Sara Denison, a fifth-year Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing, will chart an exciting new course this fall as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering at Union College in New York. A Houston native, Denison brings her passion for environmental remediation, dedication to community engagement and the guiding influence of the Future Faculty Fellows (FFF) program to her new role.
Denison credits the Future Faculty Fellows program at Rice for preparing her to step confidently into academia. “The FFF program helped me craft my research and teaching statements. The mock interviews and job talks, as well as the one-on-one mentoring, really prepared me for the application process,” she said. The program also fostered peer collaboration, which Denison described as “a supportive community that set me up for success.”
“The Future Faculty program was very, very helpful. I've never felt more supported.”
The Future Faculty Fellows (FFF) program in Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing is designed to help doctoral students and postdocs explore the tenure track academic career path, compete successfully for tenure track faculty positions and launch their careers. The program offers workshops, panel discussions, networking events and other support tailored to academic career pathways.
The FFF program paired Denison with another fellow in a similar field, which allowed them to bounce ideas off each other and provide mutual support as they went through the process of applying for faculty positions.
Denison’s commitment to environmental stewardship began in high school, where she joined the Wildcat Water Warriors environmental club in Cypress, Texas. Her interest in environmental science deepened during her undergraduate studies and transitioned into hands-on research in soil and water remediation during her graduate work at Rice with the Baylor-Rice Superfund Program and the Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT) Center.
A recipient of the prestigious Sallyport Award, which is bestowed by the Association of Rice Alumni for leadership and service, Denison is a firm believer in the power of resilience and student-centered learning. Through programs like the Research Experience for Teachers, she worked with educators and community college students in Houston to support early STEM education. She often shares a mantra from her grandmother with her students: “There is no failure. You either win or you learn.”
Now, Denison is bringing that same sense of purpose to Union College, where she will help launch a new civil and environmental engineering undergraduate program as the institution’s first assistant professor in environmental engineering hire. She plans to mentor students through hands-on research, including projects related to contamination along the Hudson River and ecosystem restoration.
Outside the lab, Denison is an accomplished marathon runner who recently completed the Boston Marathon and now aims to run all the major world marathons. Her dedication to running mirrors the discipline she brings to her academic work.
As she steps into her new role at Union College, Denison is excited to continue growing as a teacher, mentor and researcher. “This is a full-circle moment for me. I was part of a new program as an undergrad, and now I get to help build one from the ground up.”
Are you interested in becoming a Future Faculty Fellow? Apply before June 1, 2025: https://engineering.rice.edu/academics/future-faculty-fellows/apply-fff.