Katie De Jong

“The world is currently facing enormous challenges, with the global population – predicted to double within 60 years – placing an incredible demand on natural resources and systems already under threat. These challenges present enormous opportunities for the engineering profession, as we have the technical know-how and skills to lead the way in re-shaping the way we live as a society,” says Katie.

It’s clear why Katie chose to be an engineer – to transform innovative concepts into reality.

A turning point came at just 17 years of age. “I was on exchange in a rural village in Paraguay, South America. I remember standing on the banks of the Paraná River watching a cement factory discharge large volumes of grey, putrid-smelling wastewater into the river. Just downstream, the local people were swimming in the river, playing and lazing about on their ‘beach’.”

Since then, Katie has followed her dream of trying to eliminate these problems, focusing on water, wastewater management and sustainability in the water cycle.