My Story

“Two natural disasters in the Upper Valais, one in 1993 and another in 2000, drove me to study Environmental Engineering. Since I am originally from that region I wanted to contribute to risk reduction there.

I currently work in the field of hazard prevention and focus on river flood management. My job mainly involves drawing up flood hazards maps and working on flood risk management projects related to mountain streams.

My first contact with risk management was at EPFL. I did an internship during my studies at a company specialized in that field. For my master’s thesis I carried out a study on health risks for researchers exposed to synthetic nanoparticles.

After receiving my degree, I worked in the environmental security department of a railroad company. I was in charge of organizing security and environmental audits, analyzing existing tunnel security, managing pollution. I also was a representative for the company in a workgroup dedicated to reducing the risks associated with the transport of dangerous goods.

During my studies, I was as much interested in ‘Water, Soil, and Ecosystems Engineering’ as in ‘Pollution Management and Industrial Ecology’. The multidisciplinary education program in Environmental Engineering builds adaptability skills to tackle change and work in different areas. My professional activities focus on the management of many types of risk. My experience proves that it is possible to move from one field to another.”

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