Marissa Jablonski

Dr. Marissa Jablonski is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Freshwater Sciences and Executive Director of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. She holds affiliations as an Embassy Science Fellow (US Embassy Thailand) and Public Diplomacy Fellow at USAID. Her work spans 45+ countries, focusing on water engineering, environmental systems, and plastics reduction.

Education: PhD in Environmental Engineering. She has taught Peacebuilding, Engineering, and Physics at institutions in Milwaukee and served as a 2017-2019 AAAS Science Policy Fellow. Her research integrates storytelling and systems processes to address complex human-environment interactions.

Key projects include designing a 5-point model to reduce single-use plastics in Thailand (6M+ reduction in 2018), leading wastewater cleanup projects in India, and advising Guatemalan infrastructure initiatives with indigenous communities. She founded the UW-Milwaukee chapter of Engineers Without Borders and coordinates NSF's FORTE program for minorities in STEM.

Awards include recognition from the National Science Foundation, Philanthropic Education Organization, Mondialogo, and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. Her advocacy focuses on equity in STEM and global environmental justice.