Faculty Spotlight: Diana Calvo Martinez
Dr. Diana Calvo Martinez, Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, Construction Management and Environmental Engineering, was recently awarded the Dr. William Yslas Vélez STEM Award.
The recognition was presented at the 16th Annual Pete C. García Victoria Foundation Arizona Higher Education Awards in September. Calvo Martinez was nominated by NAU’s President José Luis Cruz Rivera, who received the same award himself in 2022.
Dr. Calvo Martinez joined NAU in 2022, and she was drawn to both NAU and Flagstaff due to its connections between her background in microbial ecology and her goal of addressing water-security and environmental justice issues.
Her research focuses on environmental biotechnology, or harnessing microbes to deliver practical services for society, especially in communities that have historically been underserved. Before coming to NAU, Calvo Martinez taught in Colombia, working on water security. She said her appointment at NAU allowed her to build a bridge between her technical knowledge and her commitment to environmental equity.
Since arriving at NAU, Calvo Martinez has focused on a combination of both research and community-oriented services. In her lab, she mentors undergraduates, master’s and PhD students, many of whom come from Latinx and other minority backgrounds, in projects that explore wastewater treatment, biofilm reactors, microbial remediation, wastewater-to-energy technologies, and other environmental-biotech technologies.
Outside of her research, she said she strives to insert real-world context into her courses, offering students from diverse backgrounds the chance to engage with environmental engineering challenges that matter to their own communities. She also serves as a faculty advisor to campus groups, including the NAU chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), working with others to find ways for Latino students to succeed and move deeper into STEM fields.
Calvo Martinez is also building institutional bridges abroad like working toward a formal exchange agreement between NAU and Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, allowing students to collaborate across continents on environmental engineering and water-security research. She said this collaboration would greatly benefit students and their studies, adding an extra layer of diversity to their studies.
In receiving the Dr. William Yslas Vélez STEM Award, Dr. Calvo Martinez joins a community of educators recognized for their contributions to higher education in their designated fields.
The Award, which is named after William Yslas Vélez, an individual encouraging minority participation in math and sciences areas, honors faculty whose work contributes to meaningful opportunities and research in STEM areas and people with STEM backgrounds.
“We welcome people from every background,” Calvo Martinez said.
This recognition reflects her ongoing commitment to building inclusive educational and research spaces for Latinx, Indigenous, and other marginalized communities.
As NAU continues expanding its efforts to address environmental justice and water security in these minority communities, faculty like Dr. Calvo Martinez have critical roles not only in advancing science, but in shaping a more sustainable future.