Natasha Andrade

Natasha Andrade is a Senior Lecturer and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland College Park. She holds a Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Environmental and Chemical Engineering from UMD.

Her research focuses on engineering education innovation, integrating socio-technical issues into curricula, mercury contamination in Amazonian regions, and environmental pollutant fate. She has pioneered courses like ENCE215 (Engineering for Sustainability) and ENME407 (Sustainability & Renewable Energy Systems), emphasizing global environmental challenges.

Dr. Andrade’s work bridges technical and societal dimensions, with notable contributions to mercury pollution studies in deforested Amazon areas and PBDEs in agricultural soils. Her pedagogical research includes formative assessments to address student misconceptions and socio-technical thinking depth analysis.

• Award: New Investigator Award Finalist (2014)
• Grants: Lemelson Foundation grant for sustainability curriculum innovation
• Study Abroad: Led sustainability-focused programs in Greece and Iceland

Her publications span environmental chemistry, pedagogy, and pollution remediation, with recent work examining mercury accumulation in Peruvian Amazon ecosystems. She actively contributes to environmental justice through curriculum development and interdisciplinary collaboration.