WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — Brown and Caldwell (BC) today proudly announces a collective $29,000 in scholarships has been awarded to six exceptional science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students. Each year, BC recognizes promising full-time students pursuing careers in the environmental engineering industry to advance our commitment to building a more diverse industry. These scholarships provide access and opportunity to the environmental and engineering industry to individuals who represent the firm’s values of technical and academic excellence, environmental stewardship, and supporting diversity in the industry. Join us in congratulating this year’s scholarship recipients.
The Women in Leadership Scholarship supports students interested in pursuing a career in the environmental profession. This year’s honoree is Melanie Vines, a third-year doctorate student at the University of Alabama studying disinfection byproduct mitigation in drinking water treatment systems. She hopes to use her research to help utilities meet evolving federal and state drinking water regulations
The LGBTQIA+ Scholarship honors students who identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and are interested in pursuing a career in the environmental industry. This year’s recipient, Eric Mei, will be completing his master’s degree in environmental engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Eric first became interested in the environmental field during high school after working in a conservation crew one summer. This experience sparked his love for the outdoors and passion for environmental engineering. Once graduating with his master’s degree, Eric plans to pursue a doctorate to better serve our communities while protecting the environment and public health.
Through its Minority Scholarship Program, BC provides time and monetary commitment to invest in scholarships, internships, and mentoring for full-time minority college students at the junior, senior, or graduate level majoring in environmental engineering or one of the environmental sciences. This year’s recipient is Keyshawn Ford, a second-year civil and environmental engineering student in the master’s program at San Diego State University. He is currently researching wastewater flows in the Tijuana River Estuary. His project aims to use sensors to develop an early warning system for wastewater contamination in the Estuary to prevent beachgoers from getting sick. After graduating, he plans to continue working in the water industry and eventually obtain his Professional Engineer license.
To encourage and support students who are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation, BC provides an annual Navajo Nation Scholarship with recipients eligible to receive up to $4,000 over the course of four years as well as a laptop the first year. Chaslyn Evans is this year’s recipient, majoring in engineering technology at Navajo Technical University with plans to be a civil engineer. She wants to help her community by applying this knowledge while also advancing the environmental profession.
BC continues to honor the legacy of a 50+ year environmental pioneer by offering the Dr. W. Wesley Eckenfelder, Jr. Scholarship to students pursuing education and a career within the environmental industry. This year’s recipient is Ryan Krawczyk, a junior at Stevens Institute of Technology majoring in environmental engineering. He currently works as a research assistant in the campus Environmental Systems lab, researching the optimization of algae growth for most efficient biofuel production. He is on the executive board of the Stevens Environmental Engineering Professional Society and a member of the American Chemical Society. He plans to work in either environmental reclamation/restoration or environmental public health/medicine after graduating.
In partnership with AWWA and in recognition of BC co-founder Dave Caldwell’s contribution to engineering and technology in the drinking water field, the annual AWWA Dave Caldwell Scholarship awards $5,000 to a female and/or minority graduate student with demonstrated leadership ability in drinking water applied research and consulting. This year’s scholarship honors Karlye Wong, a doctorate candidate in the Drinking Water Research Group at the University of Toronto. Karlye’s research focuses on the effectiveness and sustainability of solar-powered UV water treatment systems in off-grid and low-resource settings to determine technical and design improvements to implement second-generation community UV-LED treatment systems in Mexico and Tanzania. The scholarship was presented during the AWWA ACE Conference in San Antonio, Texas on June 14, 2022.
Scholarship recipients are selected by a committee of BC professionals on the basis of their academic accomplishments. Scholarships are open to full-time college students enrolled in their junior or senior years or graduate programs.
For details on eligibility, visit: https://brownandcaldwell.com/careers/scholarships/