Aidan Uvanni is an active-duty 
United States Coast Guard officer and currently a full-time master’s degree student of Water and Environmental Engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague. He focuses on water management and rainfall-runoff modeling. Aidan is one of a few Fulbrighters who has stayed in the host country for over one year. In September 2022, he started his graduate program as a Fulbright U.S. student and chose to extend beyond his grant for this academic year. When not in school, Aidan enjoys indoor rock climbing and exploring the city by bike or on foot. He is an active volunteer at a local Czech middle school and practices English conversation with a group of Ukrainian teenagers. Prior to his Fulbright grant, Aidan served aboard USCGC Polar Star, deploying to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2022. After graduation, he will continue his service in the United States Coast Guard as an Executive Officer of a smaller icebreaker.
This interview is the 33th part of our Fulbright series to celebrate 30 years of the Fulbright Program in the Czech Republic. Interviews are conducted in cooperation with Ladislav Loukota from Vědátor platform. Video recordings of all the live interviews are published on our Facebook page on the first Wednesday of every month, and are available on our YouTube channel. On Fridays, we offer a written version of the interview on our blog.
What inspired you to pursue a degree in Water and Environmental Engineering, and what do you hope to achieve with your degree?
As part of my general civil engineering bachelor's degree I took a few environmental classes that started my interest. I grew up wanting to have a profession that was dedicated to serving and helping others. By obtaining a degree in Water and Environmental Engineering I hope to build on that purpose by doing my part to protect and provide clean drinking water, the most basic need for all humans.
How do you think advancements in technology are shaping the future of Water and Environmental Engineering, and what new innovations do you find most exciting?
Technology is constantly advancing and researchers, scientists, and engineers are finding new ways to capture water, reuse it, and clean it to ensure this natural resource remains healthy for human consumption and the environment. However, I continue to be amazed by the power of nature to clean water and how as a society we can make urbanization more sustainable through the use of blue green infrastructure.
What inspired you to pursue a degree in Water and Environmental Engineering, and what do you hope to achieve with your degree?
As part of my general civil engineering bachelor's degree I took a few environmental classes that started my interest. I grew up wanting to have a profession that was dedicated to serving and helping others. By obtaining a degree in Water and Environmental Engineering I hope to build on that purpose by doing my part to protect and provide clean drinking water, the most basic need for all humans.
How do you think advancements in technology are shaping the future of Water and Environmental Engineering, and what new innovations do you find most exciting?
Technology is constantly advancing and researchers, scientists, and engineers are finding new ways to capture water, reuse it, and clean it to ensure this natural resource remains healthy for human consumption and the environment. However, I continue to be amazed by the power of nature to clean water and how as a society we can make urbanization more sustainable through the use of blue green infrastructure.
In your opinion, what role should government, industry, and society as a whole play in addressing environmental issues. This is something that might differ between the U.S. and the EU, correct?
I think it is everyone’s responsibility to care for the planet we all share. The resources we have are precious and limited and therefore need to be protected. This starts with the individual and industry but I do think it is necessary for the government to oversee and enforce standards that are in place to prevent environmental issues.
How did you get from Coast Guard to environmental engineering? What motivated you to pursue this field?
One of the 11 statutory missions of the United States Coast Guard is Maritime Environmental Protection. This mission includes preventing, mitigating, and responding to the release of oil or hazardous substances in U.S. waters. I took a particular interest in the few environmental courses I had in my bachelor’s degree and so I was excited that I could pursue a master’s degree in it while also gaining knowledge that is directly applicable to the service.
How did you get information on Fulbright, and why did you pick the Czech Republic for your stay?
I was very fortunate to have an academic advisor, professors, and the Coast Guard Academy Honors Program Director who introduced me to Fulbright and pushed me to strive for academic excellence and further scholarly achievement. The Director encouraged me to consider Central Europe as a grant location and after a little research I found that the Czech Technical University had exactly the program I imagined. The university was extremely receptive to having me in their program and I am thankful the Czech Fulbright Commission offered me this opportunity.
I think it is everyone’s responsibility to care for the planet we all share. The resources we have are precious and limited and therefore need to be protected. This starts with the individual and industry but I do think it is necessary for the government to oversee and enforce standards that are in place to prevent environmental issues.
How did you get from Coast Guard to environmental engineering? What motivated you to pursue this field?
One of the 11 statutory missions of the United States Coast Guard is Maritime Environmental Protection. This mission includes preventing, mitigating, and responding to the release of oil or hazardous substances in U.S. waters. I took a particular interest in the few environmental courses I had in my bachelor’s degree and so I was excited that I could pursue a master’s degree in it while also gaining knowledge that is directly applicable to the service.
How did you get information on Fulbright, and why did you pick the Czech Republic for your stay?
I was very fortunate to have an academic advisor, professors, and the Coast Guard Academy Honors Program Director who introduced me to Fulbright and pushed me to strive for academic excellence and further scholarly achievement. The Director encouraged me to consider Central Europe as a grant location and after a little research I found that the Czech Technical University had exactly the program I imagined. The university was extremely receptive to having me in their program and I am thankful the Czech Fulbright Commission offered me this opportunity.
What surprised you about your stay here? Both regarding your field of study and the stay itself?
Moving to a new country I was prepared for there to be cultural differences but I was particularly surprised by the difference in how the classes are structured here. It took a little time to get used to the five hour classes, but now that I am in my second semester I am in a routine.
I had seen pictures of Prague and people told me it was one of the most photogenic cities in the world, but I did not fully appreciate it until I was able to see the city for myself! It is an amazing opportunity to get to live for an extended period of time in a city with such a rich culture and history.
When you finish your stay and your study, what do you plan next?
Upon graduation I will be assigned a new duty station and continue my service in the United States Coast Guard.
The traditional final question: What do you think everyone should know about the subject of water and environment?
Do not underestimate the crucial role each of us has in protecting our water and environment.
Note: If you would like to read about Aidan's first impressions of the Czech Republic, take a look at his blog post from last year.