Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andrea Andolfo has been appointed Professor of Wastewater and Sustainable Process Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at Hochschule RheinMain (HSRM) as of July 1, 2024. After training as an electrical engineer, Professor Andolfo studied mechanical engineering at TU Wien, specializing in equipment and plant engineering. Later, she completed a master’s degree in agriculture and environment at Bingen Technical University of Applied Sciences. Andrea Andolfo completed her doctorate on “Emission-reducing nutrient separation of organic fertilizers” at the Chair of Environmental and Natural Sciences at Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg. Outside of academia, she has worked in various international industrial engineering companies as a project manager and R&D department head.

What aspect of your research fascinates you the most?

What fascinates me about my own research work is developing established wastewater technologies into demonstrably eco-friendly, sustainable processes while maintaining economic viability and global applicability. I am particularly interested in re-evaluating key issues in process engineering and incorporating the latest scientific findings, even if these are not yet established and standardized. This requires a continuous and active review of one’s own work and creates more networks and exchange with other scientists.

What does “good teaching” mean to you?

In my opinion, good teaching means training students in the interoperability of engineering disciplines as comprehensive preparation for their later work in international teams. Teachers have a responsibility to teach new technologies and to pursue their academic mission from within the student body.

What did you want to be growing up?

From a very early age, I wanted to be a researcher and work in a team to implement feasible concepts on the basis of natural laws. Engineering is the perfect playground for it. My avid interest in various fields of technology and resource utilization has instilled in me an early desire to take responsibility for the environment and people.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Spend time with family and friends, attend concerts, enjoy music of all genres and visit museums of modern art. I can live out my passion for food on city trips and weekend getaways. I also like to go scuba diving – it is the ideal way to have a break from work.