The College of Engineering announces Marc Lucca, ENG ‘86 as the 2026 graduation keynote speaker. Lucca currently serves as president of Aqua Pennsylvania, providing drinking water and wastewater services to approximately 1.5 million Pennsylvanians. He is also a long-time member of the American Water Works Association, a board member of the PA Chamber of Business & Industry and has served as past chair for the National Association of Water Companies. Lucca remembers his time as an undergraduate student at the college fondly and is eager to share his insight with the Class of 2026. He shared some of his career journey and motivations for speaking at graduation with the college: 

College of Engineering: What excites you most about being the keynote speaker? 

Marc Lucca: I firmly believe in mentorship and paying it forward. My career has been most rewarding, and I find myself in position today to share some of my life experiences so that others may perhaps find similarities in their life and know they too can succeed. All it takes is commitment. 

COE: What has been your career journey since graduating from Temple? 

ML: My career after graduating from Temple University spans 40 years. Immediately following graduation, I worked in consulting, then in 1991 I joined American Water Works Company as an engineer. Over the next 35 years, I worked in both private industry and government where I worked on many different projects, large and small, including the California Aqueduct which serves approximately 27 million people and irrigates 750,000 acres of farmland across California. In 2016 I became president of Aqua Pennsylvania where we serve approximately 1.5 million Pennsylvanians drinking water and providing wastewater services every day.  As president, I strive to provide excellent customer service, deliver high-quality drinking water and wastewater services, and oversee my company's financial health. I am also responsible to approximately 600 Aqua Pennsylvania employees and their families. 

COE: How did you get started as an engineer? What made you want to come to Temple? 

ML: I always wanted to be an engineer which I attribute to summers when I worked as a plumber’s helper and electrician’s helper. I learned how things work and how to put things together which developed in me a curiosity which found a home in engineering. Early on I wanted to be an agricultural engineer because I loved being outdoors, which I attribute to my time as a boy scout. I landed in environmental engineering which seemed to fit both interests.  

Temple University was a natural fit for me. My two older brothers are graduates of Temple; one with a degree in finance and the other with a doctorate in psychology. But for me, Temple was a great fit as it was one of the few colleges at the time that offered studies in environmental engineering, and it was close to home. 

COE: What did your time as an undergraduate student look like? 

ML: Living in south Philadelphia at the time, most days I took the subway from Snyder Avenue to Cecil B. Moore station and then walked to class. Temple provided a great education at an affordable cost. By working during the summer and part-time during the school year, I saved enough for tuition. 

We spent a lot of time in the library, but years later I realized it actually took me a few years to learn how to study.  High school was relatively easy for me, and I did not develop the best study habits. During my early years at college, I was challenged to keep up. I had to develop a study routine that worked for me and create a plan for completing assignments on time. This commitment to a plan has served me well in my career where planning is essential to what we do.