Cothern first came to New Orleans as a civil engineering student at UNO, joining the ASCE student chapter in 1988, where she became a concrete canoe team member and served as student chapter president. Gianna earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UNO in 1990 and 1993, respectively, and completed her PhD at LSU in 1996. She joined the UNO civil engineering faculty in August 1996 and has taught various undergraduate and graduate courses for 28 years.
A licensed professional engineer in Louisiana, Gianna has been the faculty advisor for the UNO ASCE since 1996. Promoting ASCE membership and licensure to young engineers has always been a passion for her. Under her tenure, the student chapter has remained very active, participating in annual conferences every year and hosting events in 2000, 2010 and 2024. She is particularly proud of recently hosting a highly successful Gulf Coast American Society of Civil Engineers Student Symposium, with the support of local ASCE members, alumni and industry partners.
