Bernardo specializes on water disinfection by ultraviolet (UV) light. His expertise comprises working with polychromatic medium-pressure and monochromatic low-pressure UV light, as well as other commonly used water disinfectants. He has an MS and PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Environmental Engineering. During his graduate studies he worked on the assessment of different treatment techniques for waterborne pathogen control that can be adapted for applications in developed nations and developing countries. Bernardo has 10 years of experience managing international engineering design projects focused on sustainable potable water and sanitary systems for rural and urban communities in developing countries within East Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. He is part of the Local Organizing Committee for the 9th International Young Water Professionals Conference taking place from 23 to 27 June, 2019 in Toronto, Canada.