How did you become interested in STEM topics?
I had always loved math and science, and while I was a bit fuzzy about engineering as a field, I hit upon the idea that electrical engineering would allow me to have a computer on my desk, which I had always wanted. When I got to Howard University, I realized that any engineering discipline would allow me to work on a computer every day, and thanks to a mentor, Professor Taft Broome, I made the switch to civil engineering. I decided to focus on issues related to access to clean water – a topic that would enable me to lead a purposeful life.
Describe your academic journey and research up until now
After earning a BS from Howard in 1998, I considered teaching, but my mother, who was a teacher, convinced me that it wasn’t for me. I took a job at the U.S, Patent and Trademark Office as a patent examiner before returning back to my native South Carolina. My mother was ill at that time, and I wanted to be closer to home, so I took on engineering posts at the state’s Department of Transportation, where I worked on bridge design since there were no environmental engineering jobs available at the time. I subsequently moved on to the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation and the Department of Health and Environmental Control, but I ultimately decided to return to school.
In 2014 I earned a master’s in paralegal studies from George Washington University, and the following year I received my master’s in environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins. I expect to earn my PhD this year from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where I won a Meyerhoff fellowship, aimed at promoting cultural diversity in STEM fields at the graduate level; I also sit on the Meyerhoff advisory board.
I’m working with Professor Lee Blaney on sustainably recovering ammonium from agricultural and municipal wastes by using a technique called Donnan dialysis. Ammonium is a form of nitrogen that can be used in fertilizer if treated. The issue is that ammonia production is a very intensive process that currently takes a full 1 percent of the world’s energy resources because it requires heat of 400 degrees Celsius and a great deal of pressure. If you can get it from waste sources and use Donnan dialysis, a technique involving a semipermeable member and a concentrated salt solution that was developed back in the 1920s, the process would be much more sustainable. Although Donnan dialysis has previously been used for ammonium recovery from wastewater, we have modified Donnan dialysis in a manner than has never been used before for agricultural waste.
How do you feel about participating in the Faculty First Look program?
I think the program will provide me with a window into NYU culture and help me understand how I can meet what’s expected of faculty members. I’m a relatively nontraditional student, because I’m married with three children and also already hold a professional engineer (PE) license, so this is a totally new endeavor for me.
What are your ultimate goals?
My ultimate goals are becoming a tenure-track faculty member and providing access to clean water. I want the research I conduct to be actionable and applicable to the engineering “Grand Challenges” that have long been important to me: clean water for all and the management of the nitrogen cycle. I also want to remain in academia because mentoring underrepresented students is highly important to me.