Julianne R
- Research Program Mentor

PhD at Yale University

Expertise

Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Water-Energy Nexus, water treatment, Public Policy

Bio

As a native Californian, I grew up dealing with water scarcity, frequent fires, and poor air quality. These experiences led me to study Environmental Engineering to understand the environment and determine ways to help protect it. My research background is heavily focused on water treatment processes like reverse osmosis to determine methods of treating contaminated water by applying chemical engineering concepts. I have worked with top researchers in three states and in Germany, learning different research styles from around the world. I have presented my research at many conferences, even winning multiple best poster awards! My passion outside of the lab is education and working with students! I love inspiring and challenging them to pursue dreams they never expected for themselves, because we grow most when we are outside our comfort zone. In the evenings, I often work on a puzzle, read, or watch TV. On the weekends, I try to explore by traveling and meeting new people. My goal is to visit all 50 states before I turn 50!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Clean Water Access in a Changing Climate

Earth is experiencing a climate crisis that is influencing clean water access globally. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, which can lead to excess water or severe droughts. When an extreme event (or a natural disaster) occurs, what are the best ways to provide clean water in a short period of time without relying on plastic water bottles?

Coding skills

Some R, MATLAB, Arduino

Teaching experience

I first got into teaching by mentoring and tutored K-6 students at a local community center as an AmeriCorps member. I also have mentored undergraduate students in the lab as a PhD student in addition to mentoring students on academic probation or with fellowship applications. I received a teaching certificate from Yale University and served as a Teaching Fellow for two undergraduate level classes at Yale. Additionally, I have taught middle and high school students in the US, online, and in Chile for Eduexplora, an international education program. Currently, I am the Academic Director of Eduexplora, helping plan academically rigorous programs for students from around the world by recruiting and training instructors to teach the best classes possible!

Credentials

Work experience

UC Berkeley (2014 - 2014)

UC LEADS Research Assistant

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) (2015 - 2015)

REU Research Assistant

Germany's Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology & Inland Fisheries (2016 - 2017)

Fulbright Scholar Researcher

EPA P3 Design Competition - Phase 2 (2012 - 2015)

Student Researcher

Education

University of California Riverside (UCR)

BS Bachelor of Science (2016)

Environmental Engineering

Yale University

MS Master of Science (2020)

Chemical and Environmental Engineering