ASU grad inspired to give back, encourage others with engineering degree


December 5, 2022

Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable fall 2022 graduates.

After working as a safety coordinator at Wrico Stamping Company for four and a half years, Lisa Redhouse decided to continue her education. She discovered that the environmental and resource management program in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University included topics she wanted to learn more about. She realized this wide-ranging program is “valuable in our changing world.” Portrait of ASU grad Lisa M. Redhouse. Lisa M. Redhouse, environmental and resource management engineering graduate. Download Full Image

“Environmental and resource managers contribute a great deal to society,” Redhouse says. “I was surprised with how environmental and resource management was included in many different fields.”

She knew she was on the right path after completing her first semester in the program, gaining inspiration from Al Brown, a senior lecturer of environmental and resource management in the Fulton Schools. 

“During the first half of the program, Brown presented the material with enthusiasm, excitement and passion,” Redhouse says. “His stories and experiences helped me understand how the material applies to real-world problems.”

Later in the program, Kiril Hristovski, an associate professor of engineering and environmental and resource management, helped her connect course material and strengthened her understanding of the field’s concepts and applications.

For Redhouse, the most memorable part of her time in the Fulton Schools was working with Project Cities, where she applied the skills she learned in many of her classes. 

“My team and I were tasked with finding options for diverting polystyrene from municipal landfills,” she says. “We successfully presented our findings to the city of Peoria, even though the pandemic kept us all out of the classroom. Working together with my group was such a positive experience.”

Redhouse found studying engineering to be a fun experience, from the social ties she gained with her peers to the opportunity to find and solve interesting and challenging problems. She learned to view problems from different perspectives and looks forward to using this skill throughout her career and life.

“Eventually, I would like to work with tribal nations on projects related to water quality and management,” she says. “Giving back to Indigenous communities has always been an inspiration of mine.”

After graduation, Redhouse plans to stay in the Phoenix area to build her experience through working in the field and continue her education in the environmental and resource management accelerated master’s degree program

As the first person in her family to graduate college, she hopes her achievement encourages those closest to her.

“My hope is that earning my degree inspires my family, friends and people of my community to continue their education,” Redhouse says.

MORE: Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ fall 2022 class

Monique Clement

Lead communications specialist, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

480-727-1958

ASU grad found herself in environmental engineering


December 5, 2022

Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable fall 2022 graduates.

Sydney Wickman says she wanted to do more than earn a degree when attending college; she wanted to find herself. Sydney Wickman Sydney Wickman, environmental engineering graduate. Download Full Image

“I liked the resources that Arizona State University could offer me and I was able to take time to find a major I would enjoy beyond school,” Wickman says.

After a brief stint trying her hand at computer information systems, she found herself exploring all that environmental engineering had to offer. She officially made the switch to the program her junior year at ASU and hasn’t looked back since.

“The environmental engineering major was new and I found myself excited for many of the classes this major offered,” Wickman says. “It’s interesting since it largely deals with water, and all the issues that come with treating this resource that is necessary for every person in the world.”

In the years to come, she sees herself working to remediate contaminated areas, creating more treatment plants for water and wastewater, or even working on hydrology projects within cities.

During her time at ASU, Wickman was dedicated to doing philanthropic works, serving as the vice president of finance for ASU’s Omega Phi Alpha service sorority. The position allowed her to coordinate food drives and other charitable events that served those less fortunate.

She also spent time working in the Industrial Assessment Center on campus. As part of this center, Wickman was able to conduct energy efficiency assessments on industrial facilities and wastewater treatment plants with a team of engineering students and faculty members. She also worked with that team to compile technical reports — a skill that has prepared her for her future work. 

Wickman has accepted a job at GES, an environmental remediation consulting company based in Arizona with projects in California. She says she will also be pursuing a master’s degree in environmental engineering in the future.

“Engineering has changed my life by making me more confident in my own abilities and goals,” Wickman says.

MORE: Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ fall 2022 class

Monica Williams

Communications Specialist, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

602-543-5075