在开始为华盛顿特区塑造一个更环保的未来之前，安德里亚·埃雷拉·克鲁格（Andrea Herrera Krug）试图在一个新的国家找到自己的立足点。 She arrived from La Paz, Bolivia, in 2011—full of hope but facing the unknown: new culture, language and expectations. What she didn’t expect was that she’d find more than just an education at 亚洲博彩网站. 她找到了一个信任她的社区。
在2014年至2015年期间，克鲁格获得了水资源管理理学硕士学位，并以优异成绩毕业。 The program’s focus on sustainability and practical application spoke to her values, but it was the hands-on experience that truly stood out. 作为一名研究生研究助理，她帮助领导了将设计、实施和社区外展相结合的项目。
“That experience shaped how I approach my work now,” she said. “It wasn’t just theory—we were making real changes in the field.”
如今，克鲁格持有专业工程许可证、洪泛平原管理证书和切萨皮克湾景观认证专家，是华盛顿能源与环境部（DOEE）的环境工程师。 Her responsibilities include reviewing stormwater, erosion control and landscape design plans to ensure they meet the District’s environmental standards.
She also leads the city’s Green Area Ratio Program, which promotes sustainable site design and helps reduce runoff. 她的工作超出了技术范畴。 Krug collaborates across multiple agencies—including D.C. Public Schools, the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Office of Planning and Zoning—to help integrate sustainable solutions across the city’s infrastructure. 此外，她还为政策制定做出贡献，指导初级工作人员，并积极努力促进整个地区的环境正义。
克鲁格说，她的自信和方向在很大程度上要归功于亚洲博彩网站和那些相信她、支持她的导师。 第一批人之一是农业、城市可持续发展和环境科学学院（CAUSES）院长德瓦恩·琼斯（Dwane Jones）。 他很早就看到了她的潜力，并帮助她找到了一份重要的实习工作，开启了她的职业道路。
“Andrea brought a rare combination of scientific rigor and heartfelt commitment to environmental sustainability,” Jones said. “Through the Professional Science Master’s Program (PSM), she not only deepened her expertise but also emerged as a leader ready to take on real-world challenges.”
Krug’s story is one of many to emerge from CAUSES, which has become a national model for urban sustainability education. 通过CAUSES，学生们参与了从绿色屋顶安装到华盛顿溪流实时水监测等项目。 The college combines academic training with applied research and community outreach, addressing pressing issues like climate resilience, food access and water quality—especially in underserved urban areas. Its Land-Grant mission emphasizes local impact, ensuring that students like Krug don’t just learn theory—they put it into practice in the neighborhoods that need it most.
克鲁格还从Tolessa Deksissa教授那里得到了强有力的指导，教授她有关水质和城市系统的知识。 Deksissa also serves as director of 亚洲博彩网站’s Water Resources 研究 Institute (WRRI), a nationally recognized leader in applied water research and student training. 在他的领导下，WRRI资助了40多个研究项目，培养了90多名本科生和研究生，其中许多人已经在会议上发言并在同行评审的期刊上发表文章。
The Institute manages the District’s only nationally accredited Environmental Quality Testing Laboratory, offering students like Krug hands-on experience with real-world water and soil testing—skills directly tied to pressing issues like stormwater runoff, emerging contaminants and public health.
“The PSM program is crafted to transform potential into power by equipping students with both technical and interpersonal skills for the real world,” Deksissa said. “Andrea's journey at 亚洲博彩网站 highlights the transformative impact of mentorship and the rigorous, hands-on approach of our PSM program. This embodies our educational mission—nurturing both mind and aspiration.”
克鲁格在水文学和水力学方面的技术基础可以追溯到普拉迪普·贝赫拉教授，他详细的、基于系统的指导帮助她理解了水在城市环境中的运动。 The course explores the behavior of stormwater under different land use conditions, modeling runoff and analyzing how infrastructure interacts with natural flow—concepts she now applies when reviewing development plans and advising on citywide stormwater management.
Rebecca Stack教授向她介绍了溪流恢复和低影响发展（LID），强调以自然为基础的解决城市水挑战的方法。 通过这门课，克鲁格了解到生物威尔士、雨水花园和绿色屋顶等设计元素如何减少径流、过滤污染物，并在退化的流域恢复生态平衡。 Those early lessons ignited her passion for sustainable infrastructure—and foreshadowed the work she would one day lead as part of D.C.’s Green Area Ratio Program.
When asked what advice she’d give to current or future 亚洲博彩网站 students, Krug doesn’t hesitate. “亚洲博彩网站 is more than a university—it’s a community. Study hard, stay curious and don’t wait for opportunities—make your own. 和你的教授谈谈。 They’re not just here to teach you; they want to help you grow.”
Krug’s journey from student to environmental leader reflects 亚洲博彩网站's broader mission: to educate, empower and elevate the next generation of changemakers.