On Sunday, October 4, 2020, Dr. Lilia Abron, President and CEO of PEER Consultants, P.C., was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering’s Class of 2020. This well-deserved honor recognizes Dr. Abron’s distinguished contributions to engineering and “leadership in providing technology driven sustainable housing and environmental engineering solutions in the United States and South Africa."
Founded in 1964, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is a private, independent, nonprofit institution that provides engineering leadership in service to the nation. The mission of the National Academy of Engineering is to advance the well-being of the nation by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and by marshalling the expertise and insights of eminent engineers to provide independent advice to the federal government on matters involving engineering and technology.
As you may know, election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. The Academy honors individual engineers who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature" and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education."
Dr. Abron is one of only 87 members nationally (and 18, internationally) to receive this highest honor. She explains her emotions regarding this achievement: "It is undoubtedly a highpoint of my career. This honor motivates me to continue in PEER’s mission to provide transformative, efficient, and sustainable solutions to challenging environmental problems with a special focus on improving the lives of marginalized people around the world.”
This, however, represents only one of Dr. Abron’s many achievements throughout her distinguished career as an environmental engineer. She is the first African-American woman in the nation to earn a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, and the first African-American to start an engineering consulting firm focused on environmental issues. She was also one of the first professionals in the field to suggest and demonstrate that sustainability initiatives can rapidly advance the condition of the impoverished sector worldwide.
For more than two decades, as the Founder of PEER Africa, Dr. Abron, along with her partner Douglas “Mothusi” Guy, has established innovative “best practice solutions” for environmentally sound and sustainable projects in the built environment that contribute to the eradication of poverty, and promote and enhance local economic development in the destitute communities in South Africa.
We want to take this time to sincerely congratulate Dr. Abron – and the other elected members – on this great achievement. We commend Dr. Abron’s hard work in advancing the engineering field, leading up to this day. We are all very proud to call her our President and CEO and look forward to her future contributions to the environmental engineering world and the community at large.