Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 2022
  • M.S., Civil Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 2018
  • B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil, 2016
  • B.Sc., Science and Technology, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil, 2014
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer, Texas, #155127
Professional Honors
  • Fellowships and Scholarships:
  • National Science Foundation Research Traineeship – Food, Energy and Water Systems, 2020-2021
  • University of California Los Angeles Dissertation Year Fellowship, 2020-2021
  • Los Angeles Urban Center Fellowship, 2020-2021
  • Martin Rubin Scholarship – High Achieving Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Student, 2020
Professional Affiliations
  • American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
  • American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • American Water Works Association (AWWA)
  • Latin America Network for Soil and Water Management (NICOLE)
Languages
  • Italian
  • Portuguese
  • Spanish

Dr. Renan Valenca has consulting experience in chemical and environmental engineering. He is a licensed civil engineer and has focused his expertise on engineering investigations of water resources (stormwater, surface water, and groundwater) and water treatment systems.

Dr. Valenca's experience includes environmental forensics and contaminant fate and transport in natural and engineered systems, including within the vadose and saturated zones, for constituents such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chlorinated solvents (specifically PCE and TCE), pathogens, nutrients, and metals. Dr. Valenca has advised industrial clients, property owners, and government institutions regarding vapor intrusion of volatile chemicals, environmental compliance and due diligence, and optimization of water treatment systems. He uses his expertise to reconstruct environmental chemical releases and evaluate the contributions of potentially responsible parties.

Throughout his doctoral studies, Dr. Valenca developed climate-resilient stormwater treatment systems using sustainable soil amendments (e.g., biochar, iron filings, compost, fly ash) through a combination of laboratory and in-situ experiments. He optimized these stormwater systems to enhance the degradation of specific contaminants based on local climate conditions. In addition, Dr. Valenca is a registered Chemical Engineer in Brazil, where he worked in the ceramic industry developing waste management and reutilization programs and supporting the QA/QC process of ceramic tile production.