Education
Master of Science, Civil Engineering, 2020
San Diego State University
Bachelor of Science, Agricultural Engineering, 2017
Makerere University
Research Interests
During my MSc, I worked under the guidance of Dr. Matthew Verbyla to develop and apply a sanitation service chain pathogen flow model. This was designed to predict pathogen fate and transport across the entire sanitation chain. This work addressed key gaps in existing sanitation decision-making tools, which often struggled with accurately predicting fecal pathogen flows across a diverse range of sanitation technologies. In addition, I conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on pathogen persistence in fecal sludge. This research had two primary goals: to incorporate data from the UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) into the pathogen flow model and to translate scientific findings on pathogen behavior into actionable insights for practitioners in the water, sanitation, and health (WASH) sector, with the broader aim of advancing public health outcomes.
At Duke, I am investigating the impacts of wet weather on treatment processes at wastewater plants through computational models. My work focuses first on identifying and analyzing events of interest—flows that exceed typical levels and have the potential to disrupt treatment operations. These events are rare, making them difficult to predict, as limited data presents unique challenges for predictive modeling. Alongside this, I am assessing the resilience and sustainability of proposed treatment alternatives to mitigate wet weather impacts on biological treatment processes.
Awards, Honors, and Distinctions
WEF InFLOW Scholar, Howard University (2021)
International Student Essay Contest Award, International Student Center, San Diego State University (2019)
Dean’s Award for Research and Scholarship – College of Engineering, San Diego State University (2019)
Other Interests
Listening to music, photography, travel, and endurance sports