{"id":82204,"date":"2026-02-11T10:03:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T15:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/?p=82204"},"modified":"2026-03-03T15:16:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:16:31","slug":"women-in-science-2026-sarah-waickowski","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/women-in-science-2026-sarah-waickowski\/","title":{"rendered":"She’s Helping Cities Manage Stormwater Floods"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Sarah
Sarah Waickowski investigates everything from stormwater ponds to bioretention cells. (Credit: Courtesy of Sarah Waickowski)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Editor’s note: This profile is part of our 11 Women to Watch in Science<\/a> package.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rising global temperatures are expected to bring more frequent and intense rainfall<\/a> \u2013 but many urban areas do not have the adequate infrastructure<\/a> to cope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In cities, for example, impervious surfaces like sidewalks and roads prevent water from being absorbed by the soil, which can lead to flooding<\/a>. Additionally, stormwater can carry pollutants from the urban environment into rivers and oceans, degrading water quality<\/a> and harming wildlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah Waickowski, an assistant professor of agricultural sciences at the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science at South Carolina\u2019s Clemson University, has dedicated herself to developing solutions for these water quality issues \u2013 and teaching the next generation of engineers how to do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Waickowski\u2019s research evaluates potential solutions to improve water quality and reduce flooding by using stormwater best management practices (BMPs), such as stormwater ponds, bioretention cells (often called rain gardens), green<\/a> and blue roofs<\/a>, and permeable pavements<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Waickowski grew up in Fellsmere, Florida.<\/strong> And it was there, at a ninth-grade career fair, that she happened to stumble across civil engineering. \u201cAfter reading about civil engineers, I decided that\u2019s what I wanted to be,\u201d she remembers. And in 2012, after gaining a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Florida, she began working in the field as an extension associate at her recent alma mater, collecting water quality and hydrology data from research projects as well as surveying sites to design stormwater retrofits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInitially I wanted to go into consulting, but then I discovered cooperative extension<\/a>,” she said, referring to community education programs that aim to provide practical knowledge. “Once I realized how much of an impact you can have as a researcher and extension specialist, I decided to earn my Ph.D. and pursue a career in academia at a land grant<\/a> university.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Waickowski gained a master’s and a Ph.D. in biological and agricultural engineering from North Carolina State University. She has since moved to Murrells Inlet in South Carolina, where she writes journal articles, teaches cooperative extension programs, supports graduate students and still conducts her own stormwater-management research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As both an academic and an environmental engineering consultant, Waickowski has worked on numerous stormwater projects to mitigate impacts of climate change and population growth, including North Carolina\u2019s first comprehensive \u201cgreen street<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The landmark project in Fayetteville, designed to help manage flooding during storms, was the first of its kind in the state. It’s a single street retrofitted with permeable pavement, bioretention cells \u2013 modular units which manage stormwater by filtering pollutants from runoff through vegetation and soil \u2013 and suspended pavement systems. <\/p>\n\n\n

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But one of Waickowski\u2019s favorite memories was seeing her first-ever design \u2013 a series of bioretention cell planters that retrofitted a small shopping center in Pittsboro, North Carolina \u2013 come to life.\u201cIt’s just really special to see something go from an idea in your head to an actual thing that you can walk around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spite of her wins, Waickowski isn\u2019t a stranger to challenges, often being the only woman in the room. \u201cI’ve been underestimated a lot,\u201d she says, \u201cwhich I think everyone experiences at some point in their career. But I decided I was going to prove people wrong by being one of the hardest if not the hardest working person in the room.” She adds with a laugh, “as far as I can tell, it’s worked.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to her research, Waickowski has taught over 75 cooperative extension workshops, teaching land managers, government officials and the public alike how to manage water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRecently, there has been a growing disconnect between scientists and the public,\u201d says Morgan Chaudry, Waickowski\u2019s colleague. \u201cMore scientists like Dr. Sarah Waickowski that can bridge the gap between scientific and stakeholder priorities are needed to develop evidence-based solutions to water quality issues that are expected to increase with climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for future ambitions, Waickowski simply hopes she can continue the work she\u2019s doing, and make her own mark in the field. \u201cI hope that when people hear my name, they say I\u2019m a gem of a person.\u201d ◼️<\/p>\n\n\n \n \n