Industry Leader Spotlight: Rosa Gwinn, PhD, Global PFAS Technical Leader with AECOM

By combining academics with her professional environmental remediation experience, Rosa Gwinn, PhD, Global PFAS Technical Leader with AECOM, brings an impressive background to her field. Armed with a PhD and MSc in Geological Sciences from Brown University, and a BA, magna cum laude, in Geological Sciences from Harvard University, Rosa balances her accomplished experience in academia with a hands-on approach in her day-to-day work. She shares, “In my current role, I am responsible for sharing our PFAS thought leadership, ensuring the technical execution of PFAS work, collaborating internally and externally on solutions, and developing best-in-class performance on PFAS-related projects. However, I also enjoy providing opportunities to promising and capable employees who are not as far along in their careers as I am. I know at certain stages of my career I could have used an active mentor from within the company, and I see my role as a resource and advisor, offering help to others who will do great things, if given the attention and the opportunity.”

Prior to serving in her current position at AECOM, a global environmental services firm, Rosa gained consulting expertise both as a project manager, leading multimillion dollar portfolios and as an operations group leader for over 50 technical professsionals. She began her consulting journey as an entry-level geologist, installing and sampling hundreds of monitoring wells, and she is a registered Professional Geologist in two states. All total, Rosa has nearly 30 years of professional experience in the environmental industry. She adds, “Some may say we are working ourselves out of a job in environmental remediation because we are getting better at cleaning up more and more sites—and that means there may be less to do. That said, we can be proud as an industry (and as a society) that we are making a positive impact on our planet for future generations to enjoy.”

While she herself has not worked directly with REGENESIS on a project for remedy selection, her colleagues have reached out to REGENESIS for solutions to remediate contaminated groundwater problems. She continues, “AECOM has used various REGENESIS products, including PlumeStop® on PFAS migration problems, which I am most keenly interested in.” She also appreciates the vision AECOM has for its future, and for our planet when it comes to the environment. She shares, “AECOM has doubled down on a commitment to building a better world where infrastructure creates opportunities for everyone. That includes delivering clean water and energy, restoring the environment, and developing and implementing innovative solutions to improve people’s lives.”

To stay abreast of evolving technology and trends, she attends academic and commercial presentations, such as conferences and webinars. She adds, “Even though not required to maintain my Professional Geologist registration, I’m so passionate about continuing to learn because this field is constantly evolving.” One example of this is reflected in the pace of regulations.  She continues, “My work has it’s challenges- especially with PFAS, in keeping the messages and technical capabilities on pace with the market and regulations. This means I must exercise my lifelong love of learning and teaching, so that I can share my knowledge with my teams, and especially with our clients. There is plenty of uncertainty, and PFAS are a particular environmental challenge that requires we bring our ‘A-game’ every day.” When asked how she’s seen the industry change over the last three decades, she points to the advancements in technology and treatment methodology. “The technological advances in the environmental industry have been remarkable over the past 30 years. Remedial solutions are far more focused. We no longer pump from across an entire aquifer—we focus on contaminant flux. And we can implement remedies that target a specific area and specific problems, thereby reducing cost, ancillary damage, and expediting the solution.”

Rosa resides in Maryland, with her partner, just outside of Washington DC, where she connects to staff in the five AECOM regional offices, Germantown, MD, Washington, DC, Arlington, VA, Annapolis Junction, MD, and Baltimore, MD, and enjoys a variety of activities outside of her work, with woodworking and duckpin bowling at the top of her list. She shares, “I have been an amateur woodworker for decades but don’t find much time to do it lately with work and travel, although COVID and some home improvements have helped make that more accessible. I am also an avid duckpin bowler, which is a variation of the sport of bowling but has a number of gameplay differences that make it a unique alternative.  Prior to COVID, I was part of a very friendly and non-competitive duckpin league. I used to be more into duckpins, and here is a story about that.” (https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4950126)

When asked how she would encourage others to join her field of study, she feels there are excellent opportunities available, especially for those who have a desire to combine environmental policy with science and engineering. She concludes, “People who are finishing their education and entering the marketplace today have always lived in a world where protecting the environment has value. There are formal fields of environmental study that focus on figuring out what is best for society (policy), and opportunities that address how to execute solutions (engineering and science). Having a foot in both of these areas of study creates a great consultant. And what is the best thing about consulting? Being given the chance to find solutions where none are already known to exist, using your brain, and balancing the risks and benefits of those solutions.”

REGENESIS is proud to have Rosa Gwinn, PhD, and Global PFAS Technical Leader with AECOM, as a valued client and partner in environmental remediation, and appreciates her expertise and deep knowledge base that provides successful remediation outcomes.