Start with a question.
Give students an environmental problem that connects technical concepts with a clear purpose.
TEACHING & CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT · USC
Learning to engineer
a sustainable future.
Connecting chemical insight, computational tools, and entrepreneurial thinking with environmental challenges.
A CONNECTED APPROACH TO EDUCATION
Work with evidence.
Bring together chemical analysis, computational tools, and practical observation.
Consider a solution.
Connect scientific understanding with engineering choices and their environmental implications.
01
ENE 440
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
DATA → ENVIRONMENTAL INSIGHT
Machine Learning for
Climate Change and Sustainability
Computational tools for questions that matter.
Python, data analysis, and machine learning applied to environmental systems. Students use real data to connect predictive models with engineering decisions.
Build computational fluency
Python, data preparation, and machine learning algorithms applied to environmental questions.
Work with environmental data
Air quality data from OpenAQ, water quality applications, image analysis of waste, and CO₂ emissions.
Connect models with context
Assignments translate computational methods into questions about environmental systems and sustainability.
02
CE 363L
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
CHEMISTRY → ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS
Environmental Chemistry
and Analysis
Follow a molecule. Understand a system.
Environmental chemistry and laboratory analysis connect the behavior of molecules with the engineering of environmental solutions. Leslie expanded the course beyond water chemistry to include air chemistry, geochemistry, and soil chemistry.
Learn through experimentation
Laboratory work develops skills in environmental analysis and the interpretation of chemical evidence.
Connect environmental compartments
Computational and AI assignments examine how pollutants partition between air, water, and sediment.
Study systems in practice
Field visits to the Hyperion water treatment facility and a Los Angeles-area landfill connect classroom chemistry with treatment and waste management.
03
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
SUSTAINABLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
INNOVATION → ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE
Developing sustainable
entrepreneurship education.
What does it take for an idea to make a difference?
Leslie is developing sustainable entrepreneurship classes grounded in her research and industry experience, with a focus on waste valorization and carbon capture.
Her BEE Workshop, developed and organized at USC, brings students into contact with founders, startup ecosystems, and sustainability-focused ventures through experiential learning.
Explore the BEE Workshop ↗Read about Leslie’s entrepreneurship perspective ↗