Lauryn Spearing
Research/Areas of Interest
1) Infrastructure management during uncertain contexts
2) Understanding public perceptions towards the built environment
3) Sustainable water technology adoption
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy, Univ Texas Austin, USA, 2021
- Master of Science, Univ Texas Austin, USA, 2019
- Bachelor of Science, Univ Texas Austin, USA, 2017
Biography
Lauryn Spearing, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Tufts University. She received her PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Spearing uses a systems thinking approach, involving both qualitative and quantitative methods, to understand complex problems at the intersection of technical, social, and natural systems. Her research focuses on three broad areas: 1) infrastructure management during uncertain contexts; 2) understanding public perceptions towards the built environment; and 3) sustainable water technology adoption. She has worked on various complex engineering problems such as: managing infrastructure interdependencies in rural Alaska, understanding community impacts after the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment, and exploring how population dynamics impact the built environment. Her research involves collaborating with communities, water utilities in the US, and federal policymakers. Her research has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the National Alliance for Water Innovation, and the National Academies Gulf Research Program Early-Career Research Fellowship.