09/03/2026
Welcome to the U, Lauren Hagerty!
Lauren is an incoming Environmental Engineering Ph.D. student and has already earned an exciting distinction: she has been named a 2026–27 ARCS Foundation Fellow.
At the University of Utah, Lauren will join Dr. Katherine Dowdell’s lab to study an increasingly important question: What happens when wildfire ash enters the drinking water sources communities rely on?
Her research will investigate the microbial effects of wildfire ash in primary drinking water sources, building on her undergraduate experience studying coal ash geochemistry and environmental contaminants at Lehigh University.
From wildfire impacts to drinking water protection, Lauren is beginning her Ph.D. by taking on a complex environmental challenge with real-world implications.
Congratulations, Lauren!
Environmental engineering Ph.D. student Lauren Hagerty has been named a 2026–27 ARCS Foundation Fellow, earning prestigious support as she begins her graduate research at the...