Award Description
CSWEA presents an Academic Excellence Award to a student from each university with a recognized Graduate or Undergraduate Program in engineering in the state which is to host the annual meeting. Nominations are made by the faculty of the engineering department. The recipient award winner will receive a cash award, a paid one-year student membership in the Central States Water Environment Association and a Letter of Commendation from the Association president. The award recipient will be invited to the annual conference and the registration fee, including the Association luncheon and banquet, will be paid by the Association. The award will be presented at the annual banquet.
Policy and Procedures
1. Under the conditions defined herein, an award to be known as the Central States Water Environment Association, Inc., Academic Excellence Award may be presented to a maximum of one student per year per eligible institution located within the State Section hosting the Annual Conference.
2. An eligible institution shall be a college or university in the Annual Meeting Host State having a recognized graduate or undergraduate program in engineering or biological sciences.
3. The Academic Excellence Subcommittee shall be chaired by the 2nd Vice President. The host State Section Trustee, Student Design Competition Chair and the YP Representative shall also serve on the committee to help identify eligible institutions. Additional committee members may be appointed at the option of the President.
4. The candidates shall be selected by the Department Chairman, or other designated person, at the eligible institutions. The 2nd Vice President will contact the Host State Trustee for a list of each of the eligible institutions. Each institution will be provided with a description of the Academic Excellence Award and the necessary application forms. The names of the candidates must be submitted by the institution to the 2nd Vice President by December 1.
5. Eligible students must be enrolled in a full-time study program in engineering at the undergraduate level or graduate in an eligible institution.
6. The Academic Excellence Award shall consist of a $300 cash award, a paid one-year student membership in the Association and WEF, and a letter of commendation from the Association President. Award recipients will be invited to the Annual Conference and the registration fee, including the Association Luncheon and Banquet, will be paid by the Association. If the award recipient attends the Annual Awards Banquet, they shall receive one complimentary night’s lodging and $50.00 for expenses. The Association President will present the Award(s) to the recipient(s) at the Annual Banquet.
Connor Elens
Bradley University
Eric Faulkner
Northern Illinois University
Mathis Lucet
Illinois Institute of Technology
Zhen Jia
Northwestern University
Saumitra Rai
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
2023 | Toni Ajayi, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities Charles Christen, St. Cloud State University |
2022 | Angeline Decker, University of Wisconsin – Platteville Ben Edwards, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point Carly Amstadt, University of Wisconsin – Madison Claire Baldus, Marquette University Joshua Kleinschmidt, Milwaukee School of Engineering Yanan Zhoa-University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee |
2021 | Chunjie Xia, Southern Illinois University - Carbondale George Kontos, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign Max Kron, Bradley University McKenna Farmer, Northwestern University Boyang Lu, Illinois Institute of Technology David Davila, Northern Illinois University |
2020 | Anndee Huff, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities |
2019 | Eileen Kennedy, Marquette University Alexander Weislak, Milwaukee School of Engineering Neil Funseth, University of Wisconsin – Madison Qionqion Dong, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee McKenna Farmer, University of Wisconsin – Platteville Daniel Rider, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point |
2018 | Marissa Campobasso, Southern Illinois University - Carbondale Jennifer DeBellis, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign Brendan Ahern, Bradley University Paul Roots, Northwestern University Xiaolong Wang, Illinois Institute of Technology |
2017 | Zeinab Takbiri, Univ of Minnesota – Twin Cities Henry Croll, Univ of Minnesota – Twin Cities Megan Cox, St. Cloud State Univ Allison Herzog, Minnesota State Univ – Mankato |
2016 | Finn Finucane, Milwaukee School of Engineering Vadym Ianaiev, Univ of Wisconsin – Stevens Point Stephen Matthias, Univ of Wisconsin – Madison Xiaopeng Min, Univ of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Matthew Nichols, Univ of Wisconsin – Green Bay Eric Osterdyk, Univ of Wisconsin – Platteville Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Marquette University |
2015 | Gurmanpreet Bhupal, Illinois Institute of Technology Diana Byrne, University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign Han Gao, Northwestern University Laura Haak, Illinois Institute of Technology Lance Langer, University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign Zeying Zhu, Southern Illinois University – Carbondale |
2014 | Anthony Adderley, Minnesota State University-Mankato David T. Tan, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities |
2013 | Adam R. Groshek, University of Wisconsin-Platteville Amanda Heller, Milwaukee School of Engineering Sally Shumaker, University of Wisconsin-Madison Allen Williams, Marquette University Li Xiao, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
2012 | Marina Arnaldos Orts, Illinois Institute of Technology Michael Giannetto, Northwestern University Taylor Swanson, Southern Illinois University Carbondale Anthony Straub, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
2011 | Evan Hunter, University of MN, Duluth Greg LeFevre, University of MN, Twin Cities Carl J. Sorensen, MN State University, Mankato |
2010 | No Award Given |
2009 | Petia Tontcheva, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Kathryn Weissman, Illinois Institute of Technology |
2008 | Alison Ling, University of MN, Twin Cities Carla Petrich, University of MN, Duluth Michael Petersen, MN State University, Mankato |
2007 | Ryan Holzem UW Platteville Stacy Erin Metz, UW Madison Mark Hope, Marquette University Yang Liu, UW Milwaukee |
2006 | Carlos Lopez, U of I Adhiraj Joshi |
To provide a Water Environment Federation (WEF) organization (Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin) offering multiple opportunities for the exchange of water quality knowledge and experiences among its members and the public and to foster a greater awareness of water quality achievements and challenges.