Annual Report Year 2009 - Civil and Environmental Engineering

VIA SCHOLARS
DOCTORAL STUDENTS
Melissa Stewart
Matthew K. Swenty
Christopher A. Wilson
Hometown: Gainesville, Fla.
Location of Undergraduate Studies:
University of Florida
Location of Master’s Studies: University
of Florida
Awards and Recognitions: NSF IGERT
Fellowship at Virginia Tech; Florida
Alumni Fellow at University of Florida
(Masters); GAANN Fellow at University
of Florida (Master’s); National Merit
Scholarship winner (undergraduate);
member of Tau Beta Pi
Primary Area of Interest: Environmental
and Water Resources
Outside Work Experience: Water/
wastewater engineering intern at
Gainesville Regional Utilities in
Gainesville, Fla., during Master’s
degree studies; summer internship
at Water Missions International
in Charleston, S.C.; research/lab
assistant at the University of Florida
in the biological and environmental
engineering departments; teaching
assistant at the University of Florida
in the environmental engineering
department.
Career Goals: I look forward to obtaining
my doctorate and hope to obtain
professional licensure as well. I
would like to pursue a career as a
professor, teaching and doing research
that interacts with the professional
engineering community.
Hometown: Rolla, Mo.
Location of Undergraduate Studies: University
of Missouri-Rolla
Location of Master’s Studies: University of
Missouri-Rolla
Awards and Recognitions: University of
Missouri-Rolla Chancellor’s Fellowship;
UMR Civil Engineering Senior
Achievement Award; ASCE Washington
Internship for Students in Engineering
(WISE) intern; Missouri ACI graduate
scholarship; member, Tau Beta Pi,
Kappa Mu Epsilon, Phi Kappa Phi, and
Chi Epsilon honor societies; member of
Chancellor’s Leadership Class.
Primary Area of Interest: Structures
Outside Work Experience: I worked for
about a year at the HBE Corporation in
St. Louis, Mo. I helped with the structural
design of hospitals and financial
institutions for design/build projects. I
worked for over two years in the bridge
division of the Missouri-Department of
Transportation. There, I analyzed and
designed bridges for the state highway
system.
Career Goals: My goal is to obtain my
Ph.D. in civil engineering, so I can return
to academics. I enjoy the practical
and theoretical sides of civil engineering
and hope that my professional
experiences along with my educational
background will help me in teaching
and research.
Hometown: Struthers, Ohio
Location of Undergraduate Studies:
Bucknell University
Location of Master’s Studies: Virginia Tech
Awards and Recognitions: Bucknell
University, Michael D. LaGrega Award
for Excellence in Environmental
Engineering, 2004; Edna Bailey
Sussman Foundation internship,
2006; Virginia Water Environment
Association (VWEA) Sonny Roden
Memorial Scholarship; member,
Water Environment Federation
and Association of Environmental
Engineering and Science Professors.
Primary Area of Interest: Environmental
and Water Resources
Outside Work Experience: Bucknell
University, Lewisburg, Penn.,
undergraduate research assistant, Fall
2003-Spring 2004; MS Consultants,
Inc., Youngstown, Ohio, environmental
engineering intern, Summer
2001-Summer 2004.
Career Goals: I would like to continue
my research in biosolids and residuals
management, increasing the scientific
knowledge of the biological process
that drives advanced anaerobic
digestion technologies. Upon
graduation, my goal is to work as a
professional engineer, integrating
cutting edge research into the
development of sustainable wastewater
and biosolids management processes.
2009 | VIA REPORT | 55