Dr. Katherine (Trina) McMahon, Professor of Bacteriology and Civil and Environmental Engineering
Biography
Professor Katherine (Trina) McMahon received her BS in Civil Engineering and MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 1995 and 1997 respectively. Her MS thesis advisor was Dr. Lutgarde Raskin, currently at Yale University. McMahon earned her PhD in Environmental Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley in 2002. She joined the faculty in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin Madison in 2003 and became cross-appointed with the Bacteriology Department in 2008. She was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2008 and professor in 2013. Her research interests span multiple dimensions of the “water microbiome” including wastewater treatment and freshwater quality. She has a special interest in wastewater treatment bacteria that sequester phosphorus using an enigmatic physiology. She is heavily invested in the North Temperate Lakes Long Term Ecological Research site and directs the NTL Microbial Observatory. Finally, she is passionate about future faculty professional development and has served as Co-Faculty Director of the Delta Program in Research, Teaching, and Learning at UW-Madison since 2011. She was elected as a fellow in the American Academy of Microbiology in 2018.
As an undergraduate at UIUC, McMahon received the following awards:
- David Owens Scholarship, National Association of Water Companies (1995)
- Grant H. Flint Scholarship, Solid Waste Association of North America (1995)
- Melih T. Dural Undergraduate Research Award, Civil Engineering Dept., UIUC (1995)
- Ira O. Baker Prize, Civil Engineering Department, UIUC (1995)
- A. Epstein Award, Civil Engineering Department, UIUC (1995)
- Langlier Scholarship for Achievement in the study of water and wastewater treatment, Civil Engineering Department, UIUC (1994)
- Sandberg Scholarship, Civil Engineering Department, UIUC (1994)
- Barry M. Goldwater Excellence in Education Scholarship (1993-1995)
- Morrow Award, Civil Engineering Department, UIUC (1993)
Lecture title: From environmental engineer to microbiologist and back again
Abstract
Most modern academics would claim to engage in some degree of “interdisciplinary” activity. But what does it mean to be interdisciplinary in a culture that values deep expertise and independent contributions as a measure of scholarly achievement?
Beyond academia, the concept of having interdisciplinary skills is even more important. How do we cultivate the right level of interdisciplinary in ourselves, combined with sufficient depth, in order to be successful (and for our students to be successful). I will talk about my own passion for working across multiple disciplines in a way that brings me joy while stimulating my academic creativity and motivation. As an undergraduate and as a master’s student at UIUC in the CEE Department, I actively sought out research projects that exposed me to topics that were NOT covered in my coursework. I’ve continued this pursuit for more than 30 years and look forward to reflecting on what has gone well, and what has gotten me into trouble. Hopefully I can convince you that it is possible to find balance between disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary work.
Dr. Ofelia Romero, State of California, State Water Resources Control Board
Biography
Dr. Ofelia Romero-Maraccini is the Senior Engineer overseeing the Yosemite District for the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Division of Drinking Water (DDW). In her current position, Dr. Romero oversees 132 public water systems in Tuolumne County and Yosemite National Park. Previously with the SWRCB, Dr. Romero was the acting Senior Engineer for the Water Arrearage Team, which distributed over $300M to provide relief to community water systems for unpaid bills accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic, for which Dr. Romero received a Superior Accomplishment Award.
Dr. Romero graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Master’s and PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering under the direction of Dr. Helen Nguyen. Thereafter, Dr. Romero was a Life Science Research Associate with the Center for Ocean Solutions at Stanford University, then an Engineer at Water Quality & Treatment Solutions, Inc. (WQTS), a company founded by University of Illinois graduate Issam Najm. With WQTS, Dr. Romero investigated and resolved water quality and treatment challenges pertaining to the operation, performance, and regulatory issues for multiple California water utilities.
Lecture title: Perspectives from an EES graduate working in consulting and a regulatory agency
Abstract
Ofelia Romero Maraccini earned both her MS and PhD from the UIUC EES program, graduating in 2014, working under the guidance of Professor Helen Nguyen. She will be speaking with us about her professional journey since graduation.
Right after completing her degree, Ofelia joined the Center for Ocean Solutions at Stanford University as a research associate. She later transitioned into engineering through a temporary environmental engineering role with the Alameda County Water District (ACWD). That six-month position opened the door to a full-time consulting engineer role with WQTS in Los Angeles, California. After five years at WQTS—and welcoming two daughters—Ofelia moved to the State Water Resources Control Board- Division of Drinking Water (DDW) in Fresno, CA. She began in 2020 as a staff engineer in the Tulare District, then in 2021 joined DDW’s Arrearages Unit, which distributed more than $300 million to public utilities during COVID to help offset customer non payment. In 2022, she served as acting senior for the Arrearages Unit through 2023. A few months later, Ofelia became the District Engineer for the Yosemite District, where she now oversees all public water systems in Tuolumne County and Yosemite National Park.