Dr. Amanda Carneiro Marques is an Assistant Professor in the Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Department at Drexel University, with research expertise in water quality monitoring and modeling, environmental tracers and stable water isotopes, and sustainability and climate change research.
Amanda’s research focuses on assessing water demand and supply projections under climate change scenarios and proposing innovative strategies for urban stormwater management, developing sustainable ways to manage multiple water uses and strategies to promote future water availability. She also employs long-term data assessment, environmental tracers, modeling, and data-driven methods to evaluate source water quality to support decision-making. Working on international collaborative projects with research institutions and environmental conservation agencies, her research envisions to identify contaminant patterns in surface water, investigate potential pollutant sources and pathways, explore surface-groundwater connections, and model source water quality to understand how changes in management practices can impact water resources. She also has professional experience working on water treatment and distribution systems and watershed management.
Amanda is enthusiastic about empowering students and disseminating her knowledge to build a plural and cooperative community, working towards making science more accessible, equitable, collaborative, and inclusive. She is personally motivated by developing effective, long-lasting solutions, contributing to the advancement of hydrological sciences, enabling further translation of science to potential policy impacts.
Mentoring/Advising
Graduate Students
Meghna Rajbhandari: Meghna is a second-year PhD candidate in Civil Engineering. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Engineering from Kathmandu University, Nepal, and worked for one year as a Research Assistant after graduating. She later completed her Master’s Degree in Computer Science at Drexel University before joining the CAEE Department. She currently works as a Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant. With an interdisciplinary background, Meghna brings a unique perspective to her computational research addressing critical water, environmental, and climate concerns. Her research primarily focuses on applying data-driven methods, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and hydraulic and hydrologic modeling to enhance water resources management, urban water systems resilience, and water-quality assessments. Outside academia, Meghna enjoys hiking and cooking Nepali cuisine, finding home and comfort through her recipes and flavors.
Gbenga Daniels: Gbenga joined our research group to pursue his PhD in Civil Engineering in the Summer 2025 after earning his Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University. Gbenga earned his Bachelor’s Degree with Honors in Civil Engineering from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, in 2021. Gbenga has applied data-driven approaches and artificial intelligence to enhance wastewater treatment technologies and water quality assessments. His professional experience spans over 1.5 years in Civil and Environmental Engineering consulting, where he has significantly contributed to project management and innovative engineering solutions. His research interests include water resources engineering, water quality modelling, climate change impacts, and advanced wastewater treatment technologies, all through the lens of data-driven engineering. Outside of his professional and academic pursuits, Gbenga enjoys a variety of interests including soccer, chess, swimming, and playing both lead and acoustic guitar.
Undergraduate Students
Albin Thampy Kurian: Albin Thampy Kurian is a fifth-year BS/MS student at Drexel University pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, with a concentration in Energy and Power Systems and a minor in Communication. His passion lies in environmental sustainability and sustainable energy development. Through his engineering co-op experiences at PECO, he worked in the Reliability Reporting and Data Analytics Department on the electric side and the Gas Asset Management and Performance Department. After graduation, he hopes to pursue opportunities in the energy sector focused on sustainable and data-informed engineering solutions. He is actively involved on campus as a USGA Senator, Student Ambassador, and tutor at the Academic Center for Engineers. Outside of academics, he enjoys playing piano, exploring different cuisines, and traveling.
Robert Bierck: Robert Bierck is an Environmental Engineering student at Drexel University pursuing a minor in Environmental Public Health. He is currently completing a co-op with PECO’s Environmental Services team, where he works on environmental compliance, hazardous materials management, and environmental projects supporting utility operations. His research interests include water resources, sustainable infrastructure, and environmental health. Outside of school, he enjoys running, lifting, playing basketball, and spending time with friends and family. He hopes to pursue a career in international development focused on improving access to clean water and sustainable infrastructure.
Swasti Shinde: Swasti Shinde is an Electrical Engineering major at Drexel University and has a wide variety of interests in embedded systems, sustainability, water resources, computer science, and energy. She aims to pursue an engineering career where she can apply her skills towards sustainability and improving people’s lives. Swasti is joining our research group as a STAR Scholar; she was drawn to our lab because of the combination of water quality/resources research combined with the use of programming and machine learning. On campus, she is also involved with Engineers Without Borders and Drexel Robotics. Swasti also enjoys sketching, exploring new places, hiking, playing the piano, and playing video games.
Collaborators
Atiq Rahman: Atiq Rahman is a graduate in Environmental Engineering and has worked for the Philadelphia Water Department’s Water Quality Compliance Modeling since 2019. He is interested in managing and improving the water quality of the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers so that the city can continue to provide its residents with clean drinking water. In his free time, he likes to read fantasy novels, mend his jeans, and take siestas with his cat.
Alumni
Jake Black: BS Environmental Engineering. He earned an Associate Degree in Chemical Engineering from Raritan Valley Community College in 2022. He has a strong passion for sustainability, with a particular focus on water resources, treatment, and water quality. Jake has conducted qualitative research exploring effective public engagement strategies to enhance community involvement in urban climate resilience planning. He has completed two engineering co-ops at AstraZeneca. In his free time, Jake enjoys traveling, photography, hiking, and just about anything outdoors.
Kate Singh: BS/MS Environmental Engineering. Her academic journey has been complemented with substantial involvement in research and nearly two years of professional experience. She has cultivated skills in stormwater and flood management, environmental policy development, drinking water PFAS treatment design, coastal resiliency planning, and project management. In her free time, you would find her baking cakes, crocheting, crafting, roller skating, or paddleboarding!
Chris Sherman: BS Civil and Environmental Engineering. He grew up along Barnegat Bay in New Jersey, where he ignited a passion for aquatic ecology and environmental engineering. He has worked at the Philadelphia Water Department and Pennoni in his Co-ops. In his free time, he likes to climb, or he spends time hanging out and watching movies with his friends.
Helen Ford: BS Environmental Engineering. She is from Raleigh, North Carolina, and fell in love with fieldwork during her first two co-ops with the Philadelphia Water Department, and got a taste for 2D design working with Langan Engineering for her third. On her down time she likes to read science fiction and fantasy, work on her latest story idea, or draw in her sketchbook.
Sam Musselman: BS Environmental Engineering. He grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania and worked for several years in construction before returning to pursue his academic goals. Outside of school he can be found hiking, hanging out with his niece and nephews, or struggling with the New York Times crossword.
Josh Fulton: BS Civil Engineering. He has experience in construction cost estimating, buying, and project management. He is from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and his hobbies include going to the gym, fishing, skiing, swimming, and running.
Kathryn McFarland: BS Environmental Science. She is from Downingtown, PA with a passion for aquatic and ecological restoration. Her love for water began with the STAR Scholars Program, where she investigated algae composition on coastal shoreline stabilization infrastructures in New Jersey. She then gained experience with water treatment and source water management during her first co-op at Aqua, PA. For her second co-op, she headed to the Philadelphia Water Department, where she worked researching freshwater mussels’ filtering capabilities. In her free time, she can be found enjoying the outdoors, relaxing at home with a good book or tv show, or hanging out with friends and family.
McKayla Procopio: BS Physics. She is from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Her third co-op at Colliers Engineering & Design pushed her to continue to explore Civil and Environmental Engineering upon her return to campus for her senior year. She is interested in spatial analysis and its application to water resources. In her free time, McKayla enjoys exploring the New Jersey Pine Barrens, finding a new show or movie to watch, and getting coffee with friends.
Shahryar Ali Zafar: BS Mechanical Engineering. Shahryar’s interest in water management sparks from a family of civil engineers and he is primarily interested in researching spatial applications in water resources. His additional research interests are designing and manufacturing. On his free time, Shahryar enjoys swimming, badminton, Formula 1 racing, and playing soccer, being a huge FC Barcelona fan.
Luissiemmy Perez: BS Materials Science and Engineering. She is interested in manufacturing processes, machine learning, and engineering for sustainability. Also, Luissiemmy is passionate about mentoring youth in STEM, so she volunteers as a middle school robotics competition judge through FIRST.
Hetvi Shah: BS Chemical Engineering. She is interested in water quality, sustainability, and data-driven solutions. She has leadership experience in community-based environmental initiatives, particularly through her work coordinating volunteers and outreach for nonprofit organizations. Outside of academics, Hetvi enjoys hiking, playing tennis, and exploring new coffee shops.
Nana Kwasi Owusu: BS Data Science. His work centers on applying machine learning and predictive modeling to generate actionable insights, with personal projects that include time-series forecasting and classification. Nana’s research interests are broad, and he is excited about problems where data can meaningfully inform decisions in areas such as finance, health, and urban systems. Beyond academics, he plays table tennis, soccer, and enjoys strength training.
We are always looking for motivated researchers to join our group!
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