Morgan State Ph.D. Student Named 2024 Emerge HBCU Innovator of the Year for Pioneering Stormwater Tech

In a standout moment for Morgan State University and its entrepreneurial community, Ph.D. student Adriélli Bonfanti Pagnoncelli was named the 2024 Emerge HBCU Innovator of the Year at the TEDCO Entrepreneur Expo—Maryland’s premier gathering of tech leaders, startups, and visionaries.

Pagnoncelli captured first place in the highly competitive Emerge DMV HBCU Pitch Competition, wowing judges and attendees with a transformative software solution designed to help municipalities optimize their stormwater utility systems. Her innovation offers a data-driven approach to addressing the financial, regulatory, and environmental challenges of stormwater management—earning her the competition’s $5,000 top prize and the spotlight among sustainability and infrastructure leaders.

“This recognition affirms the importance of inclusive innovation and the role our HBCU students play in building more resilient and equitable communities,” said Pagnoncelli. “I’m incredibly grateful to Morgan State University and my mentors for believing in my vision and helping me bring it to life.”

Her groundbreaking competition entry is based on the research she is conducting in collaboration with Dr. James Hunter, interim chair for Morgan’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Associate Professor Dr. Dong Hee Kang. The trio received a $50,000 National Science Foundation I-Corps grant to explore the commercial potential of their stormwater utility management software.

The tool allows municipalities to set stormwater utility fees based on impervious surface area—drawing from publicly available parcel data to calculate fees, abatements, and even tradeable stormwater credits. The System and Method for Stormwater Utility Management technology, for which Morgan State was awarded a patent in 2023, has the potential to transform how cities across the U.S. manage environmental equity and infrastructure funding.

Pagnoncelli’s achievement underscores the strength of Morgan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly the role of the Entrepreneurial Development & Assistance Center (EDAC) in supporting student-led innovation. Under the guidance of Dr. Hunter and the EDAC team, her journey reflects Morgan’s broader mission to empower underserved communities through high-impact research and economic development.

The Emerge HBCU Pitch Competition, powered by TEDCO, plays a vital role in fostering inclusive entrepreneurship across Maryland. It offers a launchpad for underrepresented founders and innovative student ventures from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the DMV region. While based in this region, the competition serves as a national platform, amplifying the significance of Pagnoncelli’s accomplishment in the broader context of the tech industry and environmental sustainability.

With her win, Pagnoncelli plans to scale her technology and bring it to market—offering local governments a powerful new tool for advancing sustainability goals, improving service delivery, and promoting environmental justice. Her work is poised to have a transformative impact, not just locally, but across the country, as municipalities seek innovative solutions to address the growing challenges of climate change and infrastructure development.