636 About the Contributors Gheorghe Ducaistheauthorof1760editedworks,including 418scientificpapers,136editorial works,165patents,83monographsandtextbooks,513articlesonsciencepopularization andmore ”,than 445conferencepresentations andmaterials,includingthefirsttextbook“EcologicalChemistry .publishedinthreeeditionsandtranslatedintothreelanguages:Romanian,Russian,English.Prof.Gh ,Ducadevelopedandtaughtcourses onPhysicalchemistry,Chemicaltechnology,Ecologicalchemistry Processesandequipment,Physico-chemicalresearchmethods,Chemicalriskassessment,Kineticsand thermodynamicsofecologicalsystems.HeheldthelecturesattheStateUniversityofMoldova,State University“DmitrieCantemir”,UniversitiesofRome,Turin(Italy),Texas,California(USA),Zurich Switzerland),Budapest(Hungary),Prague(Czechia),Iasi,Timisoara,Cluj,Bucharest(Romania).Under) (hissupervision30PhDweregranted,includingthesisincooperationwithINSA,Lyon,France(1998 ,(and5HabilitateDoctors.He founded DepartmentofIndustrialandEcologicalChemistry,SUM(1991 ResearchCenterofEcologicalandAppliedChemistry,SUM(1992),FacultyofEcology,International UniversityofMoldova(1992),ResearchCenterofPhysicalandInorganicallyChemistry(2006),High -SchoolforgiftedchildrenoftheASM(2007),UniversityoftheAcademyofSciences(2007),Nongov ernmentalorganizationforenvironmentalprotection“TerraNostra”(1992),MoldovanResearchand DevelopmentiAssociation,MRDA(2000),andthejournals“Environment”(2002),“ChemistryJournalof Moldova”(2005),JournalofScience,Innovation,CultureandArt“Akademos”(2005).Acad.Gh.Duca isa member ofBoardofDirectorsofBSCSF-InternationalFundforCooperationandPartnershipofthe BlackSeaandtheCaspianSea(2010),JRC-EuropeanUnionJointResearchCenter(2013),ALLEA-All EuropeanAcademy(2018)andwas delegatedbytheGovernmentofMoldovatosign theMemorandum ofUnderstandingforparticipationoftheRepublicofMoldovaintheFP7,EUFrameworkProgramme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities (2007-2013), Association AgreementforparticipationoftheRepublicofMoldovaintheH2020,EUFrameworkProgrammefor ResearchandInnovation(2014-2020)andsupervisethecooperationoftheRepublicofMoldovawith theU.S.CivilianResearchandDevelopmentFoundation,CRDF(2000-2010).Besides,heis Honorary ,(andFullMember oftheBalkanAcademyofScience,BulgarianAcademyofScienceandArt(2018 CultureNewandSustainableDevelopment,Bulgaria(2004),AcademyofAgriculturalandForestry Sciences“GheorgheIonescu-Siseşti”Romania(2006),AcademyofSciencesandArtsofMontenegro HonoraryMemberoftheRomanianAcademy(2007),NationalAcademyofSciencesofUkraine,(2006) RussianAcademyofSciences(2012),ResearchNetworkforAdvanceStudiesofRiverSystem,(2009) ,DANUBIUS (2013), APOLLONIA University, Iasi, Romania (2018), BABES-BOLYAI University -Cluj-NapocaUniversity,CraiovaUniversityandOradeaUniversity,Romania(2018).Hewas appreci atedwithalotsofawardsanddistinctions suchas:KnightoftheOrderforInventionsoftheKingdom   About the Contributors ofBelgium(2003),theCrossofCommanderoftheOrderofHonour,Poland(2004),theGoldMedalfor ,(EminentServicestothecauseofprogress,Brussels(2005),Order“CulturalMerit”ofRomania(2006 GoldMedal“N.S.Kurnakov“,RussianFederation(2007),InternationalSocratesAward,Oxford,UK ,”SilverMedaloftheAssociationofInnovatorsofChina(2010),GoldMedal“EUROINVENT,(2009) Brussels(2011),OrderoftheRepublicofMoldova(2011),Awardforoutstandingachievementsinthe fieldofEuropeanIntegrationoftheEconomicCooperationOrganizationoftheBlackSea(2013),Medal oftheNationalCommissionoftheRepublicofMoldovaforUNESCO(2014),theOrder“Thecrownof Romania”withtherankofCommander(2015),AwardoftheParliamentaryAssemblyoftheBlackSea ,EconomicCooperationOrganization(2016),RunnersupPrizeforScientificPapers,JapanICMSEM-2017 .EuropeanInnovationAwardwithDiplomaofCommander,EuropeanCommission,Belgium(2018),etc Acad.Gh.Ducaisnotonlyascientist,professorandprominentspecialistinitsfield,butalsoagreat .organizerofresearch,skillfulleaderofthemostimportantandprestigiousinstitutionofMoldova Ashok Vaseashta currentlyservesastheChiefResearchOfficer,ExecutiveDirectorofResearchand ChairofInstitutionReviewBoardandOfficeofResearchIntegrityatNJCU.Concurrently,heservesas ChairedProfessorofNanotechnologyattheAcademyofSciences,AcademicianatEuro-Mediterranean AcademyofArtsandSciencesandSeniorStrategicResearchAdvisorforgovernmentandnon-government organizations..Heisascholarandthoughtleaderwhoprovidesstrategicleadershiptopromoteand advanceresearchinitiativesandprioritiesinsupportofinternationaldefense,safetyandsecurity.Prior tojoiningNJCU,heservedasViceProvostforResearchattheMolecularScienceResearchCenterin Orangeburg,SouthCarolina.HealsoservedastheDirectorofResearchattheInstituteforAdvanced SciencesConvergence(IASC)andInternationalCleanWaterInstitute(ICWI)forNorwichUniversity’s ,AppliedResearchInstitutesandcurrentlyservesasstrategicadvisor.PriortohisappointmentatNUARI heservedasaProfessorofPhysicsandPhysicalSciencesandDirectorofResearchattheNanomaterials -ProcessingandCharacterizationLaboratories,GraduatePrograminPhysicalSciencesatMarshallUni versity.Concurrently,heheldVisitingProfessorshipatthe3Nano-SAEResearchCentre,Universityof Bucharest,RomaniaandvisitingscientistattheHelenandMartinKimmelCenterofNanoscaleScience attheWeizmannInstituteofScience,Israel.In2007-08,hewasdetailedasaWilliamC.Fosterfellow totheBureauofInternationalSecurityandNonproliferationattheUSDepartmentofStateworking -withtheOfficeofWeaponsofMassDestructionandTerrorismandForeignConsequenceManage mentprogram.Healsoserved(2009-13)asaFranklinFellowandstrategicS&Tadvisorintheoffice ofVerificationandTransparencyTechnologies/ArmsVerificationandControlattheU.S.Department ofState.Hisresearchinterestsspannanotechnology,environmental/ecologicalscienceandsafetyand security.Muchofhisworkinnanotechnologyhasbeenonimprovingtheunderstanding,design,and ,performanceofnanofibersandsensors/detectors,mainlyforapplicationssuchaswearableelectronics -targetdrugdelivery,detectionofbiomarkersandtoxicityofnanoandxenobioticmaterials.Inthesecu ,rityarena,hehasworkedoncounterterrorism,counteringunconventionalwarfareandhybridthreats critical-Infrastructureprotection,biosecurity,dual-useresearchconcerns,andmitigatinghybridthreats includingfake-news.Inaddition,hehasmadenumerouscontributionsinenvironmental/ecologicalscience includingdirectingresearchforInternationalCleanWaterInstitute,pollutionmonitoring,contamination detectionandremediation,andsustainabilitythroughgreennanotechnology.Hehasauthoredover250 researchpublications,edited/authoredsevenbooksonnanotechnology,andpresentedmanykeynoteand invitedlecturesworldwide.Twobooksandaspecialeditionofaninternationaljournalarecurrently undercontract.HeservesontheeditorialboardofPolishJournalofEnvironmentalStudies,Digest 637 About the Contributors JournalofNano-biostructures,InternationalJournalofGreenNanotechnology.HereceivedPhDfrom -theVirginiaPolytechnicInstituteandStateUniversity,Blacksburg,VAin1990followedbyKobepost doctoralfellowship.Since2003.heservedastheDirectorofseveralNATOAdvancedStudyInstitutes ASI)/AdvancedResearchworkshops(ARW)supportedbyEmergingSecurityChallengesDivisionof) theScienceforPeaceandSecurity.In2008,heservedasco-chairofanInternationalSymposiumon NanotechnologyandEnvironmentalPollutionPrevention(ISNEPP).In2009,heledtheU.S.position .onNanotechnologyinHighTechnologyCoordinationGroup(HTCG)tojointUSandIndiadelegation Inaddition,heservedasamemberoftheU.S.DepartmentofCommerce,NIST,andANSIdelegation .totheU.K.representingtheU.S.positiononStandardsinNanotechnologiesintheISO/TAGtoTC-229 HeisamemberofNATO-SET-040,anexploratoryteampanelinvestigatingsecurityandsurveillance ,applicationsofnanotechnology.HeservesasanexpertcounseltotheUNESCO,ObservatoryNANO COSENT–south-eastconsortiumonNanotechnologiesonNANO-ScienceandTechnologies,andS&T -advisortoNATO.Heisanactivememberofseveralnationalandinternationalprofessionalorganiza tions.HeisafellowoftheAmericanPhysicalSociety(FAPS),InstituteofNanotechnology(FIoN),and -theNewYorkAcademyofSciences(FNYAS).HewasawardedaGoldmedalbytheStateEngineer ingUniversityofArmeniaforhiscontributiontoNanotechnology.Inaddition,hehasearnedseveral otherfellowshipsandawardsforhismeritoriousserviceincluding2004/2005DistinguishedArtistand .Scholaraward *** Aliona MereutaisassociateprofessoratDimitrieCantemirStateUniversity.Sheobtainedamaster’s degreeinenvironmentalsciencein2019andshegotherPhDinchemistryattheStateUniversityof