Environmental engineering grad encourages women in STEM

The accomplished student recently graduated with a degree in environmental engineering with a minor in Spanish, and she has left behind a legacy of leadership and empowerment within the UC community.

Alvarez was drawn toward UC’s environmental engineering track largely because of the cooperative education program, which allowed her to graduate with three years of work experience following the five-year program. The Columbus, Ohio, native says she is driven by a passion for her work.

“I recognize that there are a lot of problems with the environment,” says Alvarez. “Someone has to do something about it, so it might as well be me.”

Although engineering might be viewed as a typically male-dominated field, Alvarez is excited to be a pioneer, paving the way for future generations of women.

“You have to work harder as a woman to prove yourself,” she says. “You gain a tough skin and have to be really confident in yourself.”

During her engineering co-op with Cincinnati-based supermarket giant Kroger, Alvarez said she helped save the company over $1.5 million in energy costs across 2,800 locations by identifying and fixing inefficiencies. It’s those little changes that can make a big impact, and people don’t often recognize that, the engineer said.

Her goal is to promote a culture of sustainability through her work and to change peoples’ minds and philosophies about what it means to be green. When Alvarez found herself having to go to her manager repeatedly to get questions answered, she essentially redesigned the co-op training program and created a co-op resource guide to improve the process for future students. She was also hired part time to train and teach three groups of co-ops.

The honor student has also studied abroad in Spain, Botswana and Hong Kong. Her dad’s side of the family is Spanish, and Alvarez describes the cultural immersion as “hitting home,” allowing her to reconnect with her heritage. She had never been out of the country prior to her first trip.

“Those experiences really ingrained in me what it means to be a global scholar,” Alvarez says.

Despite these big adventures, when looking back on her college experience Alvarez says her time at UC was defined by the little moments — like grabbing sushi right before class or the sense of togetherness she felt during the Darwin T. Turner Scholars induction ceremony each year.

“College is such a diverse ride to experience,” she said. “The pandemic made me really reflect on those little underappreciated moments.”

Alvarez encourages women to consider a STEM major at UC and says there are people on campus who will support your cause.

“The times I grew the most and felt the most alive were when I was challenged,” Alvarez says. “Don’t let anyone intimidate you or scare you or tell you it’s too hard, because you’re absolutely capable.”

Considering the impact of the coronavirus on the current job market, the recent grad is unsure of her exact plans for the future.

“You don’t have to have life figured out perfectly,” she says, “as long as you do something you care about and follow it passionately.” 

Featured image at top: Madison Alvarez poses with her camera on a beach in Hong Kong. All photos provided.