, bioremediation, solid and hazardous waste management, and water quality control.  He has been teaching undergraduate and graduate level environmental engineering courses since he received his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in 1996.  He taught introductory microbiology courses at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) for one year before he joined the faculty at Villanova University.  Lately, he has been studying microbial source tracking by phenotypic methods, gene expression for quantification of viable but non-culturable cells in biosolids, and understanding microbial community dynamics of anaerobic processes using genotypic approaches.

		Education		Awards and honors
		Experience		Complete CV
		Representative publications		Courses
		Representative research activities		Family photos
		Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (EMB) Laboratory

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Vanderbilt University, 1996

M.Sc., Vanderbilt University, 1993

B.Sc., Istanbul Technical University,Turkey, 1990

EXPERIENCE

Villanova University, Villanova, PA (August 2002-Present)

Professor (August 2011-Present)

Associate Professor (August 2007-July 2011)

Assistant Professor(August 2002-July 2007)

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia , PA (February 2006-May 2006)

Visiting Scholar

Genomics and Microarray Core Facility

Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI (August 2004-Present)

Assistant Adjunct Professor

Water Quality Center

Miami University, Oxford, OH (August 2001-July 2002)

Visiting Assistant Professor

Department of Microbiology

Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA (January 2000-July 2001)

Research Associate

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

The University of Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (July 1997-September 1999)

Assistant Professor

Department of Environmental Engineering

AWARDS and HONORS

• Advisor to winner of 2009 Pennsylvania Water Environment Association Research Award: Cem Unlu (MS WREE’09) “Microbial Water Quality and Sources of Indicator Organisms in Goose Creek”.

• Advisor to winner of 2008 Pennsylvania Water Environment Federation Student Research Award: R.J. Sindelar, David Kendall, and Ryan Clark “Testing Efficacy of FAME Profiling for Predicting Sources of Fecal Pollution”

• Advisor to Winner of Montgomery-Watson-Harza Engineers/AEESP Masters Thesis of Year Award, 2005: Berat Z. Haznedaroglu “Fatty Acid Methyl Ester Profiling of Indicator Organisms for Microbial Source Tracking”

• Advisor to 1st Place winner of Graduate Division Student Technical Paper Competition of ASCE/EWRI, 2004: Nalan Tepe “Anaerobic Digestion of and Industrial Waste with High Solids Content: Effects of Co-Digestion with Waste Activated Sludge”

• Advisor to 1st Prize winner undergraduate group in Parsons Brinkerhoff Capstone Design Contest of ASCE/EWRI, 2004

• Early Career Award, University of Istanbul, 1998

• Turkish Ministry of Education Scholarship for M.Sc. and Ph.D., 1991-1996

• Graduation magna cum laude, Istanbul Technical University, 1990

LATEST FIVE PUBLICATIONS (Total: 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 27 in conference proceedings)

1. Taskin, B., Gozen, A.G., Duran, M. 2011.  “Selective quantification of viable Eschericia coli in biosolids by quantitative PCR with propidium monoazide modification”, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 77(13):4329-4335.

2. Park, C., Bega, A., Unlu, C., Chadderton, R.A., McKean, W.R., Kohl, P.M., Hunt, J.A., Keaney, J., Willis, J.L. and Duran, M. 2010. “Acetoclastic methanogens in an anaerobic digester could be susceptible to trace metal supplementation”, Water Science and Technology, 62(12):2905-2911.

3. Duran, M, Yurtsever, D., Dunaev, T. 2009. “Choice of indicator organism and library size considerations for phenotypic microbial source tracking by FAME profiling”, Water Science and Technology, 60(10):2659-2668.

4. Lefkowitz, J.R., Duran, M. 2009. “Changes in Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Escherichia coli during Domestic Wastewater Treatment”, Water Environment Research, 81(9):878-885.

5. Dunaev, T., Alanya, S., Duran, M. 2008. Use of RNA-based genotypic approaches for quantification of viable but nonculturable Salmonella sp. in biosolids”, Water Science and Technology, 58(9):1823-1828.

REPRESENTATIVE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

1. A novel, high temperature anaerobic digestion process for renewable energy from biosolids, animal manure, and cellulosic biomass ($56,400)

2. Anaerobic co-digestion of fats, oil, and grease ($38,660)

3. Optimizing the performance of anaerobic sludge digestion process at NEWPCP of Philadelphia Water Department ($186,615)

4. NSF MRI Project: The Core Genomics Laboratory for teaching and research in biotechnology ($211,811)

5. Microbial source tracking by FAME profiling of indicator organisms ($152,400) (Final report to PA DEP)

6. Feasibility of using microarrays for rapid and accurate on-site identification of pathogens in naval emergencies ($68,744)

7. Gene expression for detection and quantification of viable but non-culturable pathogens in biosolids ($12,500)

8. Evaluating Effects of Natural Enzymes and Plant-Based Materials on Anaerobic Digestion ($17,470)

Last updated

August 2011