Alexandra Hauke

Alexandra Hauke, a senior majoring in biological engineering at N.C. A&T, has been chosen as one of over 2,100 U.S. citizens who will study, conduct research, and assist teachers abroad for the 2019-20 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant.

She received the Fulbright–Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Awards for Graduate Studies and PhD Research in Science and Technology and will spend nine months in Vienna, Austria, to conduct research on waste-to-energy systems at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences. Her research proposal is titled “Evaluation and Reduction of Ethane Emissions from European Biogas Plants.” She plans to become a licensed environmental engineer focusing on sustainability and waste management.

As part of her undergraduate experience, Hauke conducted her own research project through the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. She worked with her mentor, Lijun Wang, Ph.D., to extract nutrients from agricultural waste and transform them into fertilizer rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

She presented her research at the Biennial Research Symposium hosted by the Association of 1890 Research Directors in Jacksonville, Fla., March 30-April 3, winning second place for her oral presentation in the category of renewable energy, natural resources and the environment.

Hauke was one of four outstanding Aggies endorsed to apply for the Fulbright Program, which is designed to foster mutual understanding between the U.S. and over 160 countries around the world through the exchange of citizens, who then build lasting connections and use their international experiences to enhance their ability to lead within their field.