Rania Hamza

Rania Hamza is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair (Undergraduate) in the Department of Civil Engineering at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her research focuses on wastewater treatment innovations, particularly aerobic granular sludge technology for contaminant removal and resource recovery. She holds a PhD from the University of Calgary and degrees from the American University in Cairo.

Education:

• PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Calgary (2019)
• MSc in Civil Engineering, American University in Cairo (2011)
• BSc in Civil Engineering, American University in Cairo (2006)

Research Interests: Dr. Hamza pioneers work on biofilm-based systems to address emerging contaminants, energy efficiency in wastewater treatment, and climate-resilient infrastructure. Her lab explores how microbial communities in aerobic granular sludge can enhance treatment efficacy while reducing environmental footprints. She emphasizes the societal importance of wastewater management, advocating for advanced technologies to protect Canada's water resources.

Awards & Recognition:

• 3M 25 Women in Science Program (2024)
• Early SRC Career Excellence Award (2024)
• Dean's Teaching Award (2024)
• Multiple prestigious doctoral scholarships including Izaak Walton Killam and Queen Elizabeth II

Advising & Innovation: She supervises graduate students in wastewater engineering and has contributed to over 40 peer-reviewed publications. Her work bridges academia and industry, focusing on scalable solutions for urban wastewater challenges. Collaborations involve policy analysis for contaminant regulation and advancing machine learning applications in bioreactor modeling.

Labs & Teams: Her laboratory investigates microbial ecology, biofilm engineering, and process intensification. She leads interdisciplinary projects integrating environmental science, civil engineering, and data science to address global water sustainability issues.