Enhancing Communities through Multifunctional Green Infrastructure

Dr. Franco Montalto, PE is a licensed civil/environmental engineer and hydrologist with 20 years of experience working in urban and urbanizing ecosystems as both a designer and researcher. His experience includes planning, design, implementation, and analysis of various natural area restoration and green infrastructure projects. As an Associate Professor in Drexel University’s Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, he currently directs the Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory. He also heads up the Green Infrastructure Sector of the NOAA-funded Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast (CCRUN), a five-year research initiative. Dr. Montalto is also the founder of eDesign Dynamics LLC, a consulting firm based In New York City that specializes in green infrastructure and ecological restoration. Previously, Dr. Montalto served as the Wetlands Engineer at the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, where he was responsible for the engineering design of the 139-acre Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus, NJ among other large urban wetland restoration projects. He has worked overseas in various capacities in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America and is the author of numerous publications in the water resources and environmental fields. He was also formerly a Fellow at the Earth Institute at Columbia University, a Fulbright Scholar, and an Adjunct Professor at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, where he received his first degree. His graduate degrees are from Cornell University.