AWWA Member Spotlight – Aisha Niang, P.E., Houston, Texas July 18, 2019Connections Article, Publications Job title and employer: Assistant Director, Houston Public Works Wastewater Operations Education: Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, Howard University; Master of Science, Civil Engineering, Catholic University Job duties: I manage the daily operations (process control, maintenance and electrical) for 39 water resource recovery facilities. How did you get into the water industry? I had an internship with the District of Columbia Water & Sewer Authority’s (DC Water) Blue Plains facility during my senior year of college. They hired me as a process engineer when I graduated, and I have been in the wastewater industry ever since. What is one of the most interesting projects you’ve had? I worked on an anaerobic egg-shaped digester project in New York City. That was the first time I was involved in such a significant O&M project, and I was thrilled to be part of it from design to startup. What is one of your biggest accomplishments? Passing the Professional Engineering licensing exam. Taking that exam after being out of academia for so many years was a struggle, especially because it was for a discipline that was not the focus area of my degree. My advice to anyone thinking about taking the exam is to learn from my mistake and just take it now! What do you like most about your profession? I have always had a passion for helping the environment, and being able to contribute to maintaining our waterways is one way I can help Mother Earth. I also love any opportunity to highlight the important work of our employees who are behind the scenes making sure Houston thrives. How have you benefited from being an AWWA member? The breadth of knowledge in our industry is staggering. I love learning from other utilities and participating in the collaboration that comes from meeting other members at conferences. Outside interests: As an avid traveler, I love capturing photographic images from around the world. I have been to more than 24 countries and have 20 more on my bucket list. Some of my favorite trips have been to Peru, Iceland and Egypt. What is something that people would be surprised to know about you? Surprisingly, I can be a bit of a daredevil. I have gone skydiving, ridden in hot air balloons and swum with nurse sharks.