Info For:

Franco Montalto, PhD

Professor of Environmental Engineering
Expertise environmental engineering civil engineering

Montalto directs the Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory in the Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing and he also served as the director for the Northeast hub of the Urban Climate Change Research Network. He is an expert in civil and environmental engineering and a hydrologist with a background in applied and theoretical approaches to solving complex environmental problems. His research focuses on the development of ecologically, economically and socially sensible solutions to urban environmental problems with a focus on sustainable water resource engineering.

He has more than 20 years of experience in eco-hydrological research, planning and design projects. Some of them include the restoration of wetlands, the use of constructed wetlands for wastewater and stormwater treatment, construction of green infrastructure and creating low-impact development technologies. 

Related from the Drexel News Blog

 

Contact

215.895.1385 franco.a.montalto@drexel.edu

Media Inquiries

Britt Faulstick

britt.faulstick@drexel.edu 215.895.2617

In The News

Researchers Show How Consumers Can Impact Stormwater Runoff, Pollution in Areas Like Camden
Jun 16, 2026
Franco Montalto, PhD, a professor in the College of Engineering and Computing, was quoted in a June 16 Inside Climate News article about how wetter storms are pushing stormwater infrastructure updates and flood-reducing green spaces to the brink.
Lessons learned from Ida: Philadelphia must brace for next big storm, Penn researchers say
Jun 3, 2026
Franco Montalto, PhD, a professor in the College of Engineering and Computing, was quoted in a June 3 WHYY story about new research suggesting that Philadelphia may be vulnerable to more frequent extreme flooding in the future.
A Crowdsourcing Stormwater Management Project in Camden Dodges the 'Woke DEI Grant' Purge
Feb 1, 2026
Franco Montalto, PhD, a professor in the College of Engineering, was quoted in a Feb. 1 Grid magazine feature about his lab's work to develop a crowd-sourced app to support stormwater management.
You Might Already Be Living In a 'Sponge City'
Dec 10, 2025
Franco Montalto, PhD, a professor in the College of Engineering, was quoted in a Dec. 10 Dwell story about “sponge cities” and green infrastructure for stormwater management.
This Is What Rain Can Do In New York City
Dec 1, 2025
Franco Montalto, PhD, a professor in the College of Engineering, was cited as a contributor to a Nov. 25 New York Times story about projecting the impact of future extreme weather flooding in New York City.
Don't Want Sewage Seeping Into Your Basement? We Need a Mile-long Wall, Plant Says.
Jun 27, 2025
Franco Montalto, PhD, a professor in the College of Engineering, was quoted in a June 27 NJ.com story about a sea wall proposal to help mitigate climate change flooding in Camden.
Local Efforts Are Essential for Tackling Growing Health Threat From Extreme Heat
Jun 6, 2025
Franco Montalto, PhD, a professor in the College of Engineering, was mentioned in a June 6 TIME article about efforts in Philadelphia to address the growing problem of extreme heat.
Sewage in N.J. City Streets? Sea Level Rise Could Bring Worse Problems Than Flooding.
Dec 4, 2024
Franco Montalto, PhD, a professor in the College of Engineering, and Haseeb Payab, PhD, a research scientist in the College, were quoted in a Dec. 2 NJ.com story about the effects of climate change on Camden's water management strategies.
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Related Articles

Camden, New Jersey Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Pose an Acute Challenge for Cities with Combined Sewer Systems
Jun 27, 2024
College of Engineering researchers recently published research that modeled the potential extent of that the dual problems of sea level rise and climate change pose for a section of Camden, New Jersey, and the effectiveness of one proposed intervention to help protect Camden and other coastal communities with combined sewer systems.
Cop28 Students, Faculty Represent Drexel University at COP28 Through Dialogue and Research
Jan 12, 2024
Over two weeks, 11 community members traveled to Dubai to engage in talk of climate solutions.
Schuylkill River Drexel-Led Consortium Releases Research Strategy for Building Philadelphia Region’s Climate Resilience
May 24, 2023
In hopes of preparing the city for these changes, Drexel University, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and CCRUN convened more than 100 experts, community members and stakeholders to produce a research agenda that, if pursued, could help to fortify Philadelphia, and its most vulnerable populations, against the extreme effects of climate change.
Supported by William Penn Foundation, Drexel, Penn and Villanova Join Forces to Help Philadelphia Communities Address Water Management Effects of Climate Change
Apr 28, 2023
In hopes of helping communities throughout the city that are facing water management problems due to the effects of climate change, Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania and Villanova University are forming a community-focused research network with support from the William Penn Foundation. The Academic Network to Support Urban Water Resilience will direct water management research centers at each of the schools in service of community-based organizations that are developing strategies to bolster their climate resilience.
Sign outside COP27 in Egypt Drexel University Represented by Interdisciplinary Delegation at COP27
Dec 23, 2022
An interdisciplinary group traveled to Egypt to represent Drexel and engage in global efforts to combat climate change.
Couple walking on path surrounded by trees Being in Nature: Good for Mind, Body and Nutrition
Apr 25, 2022
Researchers from Drexel University investigated how nature relatedness – simply feeling connected with the natural world – benefits dietary diversity and fruit and vegetable intake, in a study recently published the American Journal of Health Promotion.
Evening traffic on the streets of Philadelphia. Downtown and City Hall in background. After the 2020 Protests, Let’s Reimagine Urban Green Space as a Way to Promote Social Justice
Nov 17, 2021
There is a growing recognition that social justice is also environmental justice and health justice. Those goals can all be achieved in the redesign of physical spaces, writes College of Engineering Professor Franco Montalto, PhD, in this “Rebuilding Philly” essay.
Study: Parks Not Only Safe, but Essential During the Pandemic
May 12, 2021

Parks played an important role for people seeking respite from the toll of social isolation during the pandemic, and according to new research from Drexel University, they did so without increasing the spread of COVID-19. The study looked at how people used 22 parks in Philadelphia and New York during the height of the pandemic and it found no strong correlation between park use and the number of confirmed cases in surrounding neighborhoods.

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