Annette Hernandez - First hispanic female environmental engineering Ph.D.

Date: August, 2007

Annette Hernandez, CREST-RESSCA’s first female Hispanic PhD student, graduated in August 2007 with her PhD. in Environmental Engineering. Annette has been with CREST-RESSACA since its inception. Her advisor was Dr. Venkatesh Uddameri, CREST-PI, Associate Professor and Environmental Engineering Graduate Coordinator here at Texas A&N University-Kingsville (TAMUK).

Annette joined CREST in October 2003. Born and raised in South Texas, she was always concerned with regional environmental issues. She graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from A&M-Kingsville in 1997, and after a brief stint in the private sector, returned to complete her MS in Environmental Engineering in 2003. Her PhD dissertation title was “Risk Based Methodologies for Watershed Management-Integrated Simulation and Optimization Techniques.”

Annette has been hired at Texas Tech University in Lubbock to teach environmental engineering. She began her career as a tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in August of 2008.

“Working with Dr. Venkatesh Uddameri, wit the support of CREST-RESSACA, has helped me develop a unique set of skills that I can utilize in the training of engineers who will provide scientifically credible, consensus-driven alternatives and solutions to address water quality/quantity issues.”