Kawai Tam received her Ph.D. in Biosystems Engineering from McGill University in 2002. Her doctoral research focused on bioremediation and wastewater treatment with an emphasis on the characterization of mixed culture population dynamics using molecular microbiology techniques. She earned her Master’s in Chemical Engineering from McGill University in 1994 with her thesis on comparative treatment options for the neutralization of acidic mine drainage. Her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering with a focus on waste treatment and pollution control was received in 1992. In her post-doctoral research, she also studied environmental and dental biofilms using piezoelectric and impedance spectroscopy techniques, protein separation using nanotechnology and biological production of selenium nanoparticles of controlled size. Dr. Tam also worked as a consultant conducting research at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Center in 1994-1995. She has been teaching at UCR in the department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering since 1997 in courses at many levels including freshman, sophomore, junior, senior and graduate levels.

Air Quality Systems EngineeringWater Quality Systems Engineering

K. Tam, C.T. Ho, J-H. Lee, M. Lai, C. H. Chang, Y. Rheem, W. Chen, H-G. Hur, N. V. Myung, “Growth mechanism of amorphous selenium nanoparticles synthesized by Shewanella sp. HN-41”, Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry, 74(4), 696-700, 2010. K. Tam, N. Kinsinger, P. Ayala, F. Qi, W. Shi, N. V. Myung, ”Real-time monitoring of Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation using quartz crystal microbalance”, Caries Research, 41, 474-483, 2007. K. Tam, M. R. Matsumoto, J. D. Sheppard, “A kinetic model for suspended and attached growth of a defined mixed culture”, Biotechnology Progress, 21(3), 720 – 727, 2005. K. Tam, C.H. Yang, D. E. Crowley, M. R. Matsumoto, J.D. Sheppard, “Comparison of PCR-DGGE and selective plating methods for monitoring the dynamics of a mixed culture population in synthetic brewery wastewater”, Biotechnology Progress, 21(3), 712 – 719, 2005. J. Kreth, E. Hagerman, K. Tam, J. Merritt, B.M. Wu, N.V. Myung, W. Shi and F. Qi, “Quantitative analyses of Streptococcus mutans biofilms with quartz crystal microbalance, microjet impingement, and confocal microscopy”. Biofilms, (2004) 1, pp 277-284.