Rebecca Macdonald is a recipient of the W. Edward Lear Endowed Graduate Fellowship in the College of Engineering and a National Science Foundation GK-12 Fellow at the University of Alabama. She received her BS in Civil Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and MA in Economics from Virginia Commonwealth University. Rebecca has served in various positions within the energy utility field performing financial management and capital project assignments in the states of Georgia, Florida, California, Ohio, and Virginia. Her primary research interests include material price risk management, new market drivers for construction, regulatory impacts, and engineering education development. Rebecca hopes to secure a tenure-track position at a research university upon the completion of her Ph.D. program. Her dissertation research investigates the viability of using financial hedging strategies to minimize financial risk during project delivery. She is originally from Richmond, VA and is an avid sports fan and traveler.
The University of Alabama, part of The University of Alabama System, is the state’s flagship university. UA shapes a better world through its teaching, research and service. With a global reputation for excellence, UA provides an inclusive, forward-thinking environment and nearly 200 degree programs on a beautiful, student-centered campus. A leader in cutting-edge research, UA advances discovery, creative inquiry and knowledge through more than 30 research centers. As the state’s largest higher education institution, UA drives economic growth in Alabama and beyond.