A deep appreciation for nature’s beauty has inspired an environmental engineering doctoral student to devote her work toward a more sustainable future. Her passion, perseverance and innovative research were recently recognized by a leading environmental group.
Doctoral student Nimna Madurangi Manage ’25MS has won the Jaqueline Shields Memorial scholarship from the Air & Waste Management Association. She will receive a $5,000 award and be honored at next month’s annual conference in Austin, Texas.
“As a Ph.D. student, much of our time is spent working on research, data analysis, and problem solving, so receiving recognition from a professional organization in the environmental engineering field is very meaningful,” Manage says. “It motivates me to continue pursuing research that can contribute to practical and sustainable waste management solutions.”
Manage is a researcher at the Pollutant Fate and Transport Processes and Geochemistry Laboratory, directed by Assistant Professor Jiannan Chen. The lab specializes in environmental and geotechnical engineering in urban areas, focusing on solid waste management, green infrastructure and geochemical processes.
“I am also very grateful to my advisor, Dr. Jiannan Chen, for his continuous support and mentorship throughout my Ph.D. journey,” Manage says. “His guidance and encouragement helped me a lot to grow as a researcher and professional.”
Her passion for the environment was founded early on in her native Sri Lanka.
“Growing up in Sri Lanka, I was surrounded by beautiful natural environments with tropical rainforests, waterfalls and mountain landscapes. At the same time, I also witnessed how environmental quality can rapidly decline as urbanization and infrastructure development increase,” she says. “Those experiences made me appreciate both the importance and fragility of the environment and inspired me to pursue environmental engineering.”
Inspired by these childhood experiences, Manage’s research is dedicated to creating tools and frameworks that that can be used by industry regulators to make more informed decisions on environmental policies.
She is already working on projects that can make a real-world impact, including customized landfill management approaches and research on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, contamination associated with waste management systems.
“My work on landfill post-closure care can help landfill operators and regulators decide how long post-closure monitoring and maintenance are actually needed based on site conditions, instead of following the same fixed timeline for every landfill,” she says. “My PFAS-related research also helps facilities better understand treatment challenges, prepare for future regulations, and improve waste management practices.”
Her passion for her field extends to life outside the lab as well. An undergraduate, she was a member of the university’s hiking club, which reinforced her interest in developing sustainable engineering solutions. She serves as the secretary and social media coordinator for the UCF Geo-Institute Student Chapter, where she helps coordinate professional activities and outreach initiatives.
Manage is a few months from earning her doctoral degree, but has a clear vision of how she’ll make an impact as a researcher. She plans to continue applying her research to real-world environmental engineering problems, serving as an advocate for a sustainable future for all.
“My long-term goal is to contribute to the development of practical guidance, decision-making frameworks and sustainable waste management strategies that support both environmental protection and informed policy implementation,” she says. “I also hope to remain actively involved in professional organizations and continue mentoring and supporting future students in the field.”
- Written by Bel Huston