Biography

Dr. Sara Kamanmalek is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Howard University. She earned her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with a focus on Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2021, with a dissertation entitled “An Integrative Approach to Identify and Assess Streams Susceptible to Antibiotic Discharges.” Dr. Kamanmalek has held postdoctoral research positions at Florida State University and Smith College, where she focused on projects involving machine learning applications for predicting harmful algal blooms, investigating the impacts of microplastics on the bioavailability of silver nanoparticles, and developing decision support tools to manage nutrient pollution and promote environmental justice.

Dr. Kamanmalek's research focuses on advancing equitable and sustainable water management through the integration of modeling, laboratory analysis, and field studies. Her work addresses critical environmental engineering challenges, including assessing emerging contaminants such as microplastics and antibiotics in surface water. By leveraging tools such as machine learning and geospatial analysis, she develops innovative models to predict water quality and designs strategies to mitigate pollution in vulnerable watersheds, with a particular emphasis on disadvantaged communities. 

Dr. Kamanmalek is dedicated to both teaching and mentoring, offering environmental engineering courses that seamlessly integrate theoretical foundations with practical, real-world applications. In addition to her teaching and research, she actively serves the community as an academic advisor to juniors in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at Howard University and to the Howard University Water and Environment Association (HUWEA). Dr. Kamanmalek also contributes to science communication and policy by providing consultation to congressional staff on environmental issues, participating in congressional visits, and engaging in conferences, panels, and outreach efforts that foster STEM education and promote environmental justice.