College of Engineering alum Abdullah Al-Amin, ENG ’25 received the Young Leaders Award for his various work and research in stormwater science.

On Thursday, April 23, Abdullah Al-Amin, ENG ’25, received the Young Leaders Award from the Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin (WRA) at their 2026 Awards Gala. 

A press release from WRA states Al-Amin received the award for “rigorous and pioneering stormwater science, engaging collaboration, and the rare gift of making complex ideas clear in service of clean water across the Delaware River Basin.” The award recognizes emerging leaders in the Delaware River Basin. 

Al-Amin completed his PhD in environmental engineering at the College of Engineering, researching stormwater chemistry and management. He now works for the Philadelphia Water Department as environmental engineer I, working on the post-construction stormwater inspecting team where he completes a wide range of stormwater related projects. 

Al-Amin's interest in stormwater science and clean water started early. Growing up in an industrial area, he would often notice dirty water in the community, particularly coming out of manholes on the street after storms. 

“There was kind of a personal mission to tackle this challenge,” said Al-Amin. Those experiences in his youth led him on the path to pursue a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and receive a master’s degree before starting his PhD at the College of Engineering. 

While much of his PhD work was hybrid lab and field-based while collaborating with multiple research teams, Al-Amin also had the opportunity to work with the Philadelphia Water Department as an intern. There, he saw his work in the lab come to life and benefit communities city-wide. This provided him with a newfound motivation to work in the public sector after completing his PhD. Shortly after graduating, he returned to the Philadelphia Water Department as a full-time employee. 

“I feel the joy that what I used to learn at the lab...now I can see the city-wide implications. It just broadened my mind to see the beautiful science at work,” he said. 

In consideration for the award, WRA reviewed some of the projects and research Al-Amin completed during his time at the College of Engineering. This included investigating the longevity of stormwater bioretention systems receiving stormwater runoff from the I-95 corridor as well as a lab study of different treatment technologies. 

Upon learning he received the award, Al-Amin felt like his hard work had paid off. “I did countless sleepless nights to investigate my data. Countless weekends chasing those storms,” he said. “When the recognition came, it felt like all of these nights and weekends were worth it....and it’s a motivation to go forward.” 

Still early in his career, Al-Amin hopes to continue his positive impact on communities through engineering. His passion for bringing science into application drives his work and hopes to lead more efforts to bring research from the lab into practice.