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Dayton Engineer

Engineering students prepared for HSI graduate fellowship program

By adapted from HSI, Sustainability Spotlight, Vol. 4, Issue 3

University of Dayton School of Engineering students, Piper Fernway, systems engineering, and Allison Lenhardt, mechanical engineering, have been named 2022-2023 Hanley Sustainability Institute graduate fellows.

The HSI graduate fellowship program was launched to attract high-quality students with an interest in sustainability to work on faculty-mentored research projects and other complementary HSI program efforts. Fellows are expected to dedicate 10 hours per week to support the faculty research projects and an additional 10 hours per week to support the HSI wider programming.

Piper Fernway

Piper Fernway (pictured left) received her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering, with minors in environmental studies and Spanish, from Case Western Reserve University. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in systems engineering at the University of Dayton.

Fernway will be working with Dr. Raúl Ordóñez, electrical and computer engineering, to model and validate the systems she implements in her community work. She is a seasoned sustainability professional who previously served as a regional sustainability manager for a food service company to make improvements through waste initiatives, local food procurement strategies, regional food shed development and various strategic initiatives. Since the pandemic, she’s been working as an independent sustainability consultant with several regional entities, including the Village of Yellow Springs.

Allison Lenhardt

Allison Lenhardt (pictured right) graduated from the University of Dayton in May 2022 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in sustainability.

When Lenhardt enrolled in her first collegiate sustainability class during her junior year, she knew that she wanted to pursue a career focused on the betterment of the community through practices rooted in sustainability. Prior to that class, her understanding of sustainability was limited to “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle,” but she quickly learned that this is an important part of a larger goal to help communities reach their full potential.

Lenhardt is excited to work with Dr. Denise Taylor, civil and environmental engineering, to make an impact on wastewater management around the city of Dayton. She is equally excited to work alongside Dr. Andrew Chiasson, mechanical and aerospace engineering, and MaryEllen Etienne, sustainability professional, to ensure that the UD campus is applying sustainable practices when using water.

Congratulations Piper Fernway and Allison Lenhardt!

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