Laurie LaPat-Polasko Named in ‘Top 50 Women Leaders of Arizona’
May 2024
Phoenix, AZ — Dr. Laurie LaPat-Polasko, Vice President/National Director of Remediation, Matrix New World Engineering (Matrix), has been honored as one of the 2024 Top 50 Women Leaders of Arizona by Women We Admire.
Women We Admire is dedicated to showcasing the achievements of women leaders across various sectors such as business, entertainment, sports, motherhood, medicine, and law. This prestigious award celebrates proficient and skillful women who hold high-level positions across all industries.
According to the magazine, “Dr. Laurie LaPat-Polasko is the Vice President of Matrix New World Engineering, an environmental engineering firm with experience throughout the US and the Caribbean. A world-renowned scientist, Dr. LaPat-Polasko, focuses on finding solutions to environmental issues surrounding our planet.”
According to Jayne Warne, PE, Matrix President, “Dr. LaPat-Polasko is an accomplished expert and we are pleased to see her receive this recognition. She is an integral member of the Matrix family.”
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About Dr. Laurie LaPat-Polasko
Known worldwide for her work developing innovative solutions to address water and soil contamination issues, Dr. LaPat-Polasko has a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Maryland, a M.S. and Engineers Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University, and a B.S. in Biology from Chatham University.
She has studied microbial pathogens around the globe, combining her knowledge of biology, environmental engineering, and microbiology to develop and design innovative “bioremediation” approaches to clean up contaminated sites, creating a green, cost-effective method to degrade diverse contaminants, such as chlorinated solvents, explosives, fuel compounds, and emerging contaminants.
Dr. LaPat-Polasko used qPCR to determine the source of a Naegleria fowleri impact in a drinking water source in the Phoenix, AZ area. Her many years of experience as a technical consultant, project manager, and chief science officer for efforts involving groundwater and soil remediation and wastewater treatment combined with her knowledge of microbiology and civil engineering, result in cost-effective remediation solutions for surface water, groundwater, soil, and sediments impacted by organic and inorganic compounds.
Dr. LaPat-Polasko has been the recipient of several prominent honors. In 2018, she received the GOLD International Stevie Award for Women in Business, Woman of the Year – Technology, and was selected as Outstanding Business Woman of the Year – 2018 by the Phoenix Business Journal for her community leadership, professional accomplishments, and personal achievements and in 2020 she received the Prism Award from the Society of Women, Engineers for Outstanding Leadership in STEM.
About Women We Admire
Women We Admire is an organization comprised of the most accomplished women executives and leaders across the U.S. and Canada. They provide news and information on today’s women leaders in business, entertainment, sports, motherhood, medicine, law, and many other fields. The topics covered aim to bring recognition to exceptional women’s achievements and to inspire others to do the same.
About Matrix New World Engineering
Matrix New World Engineering is a company of engineering and science experts focusing on some of the nation’s most pressing long-term challenges, including climate change, resiliency, ecological restoration, contamination studies, water supply, disaster response, and urban revitalization. Matrix believes solving environmental challenges through careful planning and engineering is an indispensable measure of success.
Matrix has offices in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Arizona, Louisiana, and California, coupled with project experience throughout the United States and the Caribbean.
