Name: Hussain Bukannan
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Class of 2026
Hometown: Jubail, Saudi Arabia

Company: Active Membranes Inc.
Job Title: Engineering Intern
How did you find your internship?
A colleague recommended this role for me, recognizing that my educational background in chemical engineering and professional experience in water R&D aligned well with the position.
Tell us about your internship!
I work with a team of scientists and engineers to develop advanced water desalination membranes. We use electricity to enhance separation performance. My role involves formulating innovative coatings and applying them to next gen RO membranes. I’m also responsible for testing the newly developed products and analyzing the results to help guide the direction of future research.

How your Masters in CBE has helped prepare you?:
Studying reaction mechanisms for polymerization in Prof. John Vohs’s Advanced Chemical Kinetics course helped me better understand how interfacial polymerization reactions form the polyamide layer on membrane support sheets during production. Professor Noam Lior’s EAS 5020 class was also especially impactful, as we discussed global water scarcity and highlighted the urgent need for advancements in freshwater production