Monroe Weber-Shirk, senior lecturer in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will be transitioning to full-time work on AguaClara’s mission of safe water for Majority World communities.
Cornell University will be retiring the AguaClara Cornell program in its current form, effective at the beginning of the fall semester. This is in part due to the current pandemic and the need for physical lab space for teaching.
Weber-Shirk is the founder and director of AguaClara Cornell, which for 15 years has brought clean drinking water to underserved communities through student-designed municipal water treatment plants that operate without requiring electricity. He will be on leave for the coming academic year as he plans his transition.
AguaClara Reach, a nonprofit established in 2017 to expand the successes of the Cornell program, will continue its operations.
“I am grateful that Cornell has provided an amazing opportunity for Cornell students to invent the next generation of water treatment technologies that are already making the world a better place. I honor my rich relationships with thousands of students, colleagues, and staff formed during 26 years of teaching at Cornell,” said Weber-Shirk.
Students who are currently involved with AguaClara Cornell will be provided with opportunities to participate in project teams and community-engaged programs at Cornell, said Linda Nozick, director of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
“I’d like to thank Monroe for his dedication to the AguaClara program and his passion for teaching and learning through community engagement,” said Nozick. “I look forward to seeing AguaClara live on through its nonprofit counterpart as our school remains committed to sustainable water resource management.”
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