Name: Vanessa Galvez. Born: 1990. Vanessa is a civil engineer. She designs and builds spaces like parks, cities, roads, and more. Fact 1: Too much rain from a storm can create flooding and other problems. Vanessa helps fix this! Fact 2: Vanessa desi…
 

VANESSA GALVEZ
CIVIL ENGINEER
STEM Superheroes™ Series

Vanessa Galvez is a civil engineer; she helps develop the infrastructure of cities! For example, in 2016, she oversaw the implementation of bioswales in Maspeth, Queens in New York. Bioswales are designed to absorb runoff water. Plants soak up storm water, preventing flooding in cities. Ms. Galvez manages their location; they’re usually built near sidewalks and streets. Plus, they give a fresh appeal to the landscape!

As reported in UMKC University News, Ms. Galvez “became interested in Civil Engineering after watching a documentary about levee failures in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.”

She currently works for Jacobs, an engineering firm for sustainable solutions, and previously worked for NYC Department of Design and Construction. 

Dr. Wong-Staal’s card was developed in collaboration with ErinEdu.

Further Resources
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