Lyles School alumna Mariah Schroeder aims to change the world around her

Already recognized as one of the nation’s rising stars in civil engineering, Mariah Schroeder, a Lyles School of Civil Engineering alumna, says she wants to make a lasting impact in her field and to inspire the civil engineers of tomorrow.

“I always knew I wanted to do something where I could give back to the community and the environment and, luckily, I was able to do that thanks to Purdue Civil Engineering,” Schroeder says. “Because of what I learned at Purdue, I can do what I do now as a professional.” She earned her bachelor’s degree in 2015 and her master’s in 2016.

Schroeder is a process engineer at Kansas City, Missouri-based Burns & McDonnell — ranked No. 10 in Engineering News-Record’s top 500 design firms in the United States. Working in the company’s Water Group, she specializes in municipal water and wastewater treatment.

Schroeder says the biggest project she is working on currently is the design of a drinking water treatment plant in Salina, Kansas.

“It’s been an incredible challenge,” she says. “The biggest issue we’re facing is that we need to design this plant with strong drought resistance. Salina is very susceptible to droughts, so we must ensure that the plant maintains its access to water despite that.”

In her first three years as a professional civil engineer, Schroeder has already distinguished herself. This past fall, she received the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Region 7 Outstanding Younger Member Award. She was commended for being a vital member at a top-ranking firm and for her advocacy work in education and the civil engineering industry.

Since moving to Kansas City, Schroeder has involved herself in K-12 STEM education programs.

As part of her involvement with ASCE, Schroeder helped plan an ambitious outreach event in conjunction with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) at the annual conference in March 2017. “We hosted more than 1,500 kids from kindergarten through 12th grade — and about 100 adult chaperones — at Cinetopia and the Museum at Prairiefire in Overland Park, Kansas. That was bonkers,” she says, laughing.

“Education has always been important to me, and it’s a big part of my family,” Schroeder says. “My mother, my grandmother and my great-grandmother were all teachers. I’ve seen for myself how much they care and how much of an impact they have on children and teens. I knew that was something I wanted to do as well — but from the perspective of a professional engineer.”

As for her civil engineering advocacy work, Schroeder is one of the main points of contact for her state senators and representatives in Washington, D.C. She works to promote and inform government officials on the infrastructure needs and funding required in Missouri.

“It’s vital that we’re able to communicate and advocate with our representatives so that our area’s infrastructure needs are consistently met,” Schroeder says. “Our expertise is needed so that our leaders can make informed decisions.”