A Curious Mind

AquiSense’s co-founder and chief technology officer Jennifer Pagán ’99, ’00 M.S., ’06 Ph.D. views access to clean water as a global problem. 

With more than two decades of experience as a technical leader, including at AquiSense, she is responsible for ensuring the company’s technology meets the demands of its current and future clients.

“Day-to-day, I might meet with our engineering team about new product designs, or I may work with customers to answer questions. It runs the gamut from dealing with myriad details to handling issues at the highest level,” said Pagán.

Recently, the Bayh-Dole Coalition’s 2025 “Faces of American Innovation” report featured her groundbreaking work with UV-C LED water disinfection technology, and she received the 2025 Bayh-Dole Coalition American Innovator Award in Washington, D.C., June 4.

Pagán’s innovative work with ultraviolet light-emitting diodes dates to her Ph.D. research in electrical engineering while a student in the William States Lee College of Engineering and the University startup Dot Metrics Technologies. 

As director of research for Dot Metrics, she was instrumental in the creation of a cutting-edge product that purifies water in a compact system using mercury-free ultraviolet LEDs. That system is the trademarked UV-Pearl.

“As CTO, I get to push technology forward. AquiSense created the market for UV-C LED systems for water disinfection,” Pagán stated. “The tech is there, now I focus on execution. We have great products and solutions for the market, but I just need to help get them there.”

From its factories in Kentucky, AquiSense manufactures systems for use domestically and internationally. In Uganda, the company partnered with ASEI Uganda, a social enterprise, to utilize its PearlAqua Micro in schools and health centers. Additionally, AquiSense is engaged in a pilot project with a Norwegian drinking water utility to deploy its UV-C LED technology for large-scale water disinfection.