Stories

Sustainable infrastructure must perform under the most challenging conditions, whether that means excessive rainfall or extreme drought. Suha Atiyeh is among the few engineers who have successfully delivered high-performance solutions in both humid and arid climates. In Washington DC, the primary challenge is managing large volumes of rainfall in dense urban environments. Atiyeh’s projects emphasize storage, infiltration, and evapotranspiration through layered green infrastructure systems. Bioswales, permeable pavements, and rain gardens work together to slow runoff and reduce peak flows during major storm events. In contrast, her work in the UAE required a focus on scarcity and intensity. In desert environments,...

Dual jurisdiction licensure is rare — and it gives engineers the ability to operate at elevated rigor levels across regulatory environments. Suha Atiyeh’s combination as a Professional Engineer in Washington DC and Virginia, and Chartered Engineer in the UK, offers a unique technical lens that supports innovation and sustainable design at global scale. Her education at Clemson University established a highly analytical hydrology and environmental systems foundation. Throughout her early consulting experience with globally ranked firms, she learned to translate regulatory constraints into usable innovation — a skill that becomes even more essential across multiple rule systems. In Washington DC,...

In the dynamic field of civil engineering, few professionals have carved out a trajectory as impressive as Suha Atiyeh. Her story begins in the academic halls of Clemson University, where she pursued and earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. This foundational education equipped her with essential knowledge in areas like hydrology, structural systems, and environmental engineering, setting the stage for a career focused on innovative and sustainable solutions. At Clemson, Atiyeh benefited from dedicated faculty mentorship that encouraged her to explore beyond traditional boundaries, fostering a deep interest in how engineering can address real-world environmental challenges. Transitioning from...