FAU CEGE Students Win Poster Awards at AAEES Kappe Lecture

Six students from Florida Atlantic University's Civil, Environmental, and Geomatics Engineering (CEGE) department participated in the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES) Kappe Lecture, held at the University of Miami on March 28, 2025. Two students earned recognition for their outstanding research presentations.

Victoria Gonzales, an undergraduate student and research assistant in Environmental Engineering under the supervision of Dr. Yalan Liu, received third place in the undergraduate poster session. Her research focuses on the uptake of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in compost-based hydroponic systems, using strawberries as a model crop.

Laura Rojas, a Ph.D. student in Transportation and Environmental Engineering working with Dr. Masoud Lashaki, was awarded third place in the graduate poster session. Laura earned both her B.S. in Environmental Engineering (2023) and M.S. in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering (2024) from FAU. Her current doctoral work involves developing advanced adsorbent materials for capturing carbon dioxide from ambient air.