American Water Resources Association--Washington Chapter

AWRA-UW Wins Outstanding Student Chapter Award in 2006!

AWRA-UW is the University of Washington student chapter of the American Water Resources Association. Our purpose is to bring people from all areas of water resources together for social and professional exchange. Our activities include water resource related volunteer opportunities, presentations by students, faculty, and off-campus professionals, and social events.

AWRA-UW finds common ground in water resources for students and faculty in all of the science, engineering, and management departments on campus. Please join us! We are an interdisciplinary group of students from such departments as urban planning, landscape architecture, civil engineering, forestry, fisheries, history and urban horticulture. Opportunities and benefits of membership include:

Quarterly meetings with topical guest speakers and presentations
(Summary of Dr. Derek Booth's 6/1/06 presentation).
Water-related environmental stewardship projects. (Read about our excursion to the Skagit River!)
Internships, scholarships, and cooperative work experiences.
Membership in the AWRA Washington State Section, including the bimonthly newsletter, dinner meeting discussions, and involvement with the Fall Conference in Seattle

Current chapter membership includes students from the schools of Urban Design and Planning, Landscape Architecture, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Fisheries, Forestry and Earth and Space Sciences. The variety of departments represented in the chapter reflects its interdisciplinary character. Arden Thomas is the chapter president, and Julie Horowitz is currently serving as the student liaison to the WA-AWRA State chapter. Please contact either Julie or Arden with questions about the student chapter.

Supporting and mentoring the professional development of students for the future of our water resources management is a primary objective of the Washington Section of the American Water Resources Association. Toward this end, we offer two student fellowships and support the development of student chapters in institutions of higher learning oriented toward the understanding and management of water resources.

The AWRA-WA section subsidizes student attendance at dinner and conference meetings, and the costs of student functions such as special speaker presentations. Students assist in the logistical aspects of the professional annual state conference.

The primary allocation of conference proceeds is to student fellowships. Each year, two student fellowships in the amount of $2,000 are awarded. The criteria for award are:

The interdisciplinary nature of course of study and research
The effectiveness of the response in communicating research objectives
The potential application of the work to current needs in water resources management.

Click here for a 2008-09 application!

Click here to read about our 2007-08 recipients! Click here to read about our 2006-07 recipients. Click here to read about our 2005-06 recipients.

Washington AWRA Mentoring Program: Pairing Students with Water Resource Professionals

This year marks the start of an exciting new AWRA program, benefiting student and professional members. The Washington Section is hosting a Mentoring Program, pairing University students with those working in the profession. If you would like to participate in the program as either a mentor or protégé, please contact Stan Miller.

AWRA Members, if you would be willing to mentor a student, please submit a paragraph or so about what you do in the field of water resources to our Student Committee Chair, Stan Miller. Please also include an email address where students can contact you.

The paragraphs received from members will be posted below. Students are invited to contact mentors whose professional interests align with their career goals. From there, the program is free form! We hope that students and professionals will benefit and learn from each other, and that this unstructured program will allow flexibility to meet everyone’s needs.

Thanks in advance for your participation! Good luck to you all. Please feel free to provide any feedback on this program to Student Committee Chair, Stan Miller.

Mentor Contacts

Megan Kogut PhD Environmental Quality Supervisor Environmental Health & Safety University of Washington Box 354110 Seattle WA 98195 206.685.3759	I have a BS in chemistry from UW and a PhD in environmental engineering from MIT. For ten years I did laboratory research on a number of topics, including climate change and water quality in urban waters. I also volunteered for environmental non-profits and lectured at UW Tacoma. I currently balance working on water quality issues full time for the UW while pursuing a late-blooming love of mountain bike racing. Next, I will start the MPA program at UW Evans School of Public Affairs in Fall 2008 in order to further my transition from research scientist to policy expert... I would like to mentor a student also interested in environmental issues. I offer a monthly lunch and unlimited free email. I am a good listener, I have a balanced outlook on academia and life in general, and I think I dispense practical advice.

The AWRA-WA section is looking to establish additional student chapters at other institutions where there is interest. Please contact Stan Miller for more information.