Kimberly DiGiovanni, 36
BS, MS and PhD environmental engineering ’08, ’08 and ’13
Associate teaching professor of civil engineering, Quinnipiac University, and owner and founder, Auroran Environmental LLC (Hamden, Connecticut)
My Greatest Accomplishment: I’m very proud of serving as the steering committee chair for the Mill River Urban Waters Initiative (UWI) and working on an innovative, collaboration-focused project. The Mill River UWI promotes environmental justice and improves water quality conditions in urban areas. Our project team solicited local stakeholders to discuss project ideas in a series of steering committee meetings. As chair, I focused on holding space for conversations and exchanges about what the current condition of the Mill River is and where we’d like to see it, how people are currently engaging with the river and what our vision is for the future. I am inspired that the process, so far, has brought together nearly 50 different community-based organizations, environmental groups, schools, government and municipal organizations unified in support of the UWI mission.
How Drexel Helped Me: My time at Drexel University provided a holistic experience that helped me pursue my greatest ambitions. The A.J. Drexel Scholarship put my No. 1 choice for college, Drexel University, within financial reach. The faculty and staff in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering provided me with an excellent academic education. Drexel sports and clubs, like Women’s Rugby, Engineers Without Borders, Drexel Graduate Women in Science and Engineering and the Graduate Student Association, gave me space to grow interests outside the classroom. My master’s and doctoral advisors, Dr. Mira Stone Olson and Dr. Franco Montalto, provided me with exceptional guidance to grow and thrive. I am forever grateful for the lifelong friendships I formed at Drexel.
My Greatest Source of Motivation: Love of nature and working collaboratively with others on projects that benefit both the natural environment and human society. Growing up, my mother nurtured my deep love and connection with nature through camping and canoe trips. I’m so glad to share that passion through my career as an engineering educator and researcher.
Where I Hope to Be in Five Years: Over the next five years, I will continue to build my career around water and sustainability, while supporting equity and inclusion in engineering. I will utilize my positions in academia, industry and the community to be a mentor and leader to students and peers working to address the pressing challenges of our time including climate change and achieving environmental justice.
If My Life Were a Music Video, the Song Would Be: “In Dreams,” by Jai Jagdeesh.