WIRLab supports DEI and affirms the position of the National Action Council on Minorities in Engineering:
"...more work is needed to diversify the engineering pathway.
  • African Americans constituted 14.8 percent of the college-age population (18 to 24 years old), but earned only 3.8 percent of engineering degrees.
  • American Indian/Alaska Natives constituted 0.9 percent of the college-age population, yet earned only 0.3 percent of engineering degrees.
  • Latinos earned 9.6 percent of engineering degrees despite making up 21.4 percent of the college-age population.
  • In 2013, under-represented minorities (URMs) constituted 12.1 percent of employed engineers, which paled in comparison to their representation in the overall population (31.5 percent).
  • URMs constituted only 6.6 percent of engineering faculty, which continued a troubling trend of minute minority representation in academic settings.
...The solution to America’s competitiveness problem is to activate the hidden workforce of young men and women who have traditionally been underrepresented in STEM careers—African Americans, American Indians, and Latinos. "

OPEN POSITIONS for SUMMER/FALL 2025 and SPRING 2026

Now recruiting for graduate students in Summer/Fall 2025 to work on these research themes: 1) baseline characterization of Tijuana River pollution, 2) anaerobic water reuse systems, or 3) tire wear particle pollution.
Students interested in pursuing a MS thesis on these themes should email Dr. Mladenov ( nmladenov @ sdsu. edu ) 1-2 paragraphs explaining why you're interested in research. Also, please send a short resume or transcript (unofficial is ok) so that I have a better idea of your background. Students pursuing graduate studies in environmental engineering at SDSU, should have a BS in Civil or Environmental Engineering or closely-related engineering discipline. But if you are from another engineering or science field, send me an email anyway and we can evaluate any additional coursework that will be necessary. The department's admission requirements can be found here.

If you have the following, then you will have a great time in WIRLab:
- A positive attitude and excitement about environmental science and engineering,
- Motivation, independent thinking, and an inquisitive mind,
- Ability to clearly communicate goals and findings, as well as identify hurdles and challenges,
- Interest in conducting fieldwork, designing experiments, and using analytical equipment in the lab.​

Email me at nmladenov @ sdsu.edu

Want to see what WIRLab looks like?
​See this video of WIRLab made a few years ago. Some of our projects have changed, but the upbeat energy remains the same!