Feature Stories 2021: Lauren Underwood '13 shares her key to success

“I would not be where I am today had I not attended UMass Dartmouth,” said Lauren Underwood, who earned her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from UMassD in 2013. Lauren is now a project manager and associate at Environmental Partners where she specializes in municipal drinking water. Her day-to-day activities include planning, design, permitting, construction cost estimation, bidding assistance, construction contract administration, resident project representative management, hydraulic modeling, and drinking water master planning. “UMass Dartmouth’s ABET-accredited civil engineering program provided me with the resources that I needed to begin a career in water resources engineering right after graduation.”

Lauren participates on various committees with the New England Water Works Association, serves on the Massachusetts Water Works Association Board of Directors, and is actively involved in other various field-related associations.  She stays connected to her alma mater by serving as a mentor for the civil senior design class at the College of Engineering. “To me, the most impressive aspect of the UMassD civil engineering program is the newly revitalized senior design class. The class gives students the opportunity to work on real-life projects alongside practicing professional engineers, from the initial proposal stages all the way through full project design. I have judged the final presentations for this class for the last few years and am consistently impressed with the students’ demonstrated capabilities and professionalism even before they begin their careers,” she said. Lauren has also participated on several career panels hosted by the UMassD Society of Women Engineers and College of Engineering.

Additionally, Lauren is the recipient of multiple awards, including the New England Water Works Association’s Younger Member of the Year Award, the Environmental Business Council New England’s Ascending Leader Award, the Massachusetts Water Works Association’s Special Achievement Award, and the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s 29 Who Shine Award. She enjoys traveling during her spare time.

“To me, the most impressive aspect of the UMassD civil engineering program is the newly revitalized senior design class."