Dr. Regina Rodriguez currently serves as an engineering executive on activated carbon projects with applications in the water and air purification markets resulting in multiple patents and publications. She earned her bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in Environmental Engineering Sciences from the University of Florida after emigrating from Havana, Cuba. She is trained in engineering leadership and project management and can work with a diverse group of individuals. She is a National Science Foundation Fellow and beyond this she received several awards from the Association of Academic Women, the Committee of 200 and many others.

Regina designs and implements new business operations and technology across various sectors while overseeing company operations across four activated carbon production facilities in North America. Her work focuses on developing activated carbon products for the removal of pollutants and toxins in industrial processes. Regina has consulted and worked for several activated carbon manufacturers, has been assisting Carbonxt specifically for the past 8 years, and throughout her tenure has played a key role in technology and patent development. Under her leadership, the company is developing one-of-a-kind sorbents and systems for power stations that have generated over $10 million in sales per year and have been named the number 10 fastest growing company led by University of Florida alumni by the Gator 100 in 2021. As an expert in the field of activated carbon, Regina has also been engaged in critical expert witness cases regarding water purification, chemical spills and ignition events as they pertain to activated carbons. She currently holds 5 US patents and is an author in over 10 peer reviewed publications.

Dr. Rodriguez is the Chairwoman of the Activated Carbon Standards Committee for the American Water Works Association, where her role has been essential to the committee’s effort to publish a Best Practice Manual for the US water treatment industry. In addition, she serves as the President of the Association of Cuban-American Engineers, a professional organization whose mission is to help engineering professionals in the United States by promoting further education, providing networking opportunities, and most recently, by addressing engineering-related issues in Cuba’s infrastructure.

Regina’s records of achievement as a young Cuban-American Female Engineer have already made significant impacts on the UF community and in Florida, and she continues to enhance access to opportunities for empowerment and mentorship to Hispanics and Latinas in Florida and beyond.