PhD Students
James Bronikowski is a PhD student in Sustainable Systems Engineering. He earned his Master’s in Environmental and Water Resource Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and Bachelor’s in Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University. He has worked for the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) in project management and engineering roles for over 12 years. James is currently the manager of regional flood planning at TWDB where he assists watershed based, regional flood planning groups to identify flood risks and recommend mitigation solutions. His current research interests involve investigating and developing benefit-cost analysis methodologies to better capture environmental, social, recreational, and other similar benefits from flood mitigation projects and strategies in addition to the traditional loss of life prevention and economic benefits. This would include structural and non-structural as well as nature based and constructed projects. Current experience has shown a significant need to fill this information gap and provide decision-makers with improved benefit-cost analysis metrics when selecting between project alternatives. He is co-advised with Dr. Paola Passalacqua.
Meredith Brown is a PhD student in Sustainable Systems Engineering. She earned her Master’s in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Rice University in Houston. Her research interests include critical infrastructure decline due to climate change. Her current research project focuses on sociotechnical barriers to successful infrastructural adaptation and accelerating erosion in coastal populations in rural Alaska and its relationship to critical infrastructure and social vulnerability. She is co-advised with Dr. Paola Passalacqua.
Kyudong Kim is a PhD in Construction Engineering and Project Management. He earned his Master’s degree in Construction Engineering and Project Management from UT Austin and Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Seoul National University of Science and Technology. Before joining a graduate program at UT Austin, he worked for a construction company for 12 years, as a project control manager or a field engineer at construction sites in Korea, UAE, Kuwait, India, and Indonesia, and as a human resource staff at head office. His research interest is construction sustainability, including organizational disaster resilience and engineering education. He is currently engaged in projects for beneficial changes and organizational adaptabilities in construction industry during the pandemic as well as evaluating macroethics in undergraduate engineering education.
Michaela LaPatin is a PhD student in Construction Engineering and Project Management. She earned her Master’s degree in Sustainable Systems from UT and her BS in Civil Engineering and Management from Bucknell University. She worked as an Assistant Project Manager for a general contractor and earned her Professional Engineering license prior to attending UT. Her research focuses on the convergence of water infrastructure, social systems, and policy. Her past projects evaluated macroethics in undergraduate engineering education and the cost of controversy on energy infrastructure projects. Her current project focuses on water infrastructure and services in Rural Alaskan communities. Michaela is especially interested in the intersections between water infrastructure, workforce development, and affordable housing.
Miriam Tariq is a Ph.D. student in Sustainable Systems Engineering. She earned her Master’s in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University. Her past research focused on understanding public perception of water infrastructure services in shrinking U.S. cities. Her current research revolves around developing socio-technical solutions to water infrastructure challenges in varying contexts. Her current projects focus on water infrastructure services in rural Alaska and water reuse in the industrial sector. She hopes to establish a career at the intersection of water infrastructure and public policy.
Helena Tiedmann is a Ph.D. student in Sustainable Systems Engineering. She holds a Master of Science in Energy and Earth Resources from The University of Texas at Austin and Bachelor of Science in Environmental Geology and Political Science from Beloit College in Wisconsin. She is passionate about understanding human-infrastructure interactions in the context of climate change and other extreme events. Helena’s current projects involve using hydraulic models to understand the impacts of COVID-19 social distancing policies on urban water infrastructure systems, investigating water infrastructure recovery from extreme events, and modeling controversy in energy projects. She is co-advised with Dr. Lina Sela.
Twitter: @HelenaTiedmann
Euijin (EJ) Yang is a PhD candidate in Construction Engineering and Project Management program in the Civil Engineering Department. He earned his dual Bachelors in Civil Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology and Chung-Nam National University, and a Masters in Civil Engineering at UT Austin. His research interest includes understanding human-infrastructure interactions, public perceptions on water infrastructure in shrinking cities, infrastructure management, and community resilience and vulnerability to environmental changes. His dissertations studies focus on (1) understanding micro-interactions between end-users and water infrastructure system (public trust, water use behaviors) using statistical modeling and qualitative analysis; and (2) quantifying the impact of population dynamics on the robustness of water network system using the network theory.
Luis Carlos Caro-Delgado
Masters Students
Cristian Ortuno is a master’s student for construction engineering and project management. He has previously earned a BS Civil Engineering degree and a MBA degree back in his home country Bolivia. He has significant experience working in the water utility industry for undeveloped communities in South America and has directed construction execution in remote areas subject to extreme conditions. He is currently working on an project for a municipal utility entity with a diverse team of industry professionals, the team is aimed at improving service resilience and quality through the analysis of several critical events that took place over the past few years.
Undergraduate Students
Sara Barrens is an undergraduate student earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering and is anticipating graduation in 2024. She is a recipient of the Academy Undergraduate Research Program Scholarship. Sara attended the Gatton Academy at Western Kentucky University, where she also began building research experience. She is working under Michaela LaPatin on a project evaluating ethics in engineering education. In addition to her major, she is earning a Bridging Disciplines Certificate in Education, Language, and Literacy
Prachi Mehendale is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering and a minor in Economics at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a recipient of the Academy Undergraduate Research Program Scholarship. Prachi is working under Lauryn Spearing on a project examining barriers to resilient water infrastructure in rural Alaska. After graduating in 2023, she plans to work on projects to increase water accessibility across the U.S., and for the prioritization of the environmental health of marginalized groups.
Group Alumni
PhD Students
| Osman, Khalid K. | Summer 2022 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| The Operationalization of Equity in the Provision of Water Infrastructure Services Placement post-graduation: Assistant Professor, Stanford Univ. |
|||
| Spearing, Lauryn | Summer 2021 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| The Cascading Impacts of Disasters: Understanding how Disaster-Induced Population Changes Impact Water Infrastructure Systems and the Built Environment Placement post-graduation: Assistant Professor, Univ. of Illinois Chicago |
|||
| Bakchan, Amal | Summer 2021 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Integrated Approaches for Understanding the Operating Environments of Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Systems in times of Population Dynamics Placement post-graduation: Post-doc, Univ. of South Alabama |
|||
| Abel, Kelsey | Summer 2021 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Modeling Complex Human Systems: Applying Hybrid Methodologies to Simulate and Disrupt Food Inaccessibility and Cascading Impacts Placement post-graduation: Post-doc, Sandia National Labs |
|||
| Araya, Felipe | Summer 2020 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Understanding hosting communities as a stakeholder in the provision of urban infrastructure to displaced populations Placement post-graduation: Assistant Professor, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María |
|||
| Faure, Julie | Fall 2019 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Adapting housing and water sector infrastructure to population dynamics Placement post-graduation: Sustainability engineer, Austin Water Utility |
|||
Master’s Students
| Thesis | |||
| Kim, Kyudong | Summer 2022 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Undergraduate Engineering Students’ Moral Sensitivity and Effects of Ethics Education Placement post-graduation: PhD Student, Univ. of Texas at Austin |
|||
| La Bissoniere, Bryan | Spring 2022 | EER | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Evaluating Strategies, Opportunities, and Tensions for Implementing Green Stormwater Infrastructure at the Site Scale Placement post-graduation: Austin Water Utility |
|||
| LaPatin, Michaela | Fall 2021 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Engineering in a Crisis: Observing Students’ Perceived Roles of Engineers During Pandemics and Natural Disasters Placement post-graduation: PhD Student, Univ. of Texas at Austin |
|||
| Tariq, Miriam | Fall 2021 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Assessing the Impact of Water Contamination Events and Socio-Demographic Drivers on the Willingness to Pay for Improved Water Quality Placement post-graduation: PhD Student, Univ. of Texas at Austin |
|||
| Tiedmann, Helena1 (co-supervised with Dr. Lina Sela) | Spring 2021 | EER | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Modeling in a Crisis: Overcoming the Water Sector’s Data Struggles to Realize the Potential of Hydraulic Models Placement post-graduation: PhD Student, Univ. of Texas at Austin |
|||
| Brown, Meredith | Fall 2020 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Declining Household Plumbing in Certain Alaskan Census-Designated and Incorporated Places Placement post-graduation: PhD Student at UT-Austin |
|||
| Butcher, Daniel | Fall 2020 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Understanding Multidimensional Aspects of Public Trust in the Water Infrastructure within US Shrinking Cities Placement post-graduation: U.S. Air Force |
|||
| Arnold, Stephanie | Summer 2020 | EER | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Operating at the intersection of social, engineered, and natural systems: Assessing hydrologic impacts of green stormwater infrastructure based on stated rates of adoption Current placement: City of Austin, Watershed Protection Department |
|||
| Rose, Heather1 (co-supervised with Dr. Michael Webber) | Summer 2020 | EER | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| A study of the interdependency of hydroponic wastewater quality and the energy and costs for onsite treatment Placement post-graduation: Texas Water Development Board |
|||
| Ibarra, Victoria | Spring 2020 | EER | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Can we measure equitable access at the intersection of social and natural systems? A look at the spatial and social distribution of urban parks Placement post-graduation: : Bureau of Land Management |
|||
| Ribeiro Neto, Neuton1 (co-supervised with Dr. Carlos Caldas) | Spring 2020 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Identification of strategies to overcome barriers for the implementation of advanced work packaging Placement post-graduation: Verum Partners |
|||
| Spearing, Lauryn | Fall 2019 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Determining multi-level drivers of perceiving undesirable taste and odor in tap water: A joint modeling approach Placement post-graduation: PhD Student at UT-Austin |
|||
| Agbim, Chinelo | Summer 2019 | EER | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Residential electricity access: Objective versus subjective measures of energy poverty in Texas Placement post-graduation: Energy Acuity |
|||
| Choi, Seogjae1 (co-supervised with Dr. John Borcherding) | Fall 2018 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Organizational fit and turnover in the construction industry: Exploring the impact of job characteristics among junior professionals Placement post-graduation: PhD Student at UT-Austin |
|||
| Guerra, Beatriz1 (co-supervised with Dr. Fernanda Leite) | Summer 2018 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| BIM-based construction waste estimation algorithms for institutional projects Placement post-graduation: Autodesk |
|||
| Osman, Khalid | Summer 2018 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Temporal dynamics of willingness to pay for alternatives that increase the reliability of water and wastewater service Placement post-graduation: PhD Student at UT-Austin |
|||
| Guerra Uribe, Monica | Spring 2018 | EWRE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Policy- driven water sector and energy dependencies in Texas border colonias Placement post-graduation: Texas Organizing Project Development Department |
|||
| Castaneda, Jorden | Fall 2017 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Analyses of temporary, semi-permanent, and permanent construction standards on expeditionary US air bases Placement post-graduation: U.S. Air Force |
|||
| Faure, Julie | Spring 2017 | EWRE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Rapid population increase and urban housing systems: Legitimization of centralized emergency accommodations for displaced persons Placement post-graduation: PhD Student at UT-Austin |
|||
| Yang, Euijin | Fall 2016 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| Temporal dynamics of public perceptions toward water infrastructure in Us shrinking cities before and after the Flint Water Crisis Placement post-graduation: PhD Student at UT-Austin |
|||
| Abbott, Kristin Whitley1 (co-supervised with Dr. Carey King) | Spring 2016 | EER | Univ. of Texas at Austin |
| At risk wastewater pipeline identification due to flooding Placement post-graduation: Texas Public Utility Commission |
|||
Department Reports:
| Thompson, Peter | Sum 2019 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin | ||
| Placement post-graduation: U.S. Army | |||||
| Abel, Kelsey | Fall 2018 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin | ||
| Placement post-graduation: PhD Student at UT-Austin | |||||
| Albano, Amanda | Fall 2018 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin | ||
| Placement post-graduation: Bohler Engineering | |||||
| Piner, Rachel1 (co-supervised with Dr. Lina Sela) | Fall 2018 | EWRE | Univ. of Texas at Austin | ||
| Placement post-graduation: K Friese + Associates | |||||
| Hall, Derek Blake | Sum 2018 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin | ||
| Placement post-graduation: U.S. Navy | |||||
| Gholson, Allice | Fall 2017 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin | ||
| Placement post-graduation: U.S. Coast Guard | |||||
| Eldred, Dan | Sum 2017 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin | ||
| Placement post-graduation: U.S. Navy | |||||
| Woodward, Billy Dewayne | Spring 2017 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin | ||
| Placement post-graduation: U.S. Navy | |||||
| Iyer, Akshaya Lalitha | Fall 2016 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin | ||
| Placement post-graduation: Peritia Partners | |||||
| Batista, Jonathan Alan | Fall 2016 | EWRE | Univ. of Texas at Austin | ||
| Placement post-graduation: Riviera Beach Utility Special District | |||||
| Prakash, Raghav | Spring 2016 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin | ||
| Placement post-graduation: AGS, Inc | |||||
| Alkayali Alalam, Sara | Spring 2016 | CE | Univ. of Texas at Austin | ||
| Placement post-graduation: Deloitte Consulting | |||||