Student Design Competition

2024 MSDC Informational Webinar

The Midwest Student Design Competition is intended to promote real world and hands on design experience for students interested in pursuing an education and/or career in water/wastewater engineering and sciences field. This year, the Midwest Student Design Competition will be held on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 as an IN-PERSON EVENT. This is a unique opportunity for students at the college level to demonstrate their engineering skills and practices by researching and preparing a design for a water quality based project and presenting their project to water industry professionals.

There are three categories of Student Design Competitions available for students:

WEF Wastewater Design
WEF Environmental Design
Global Water Stewardship

WEF Wastewater & Water Environment Design Challenge
Introduction
Design Competition Guidelines
WEF Entry Form

Santa Theresa, Costa Rica Design Challenge
Introduction | GWS Entry Form
Design Competition Guidelines
General Information | Problem Statement
Detail Documents (Photos, Surveys, Soil Reports, Videos, etc)

Interested in Sponsoring the Midwest Student Design Competition?
Info | Registration

2025 RECIPIENTS

WEF Wastewater

Nitrogen Reduction at the St. Cloud Nutrient Energy Water Recovery Facility (NEWRF). Joy Wambua, Natalie Andert, Marvina Muhorane, and Nicholas Schlichting

GWS Overall

Centralized Wastewater Treatment for Santa Teresa, Costa Rica. Alex Clarksen, Elliot Hill, Lauren Lodico, and Jacob Yach

PAST WINNERS

2024	WEF Water Environment Constantine Giattina, Ryan Griepentrog, Judith Rackow, Francis Gilleece, Mathis Lucet Illinois Institute of Technology. ChASM Project – Chatham Aqueous Stormwater Management WEF Wastewater Keagan Morgan, Zachary Molczyk, Jessica Calteux, David Zeller Marquette University – Novel Pyrolysis of Municipal Wastewater of Solids for Energy and Biochar GWS Ben Craighead, Veronica Bevan, Giuseppe Camarda, Maya Adelgren, Ashley Tan Marquette University – Sanitary Sewer and Treatment Design for Horquetas, Costa Rica
2023	WEF Water Environment Megan Beaulieu, Anna Cardinal, Josh Nemser-Sher, Emily Strand, Ethan Hanewall. Koshkonong Creek Watershed Flood Control. – University of Wisconsin Madison WEF Wastewater Molly Stewart, Brigid Doyle, Drew Esson. Analysis of Biosolids Management Options at South Shore Water Reclamation Facility. - Milwaukee School of Engineering GWS Overall Matt Cerven, Claire Connelly, Colton Herbert, Mia Ketelhohn, Mackenzie Allen. Global Water Stewardship: Bijagua, Costa Rica. – Marquette University GWS International Roberto Roldan Lopez, Sofia Abarca Rodriguez, Alejandro Rodriguez Vargas, Mauricio Alpizar Murillo, Madison Arce Jimenez. Global Water Stewardship: Bijagua, Costa Rica – Universidad de Costa Rica
2022	WEF Water Environment Emma Dutkiewicz, Anna Slominski, Cornelio Estrella, Kane Liu, Nevin Abdelghani. Water Reuse Design at It Takes a Village Farm – Illinois Institute of Technology WEF Wastewater Grace Cushing, Brandon Garrido, Josh Kleinschmidt, Jack Ferrante, Bennet Harris, Alexis Countryman. Village of Raymond Sanitary Sewer Main Design – Milwaukee School of Engineering GWS Overall Faviola Perez Mercado, Shayden Harvey, Alondra Gonzalez, Alondra Rodriguez. Global Water Stewardship: Montezuma, Costa Rica – Marquette University GWS International Sol Carpio, Valeria Castillo, Maricel Chaves, Fabiola Pérez, Adriana Rojas, Denisse Saborío, Melany Trujillo. Global Water Stewardship: Montezuma, Costa Rica – Instituto Tecnologico de Costa Rica
2021	Wastewater Jake Smith, Mathieu Stafford, Bryar Jensen, Jim Lindsay and Cal Papineau City of Escanaba Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade – Marquette University Global Water Stewardship Jonessa Haas, Ashlin Caelwaerts, Matthew Vincent, Timothy Kunshier and Travis Noel Samara, Costa Rica Sewer and Treatment Design – UW Platteville
2020	Environmental Christine Boland-Prom, Blake Bostwick, Rebekah Janquart, Jamie Nguyen, Julian Sonn and Jamie Sykora Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facility - Joyabaj, Guatemala Milwaukee School of Engineering Global Water Stewardship Sharon Castillo, Jafet Castro, Raul Garita, Nicolas Morales, Alejandro Morales, Maria Jesus Peralta, Lidia Rodriguez, Anotony Torres and Deilin Urena La Fortuna, Costa Rica Sewer and Treatment Design TEC University, Costa Rica Caitlyin Graeber, Nicole Heyniger, Rebecca Joseph, Grace Scarim and San Marie Thomson La Fortuna, Costa Rica Sewer and Treatment Design Marquette University
2019	Environmental Jinglin Duan, Jonathan Kolweier, Javier Mulero, Justin Shen and Alana Rosenbaum Solutions for Houston Flooding University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign Global Water Stewardship Miranda Durbin, Sydney Shaffer, Alexis Countyman, Jamie Sykora, Christine Boland-Prom, Guissel Davila, Rachel Montavon Monteverde, Costa Rica Sewer and Treatment Design Milwaukee School of Engineering
2018	Environmental Abdul Bashar "Integration of Biogas Water Wash and Struvite Recovery Process with MMSD's Jones Island WWTP" Global Water Stewardship Erik Papenfus, Joseph Lapastora, Jessica Zemen, Elizabeth Ebert "Palmar Sur, Costa Rica Sewer and Treatment Design"
2017	Andrew Szymaszek, Linjie Tang, Catherine Terando, Megan Wolfe University of Wisconsin - Platteville Global Water Stewardship – Dominical, Costa Rica
2016	Jill Vande Boom Milwaukee School of Engineering Global Water Stewardship – Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica
2016	Jordan Fure, Gage Thompson, Zachary Wallin, Titus Rubietta University of Wisconsin-Platteville "Global Water Stewardship-Bahia Ballena"
2015	Sarah Beam, Josh Koopmann, Bryce Corrigan University of Wisconsin – Platteville "Baraboo, Wisconsin Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvement Plan"
2014	Andrea Dunn, Sarah Walsh Marquette University