Sandra Cutts, Ph.D., has joined an elite group of researchers in the Fulbright program. Her research will investigate awareness of environmental systems and develop strategies to increase citizen engagement at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece.

As a 2019-2020 Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, Sandra worked on environmental policy in the United States Senate. The fellowship program, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), offers an educational experience to graduate students interested in the ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and policies.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in environmental planning from Alabama A&M University, Sandra went on to do an MBA at the University of Chicago. She was also part of Oak Ridge’s Institute for Science and Education program. Her research contributed to the public’s understanding of emerging technologies and alternative, clean, and efficient energy sources.

She received her Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. While there, she was awarded a Blazer Best Fellowship, a Graduate School Dean Scholarship, and a Graduate Academic Fellowship for her academics.

In 2014, Sandra presented her research at the Emerging Researcher National Conference in Washington, DC. Additionally, her research on community perceptions of nuclear power plants was awarded second place during a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) conference held at Alabama A&M University.

During her career, she worked as an intern with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, General Services Administration, the Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency, where she was part of a team that investigated the development of a light rail system in support of the Sustainable Healthy Communities program.

Sandra is a member of Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the Black Graduate Student Association, American Planning Association, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.