I’ve liked all the environmental courses I’ve taken.
Leanne Laohoo was inspired to pursue civil engineering when she took an elective in civil engineering and architecture in her pre-engineering high school program. She came to UMD as a freshman in Fall 2022, and is now a junior in UMD’s Civil Engineering Department, specializing in the Environmental/ Water Resources track. Leanne grew up in New Jersey, but her older sister is a UMD alumni, and Leanne was also drawn to UMD by its strong engineering program and attractive campus.
Leanne says, “I’ve liked all the environmental courses I’ve taken” in the department, adding that she enjoys courses that incorporate chemistry and biology. Her favorite part of being a Civil major at UMD, however, is that “you get to know your peers a lot, and everyone’s pretty friendly.”
Leanne is the Vice-President of the Chi Epsilon civil engineering honor society, and Secretary of UMD’s chapter of the American Ecological Engineering Society (AEES). This semester Leanne has also started working in Dr. Gaungbin Li’s NES lab on a project researching anammox bacteria to make the nitrogen removal process in water treatment more efficient. Leanne helps refill and maintain the reactor used for the anammox bacteria.
Leanne found an internship for Summer 2024 through the American Society of Civil Engineer’s annual Suit Up and Be Civil networking event. The internship was a project management-based role with F.H. Paschen; it involved working on a hotel renovation project.
In her free time, Leanne likes to create art of many kinds, from drawing to crocheting to sewing. Leanne’s advice to new students on balancing academics and extracurriculars is to “prioritize your tasks but know you don’t have to do everything. It’s ok to take a step back,” she says.
After graduation, Leanne hopes to get a job in the water treatment sector. She is considering pursuing a master’s degree as well. If her accomplishments at UMD are any indication, these goals are well within reach.
