Carolyn Hayek is a student in the PhD program in Sustainable Development. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Boston College with a minor in environmental studies, as well as a Masters in Environmental Engineering and a Masters in Urban Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Carolyn is interested in the interface of the natural and built environments. She is currently working with Dr. Upmanu Lall on the sustainability of United States (US) water resources.
Prior to joining the Columbia community, Carolyn spent 10 years at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the New England regional office in Boston, MA. While there, she was selected for a highly competitive 2-year developmental program designed to expose employees to the full breadth and scope of the Agency. Areas in which Carolyn has worked include: effective management of drinking water and wastewater utilities, grants management and federal oversight of Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs, water quality sampling, compliance assistance and enforcement for chemical storage and usage, hazardous waste site clean up, green chemistry, wetlands permitting, low impact development, climate change, and the Significant New Alternatives Policy Program for ozone-depleting substances.