Anna Biondo, 2024

Anna Biondo’s journey in the world of Building and Construction Technology (BCT) is a testament to her passion for sustainability and the built environment. Always enthusiastic to explore new opportunities, Anna has enriched her knowledge through various internships with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center: “I’ve been lucky to have interned for 5 different companies since I was a sophomore. Each time I signed onto the internship website, I found a new dream job available, and that’s helped me connect with awesome people along the way.”

Her work experience spans from an architecture business to an engineering firm, and even to consulting on low-carbon concrete. This diverse experience has fueled her ambition to achieve one of her primary goals at UMass: to make a large university feel intimate by connecting with like-minded individuals.

Anna’s path began as an undecided engineering major at UMass. She discovered the UMass iCons Program during her freshman year, which sparked her interest in Renewable Energy and Biomedicine/Biosystems. Driven by her passion for sustainability, she initially pursued Civil Engineering before ultimately switching to BCT. Reflecting on this shift, she notes, “In the BCT major, I have been able to learn what people are experiencing on the job site as project managers and engineers. BCT opened my eyes to the human side of the built environment while I learned about building materials and methods, much of it informed by the professor’s perspective on sustainability.”

Anna recently completed her senior thesis, which explores the opportunities and challenges of using low-carbon concrete in campus construction projects. She explains, “Low-carbon concrete is great in reducing our carbon footprint, but the technology isn’t scalable yet and there is a lot of risk involved. That’s what I’m capturing in this case study, but the other side of the coin is evaluating how we can develop that technology 5-10 years down the road from now and implement it.”

As a supplement to her thesis, Anna collaborated with fellow iCons 4 students to create an innovative game inspired by her senior fall internship project. This project explored industry stakeholders' perspectives on the use of low-carbon concrete in Massachusetts construction projects, presenting the findings through a board game format. The game, modeled after the classic game Chutes and Ladders, illustrates interactions between architects, engineers, and project managers. “For example, an architect’s superpower in the game is that they can drive the conversation on low-carbon concrete from the inside, but their downfall is that they are removed from the project site. They can climb the ladder of driving the conversation early but then fall down the chute of not knowing exactly what’s going on at the project site,” Anna explains.

Anna relishes the collaborative environment fostered by the iCons program, which brings together students from various disciplines to work on and research comprehensive and impactful projects.

Guided by the motto “fall forward,” Anna’s hardworking and bold spirit shines through her endeavors. She recounts a personal challenge, “I love running and was supposed to run in the Chicago Marathon last fall, but two weeks before the race I broke my foot. Falling forward, I leaned into my other passions and learned a lot from the humbling experience. I’m grateful to say that I ran the 2024 Boston Marathon and am hopeful for many more in my future.”

Anna encourages other students to pursue their passions wholeheartedly, embracing both the highs and lows: “Each fall will only redirect the way for what’s next for you.”

After graduating from UMass, Anna will join Chapman Construction Design as a Project Assistant, where she will focus on sustainability and entry-level project management. Her journey underscores the importance of passion, resilience, and the pursuit of sustainability in the built environment.