Our lab studies challenges to safe water access that impact millions of people locally and globally. We design and deploy equitable technologies to monitor and improve drinking water quality. Our translational research integrates methods from environmental engineering, human centered design, and public health.

Our Team

Dr. Katya Cherukumilli, PI

Dr. Cherukumilli is an assistant professor in Human Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE) at the University of Washington. She is dedicated to conducting impact-driven and actionable research, promoting environmental justice, and amplifying underrepresented voices. 

Email: katyach@uw.edu

Jessamine Li

Jessamine is a Masters Student in Human Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE) at UW. Her research is focused on evaluating user perceptions and quality of drinking water infrastructure at university campuses. 

Email: ljl555@uw.edu

Amelia Crill

Amelia is an incoming Sophomore Engineering student at Swarthmore College. She is currently working on a project related to remediation of lead contaminated drinking water fixtures in WA State schools.

Email: acrill1@swarthmore.edu

Research

SWELL is a new research group at the University of Washington (Seattle, WA), established in September 2023. Our work is focused on bridging gaps between scientific discovery, technology design, and safe water access.

We are currently recruiting 1-2 graduate students to join our group! More details about the UW HCDE PhD program can be found here.

Contact Information

Dr. Katya Cherukumilli

Safe Water Equity & Longevity Lab

University of Washington

Phone: (+1) 206-616-1746

Email: katyach@uw.edu

Office: 310 Sieg Hall (UW HCDE)

Lab: 324 More Hall (UW CEE)

Reach out if our work interests you!

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