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| LSU Professor Ronald F. Malone's "floating-bead filter" -- a water filtration device now commonplace in labs around the country -- was first conceived over lunch with a friend more than a decade ago. It was, he explained, the classic "back of a napkin" scenario. "It comes from humble roots," said Malone, adding that the first test model was fabricated using a variable-speed drill from Sears. The next model took almost four years of research and development, but it became a huge success, spawning several upgrades and improved versions. Malone, Chevron U.S.A. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has received five patents for his work, and two companies now produce the units for use in a variety of areas, from commercial seafood production, to zoos and wastewater treatment. For this achievement, Malone recently received the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award from the U.S. Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society. The Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award "recognizes an individual who has made contributions and broad impacts throughout his or her career to aquaculture in the United States" through "research, education, extension and/or industry development." In addition, the award pays tribute to someone who exhibits "a long-time commitment of service to aquaculture that is deemed highly significant and enduring." The U.S. Chapter, based at LSU, is affiliated with the World Aquaculture Society, a global professional organization "dedicated to the exchange of information and the networking among the diverse aquaculture constituencies interested in the advancement of the aquaculture industry, through the provision of services and professional development opportunities." "This award recognizes the significant impact of Dr. Malone's floating-bead filters in enhancing water quality in research labs and commercial aquaculture facilities in the U.S. and around the world," said George Z. Voyiadjis, Boyd Professor, Bingham C. Stewart Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "Dr. Malone's recognition also translates into recognition for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Louisiana State University." The original version of Malone's device was introduced around 1989 and was developed as a means of supporting the "soft" crawfish industry, which was having problems with ground water contamination and required massive water filtration devices. These older devices took up as much as 30 percent of the buildings that housed them, so the initial motivation for Malone's creation was simply to produce a filtration device that took up less space. Malone designed the device and a friend, Vernon Rodrigue, built it. One of the first models was put to use in the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. When the soft crawfish industry went into doldrums, Rodrigue formed a company to produce the filters commercially, because both he and Malone believed the new device would be the way of the future. "We envisioned that it would be the right way to do things," said Malone. The next decade proved the duo correct, as Malone became an aquaculture pioneer. With the help of grants from the Small Business Innovation Research Program, the Louisiana Board of Regents and NOAA, Malone advanced the model to an "hourglass" shape and, eventually, to a "polygeyser" model that features an internal air chamber that utilizes a geyser-like spray for cleaning. Malone has long had an interest in water filtration, going back to a high school fascination with tropical fish. In his years at LSU, he has been involved in a major filtration project on the University Lakes and in a soft crab-farming filtration project near New Orleans. He continues to work with the companies that produce his devices, offering technological support, and he recently arranged for one of his graduate students to travel to San Diego's SeaWorld to work on a major project utilizing one of his floating-bead filtration system designs. Despite the Lifetime Achievement honor, Malone continues to forge ahead with his filtration research, and he envisions a long and productive "life" for his creation. "It's a very generic technology that can be applied broadly," he said. -30- |
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