Briana Niblick

Pittsburgh, PA

Briana Niblick received her PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on the characterization of land use impacts within a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework. She is particularly interested in combining LCA and geographic information systems (GIS) to evaluate local land use impacts of sugarcane expansion in the savannah-like cerrado region of São Paulo, Brazil.

Briana’s previous research examined drinking water and sanitation challenges of developing countries.  In 2006, as an Engineers Without Borders team leader, she collaborated with the rural Honduran community of La Fortuna to help design a rainwater collection system for the village. Two years later, as a Fulbright Scholar to Austria, she joined a European Union Framework Project, in which she evaluated the sustainability of ecological sanitation systems in Kitgum, Uganda.  These hands-on engineering experiences have strengthened Briana’s commitment to help cultivate sustainable communities throughout the developing world.

2010 Participant