Shannon Seneca

PhD, REHS/RS, EIT

Headshot of Dr. Shannon Seneca.

Shannon Seneca

PhD, REHS/RS, EIT

Shannon Seneca

PhD, REHS/RS, EIT

Six Nations Mohawk, Turtle Clan
Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies

Education

  • B.S. Physics
  • M.S. Civil (Environmental) Engineering Ultraviolet disinfection for drinking water treatment
  • PhD Civil (Environmental) Engineering Remediation of radiologically contaminated groundwater at WVDP

Biographical Statement

Shannon Seneca, PhD, REHS/RS, EIT is a Haudenosaunee environmental engineer. Her Bachelor of Science in Physics and she moved into civil engineering for her graduate studies. Dr. Seneca's master’s work was focused on drinking water treatment while she gained expertise in geochemistry, contaminant hydrology and groundwater remediation during her doctoral studies. She was the first female Native American to earn her PhD in Engineering at UB in 2012. Dr. Seneca obtained ecosystem restoration training and experience through the University at Buffalo’s National Science Foundation IGERT Ecosystem Restoration through Interdisciplinary Exchange (ERIE) program. For almost a decade, Dr. Seneca worked with the Seneca Nation and served as the Seneca Nation Health System's Environmental Health Director. She briefly worked with the Center for Indigenous Cancer Research at Roswell Park Cancer Institute as an assistant faculty member to respond to Indigenous community desires to see more active environmental health cancer research. She brings in much diversity as an Indigenous person and an environmental engineer delving into environmental health to tackle the impact of environmental contaminants on human health. Dr. Seneca has recently joined the University at Buffalo’s Indigenous Studies Department as a Research Assistant Professor and she strives to be a part of many interdisciplinary teams as each individual brings unique backgrounds to the table to solve large scale problems together.