Gabrielle String

Gabrielle String
Asst. Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Dept. of Community and Population Health

As an environmental health engineer, I use interdisciplinary, mixed-methods techniques to ensure that water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) solutions are context-sensitive, inclusive, socially-acceptable, and aligned with local culture and community needs. Effective WASH is critical to interrupt environmental disease transmission pathways and to ensure dignity of all pursuant to UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 targets. Through the ongoing work of my research group in low-resource and humanitarian settings, I am thrilled to continue partnerships with international and local NGOs, UN agencies, and government actors to ensure that marginalized communities worldwide realize their basic human right to water. In this time of increasing conflict, disease outbreaks, and climate-related crises, I aim to use the LU/UN Faculty Fellowship to connect rigorous WASH research with global decision-makers, while amplifying Lehigh’s visibility and expanding student opportunities.