Meet Genevieve Ehasz ENG'23

“It’s never too late to get involved with anything that interests you.” –Genevieve Ehasz 

Civil and environmental engineering major Genevieve Ehasz has been involved in everything from co-authoring a paper on a research project on wastewater-based epidemiology for COVID to serving as an assistant teacher in a third grade classroom in Cuzco, Peru during a study abroad trip. After graduating, she looks forward to staying at Rutgers to earn her master’s degree in environmental engineering through the 4+1 program.       

Why Rutgers and environmental engineering? 

I chose Rutgers because of its engineering reputation and its proximity to home. I decided to major in environmental engineering because I want a career where I might directly work on problems related to climate change and the water crisis. 

What most excites you about your engineering education? 

Being able to work outside in nature for some of my classes. I’m also excited to graduate and focus more on my research next year, as well as explore other areas of environmental engineering. 

What research have you been involved in? 

My junior year I started as a research assistant in associate professor Nicole Fahrenfeld’s lab working on a project tracking the SARS-COV-2 virus through wastewater from treatment plants and Rutgers dorms.  

My senior thesis and J.J. Slade project builds on this research to explore a cheap and effective way to track the community spread of COVID-19 variants in wastewater.  

During the past summer, I switched my focus to a collaborative project with the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership, where we’re tracking fecal contamination sources on the Raritan. 

Where do you see yourself in five years? 

I hope to be working abroad or in collaboration with other countries to solve climate change issues related to the water and energy sectors. 

Have you learned anything about yourself at Rutgers that surprised you? 

I always thought I was an extroverted person, but I learned how much I value alone time to stay productive and to mentally recharge. 

Do you have any advice for incoming students? 

It’s never too late to get involved with anything that interests you! It’s always good to get an early start, but everyone is on their own timeline and it’s okay to if you need extra time to adjust before you put yourself out there. 

What three to five words describe your RU SoE experience? 

Challenging. Rewarding. Unique.