Dr. Amber Pete joined the Engineering and Industrial Professions department in the Fall of 2022. Dr. Pete brings a unique educational background, having finished her Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in the Summer of 2022 and her bachelor's degree in Engineering from McNeese State University in 2018, but before that, she earned her bachelor's degree in Philosophy also from McNeese State University in 2012.   

Dr. Pete joined UNA immediately after completing her Ph.D.  At LSU, Dr. Pete served as the TA for chemical engineering classes, including Momentum Transfer, Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, and Genetic Engineering. Dr. Pete also taught the junior- and senior-level elective, Genetic Engineering. Prior to her beginning graduate school, she interned at Westlake Chemical, where she worked as a chemist, helping to develop methods for quality control of the production of polyethylene.   

Dr. Pete has a passion for helping students learn through active learning with a focus on concept-based pedagogy.  Her research interest lies in environmental work, where she studies how indigenous microorganisms can be used to remove organic contaminants. Dr. Pete has engineered environmentally friendly nanoparticles that can be used to increase the natural biodegradation rates of crude oil spills in marine waters. Dr. Pete also studies the influence of microorganisms on microplastics in the water, which she believes will eventually lead to the development of techniques to increase the rates of biodegradation of plastic pollution.   

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