Sonia Akushika Alornyo
South Bend,IN
Summary
Environmental Engineering Ph.D. Candidate with a civil engineering foundation and hands-on experience in environmental field investigations, water-quality assessment, sampling, environmental monitoring, QA/QC, and quantitative analysis. Skilled in collecting, managing, evaluating, and interpreting field, laboratory, meteorological, and high-frequency sensor data; documenting field activities; and translating technical findings into clear reports and presentations. Experienced with ArcGIS, AutoCAD (academic experience), Python, MATLAB, statistical analysis, environmental modeling, and interdisciplinary engineering research.
Overview
2
2
Languages
1
1
Certification
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Notre Dame
08.2022 - Current
- Developed reproducible workflows for environmental data processing, QA/QC, statistical analysis, modeling, and visualization to support interpretation of field and laboratory results.
- Integrated field observations, laboratory analyses, meteorological records, and high-frequency sensor measurements to ensure accurate data management, processing, QA/QC, and evaluation.
- Designed and conducted environmental field and laboratory investigations across eight freshwater monitoring sites, including field sampling, sensor deployment, water-quality assessment, and collection of environmental data.
- Identified environmental trends and key drivers, maintained comprehensive field and research documentation, and prepared technical reports, manuscripts, presentations, and research summaries to effectively communicate findings.
Teaching Assistant
University of Notre Dame
08.2022 - Current
- Mentored undergraduate students in Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Solid Mechanics, enhancing their skills in laboratory methods, data analysis, and technical communication.
- Supported laboratory instruction and supervised undergraduate research projects, fostering students' understanding of research methods and improving their technical presentation skills.
Teaching Assistant
Central University
01.2021 - 05.2022
- Collaborated with faculty to implement innovative teaching strategies that improved student learning outcomes.
- Facilitated small group discussions to enhance student engagement and comprehension of course topics.
- Assisted professors in developing course materials and resources for diverse learning environments.
- Created and maintained organized records of student attendance and performance metrics throughout semesters.
Engineering Intern
Nestlé Ghana PLC
06.2019 - 08.2019
- Analyzed operational and environmental datasets to enhance engineering processes and inform data-driven decisions.
- Applied quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) procedures to support operational performance, documentation quality, and regulatory compliance.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary engineering teams to document findings and troubleshoot operational issues, facilitating effective technical recommendations.
Education
Ph.D. - Environmental Engineering
University of Notre Dame
Indiana, USA01-2027
MS - Environmental Engineering
University of Notre Dame
Indiana, USA01-2027
B.Sc. - Civil Engineering
Central University
Miotso, Ghana2020
Skills
- Engineering & Geospatial Tools: ArcGIS, Geospatial analysis, MATLAB, environmental systems modeling, data management and evaluation
- Quality assurance
- Data visualization
- Environmental modeling
- Analytical thinking
- Scientific presentations
- Research presentations
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Self-directed and motivated
- EIT pathway
- Academic presentations
Accomplishments
- From Sensors to Simulations: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Water Monitoring, Management, and Policy
- Artificial intelligence in materials science and chemistry: Past, present and future trajectories.
- Exploring the Usefulness of Gaussian Process Regression for the Prediction of Oil, Water, and Gas Production Rates.
Sonia Alornyo, Wade McGillis & Patricia Culligan
Water, 18(14),1664.
E. Osaro, Nell Karpinski, Sonia Alornyo, Joshua Ighalo
Materials Today Chemistry, 49, 103115.
E. Osaro, V. Okorie, S. Alornyo
Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology, 14(1), 1000506.
Affiliations
- Association of Women in Science (AWIS)
- Society of Women in Engineering (SWE)
- American Water Resources Association (AWRA)
- National Sustainability Society (NSS)
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- International Water Association (IWA)
- American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
- National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE)
Certification
Udemy Professional Development Certifications in Data Analytics, Python, SQL, Machine Learning, and Data Visualization
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Twi
Native or Bilingual
Interests
- I enjoy helping others and giving back to the community
- Cooking
- Gym Workouts
- Music
- Reading
- Crafting and DIY Projects
Timeline
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Notre Dame
08.2022 - Current
Teaching Assistant
University of Notre Dame
08.2022 - Current
Teaching Assistant
Central University
01.2021 - 05.2022
Engineering Intern
Nestlé Ghana PLC
06.2019 - 08.2019
Ph.D. - Environmental Engineering
University of Notre Dame
MS - Environmental Engineering
University of Notre Dame
B.Sc. - Civil Engineering
Central University
AWARDS
- Advancing Science Grant Award by National Organization for Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers - Tier 1 & Tier 2
- Center of Environmental Science and Technology (CEST) Post Research Fellowship