Katya Cherukumilli, PhD, MS
About
Dr. Cherukumilli is an assistant professor in the UW Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) with adjunct appointments in Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) and Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE).
As the director of the Safe Water Equity & Longevity Lab (SWELL), Dr. Cherukumilli is interested in designing and deploying technologies to monitor and improve drinking water quality. Trained as an environmental engineer, Dr. Cherukumilli studies the prevalence of natural and anthropogenic chemical contaminants in drinking water supplies to assess risk exposure and mitigate the associated disease burden. Her research leverages fieldwork, experimental lab work, human centered design, data visualization, and participatory research methods.
Dr. Cherukumilli also leads Global Water Labs, a nonprofit organization aiming to advance access to safe drinking water through innovation and technology transfer. She is dedicated to conducting actionable and impactful research, promoting environmental justice and sustainability, and amplifying underrepresented voices through her scholarship, teaching, mentorship, and service activities.
Education
- PhD, Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California Berkeley, 2017
- MS, Environmental Engineering, University of California Berkeley, 2013
- BS, Environmental Sciences, University of California Berkeley, 2012