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

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.”

“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