Dr. Amy Brooks is a Research Scientist in Sustainable Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. She holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of Georgia where her work focused on global issues related to plastic waste management and pollution. After graduating in 2021, she worked as a postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State University developing expertise in qualitative research methodologies applied in the engineering education research discipline. Amy’s current research spans topics such as advancing circular economy in US higher education institutions and communities and development of a circular economy-integrated pavement LCA tool in the state of Pennsylvania. In 2024, Amy joined the board of the Sustainable Urban Systems section of ISIE.
Amy's main research/work interest areas:
- plastic waste management and policy
- circular economy in cities and communities
- qualitative research methods applied in engineering contexts
Amy's favorite cities and why:
- Tromsø, Norway - bustling Arctic city, very cool (pun intended) waste management infrastructure, saw the northern lights!
- Hoi An, Vietnam - interesting cultural fusion, the lanterns are magical
- Washington, DC, USA - so much to do and learn about, big city vibes without being huge
How did you get interested in cities research? What drew you to sustainability topics?
I'm drawn to sustainability topics especially at the city scale because, after spending a few years exploring plastic waste issues at global and regional scales, I realized that globally manufactured goods are being consumed, disposed, and potentially impacting the environment at local scales. How we consume and manage our waste is very context-sensitive and follows local norms, policies, and conditions. I think we bridging global strategies with local realities is the only pathway to sustainably managing such challenging materials.
Recent publications
- Brooks AL, Havas V. Strengthening global plastic policy with systems analysis. Nature Sustainability. 2025. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-025-01554-4
- Silva de Souza Lima Cano N, Marino M, Brooks AL, Eckelman MJ, Bilec MM. Advancing the circular economy of healthcare plastics: A systematic literature review. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2025;219:108317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108317