1. education
2. graduate school
3. college

January 2015
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Gary Howalt, P.W.S.
President
Jacksonville
Kristin K. Bennett, Esq.
Vice-President
Stuart
Mark Diblin, P.G.
Treasurer
Gainesville
TBA
Secretary
Location
Michael DelCharco, P.E.
Past President 2014
Jacksonville
Carol Hinton
Past President 2013
Gainesville
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ed Call
Brooksville
Catherine Katsikis
Royal Palm Beach
Joanne Chamberlain, P.E.
Jacksonville
Roger Copp
Tampa
Richard Creech, P.E., P.S.M.
Stuart
L. Donald Duke, Ph.D., P.E.
Ft. Myers
Carol Howard
Sebring
Gregg Jones
Tampa
Jeremy McBryan, P.E., CFM
West Palm Beach
Luna Phillips, Esq.
Ft. Lauderdale
Walt Reigner, P.E., CPESC
Lakeland
W. Ray Scott
Tallahassee
Garrett Wallace
West Palm Beach
Shayne Wood, P.E.
Jacksonville
The 24th Annual Southwest Florida Water Resources Conference:
“Runoff Rundown: Storm Water Management for Southwest Florida”
February 6, 2015, Cohen Center Ballroom, Florida Gulf Coast University
The Florida Section of the American Water Resources Assocation is happy
to partner with the Southwest Florida Water Resources Conference for the
February 2015 Meeting
The Southwest Florida Water Resources Conference will be held at Florida Gulf Coast
University, Cohen Center Ballroom, Fort Myers, FL on February 6, 2015 with a field trip
on Saturday, February 7th. The Cohen Center Ballroom is located at 10501 FGCU Blvd
south on the FGCU Campus. Click here for driving directions and for a campus map.
This year’s conference theme is “Storm Water Management.” As always, we have
arranged for presentations by some of the leading experts in water resources and will
include some of the top decision-makers responsible for water resource planning and
management in Southwest Florida, the State and Nation. Registration will open at 8:00
a.m. Sessions will conclude around 4:30 p.m. and will be followed by a networking social.
The full technical program and other details are available at
http://awra.caloosahatchee.org/2015. To register online click here.
For 24 years the Southwest Florida Water Resources Conference has provided
outstanding opportunities to share cutting-edge technical information, exchange views
from a wide range of diverse perspectives, and engage the community of water resources
expertise in our region. The Conference consistently draws in excess of 100 attendees
who will represent a broad section of scientists, engineers, geologists, jurists, and other
professionals involved in both the public and private sector aspects of water resources.
This year’s event will once again be outstanding, keeping with the conference’s long
tradition of bringing forward experts from a diversity of disciplines to provide relevant and
timely research and professional perspectives on contemporary issues.
Florida Section American Water Resource Association
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Additional Conference Information
The Conference Committee is Chaired again this year by Karen
Bickford, the Conference Host Committee is composed of American
Water Resources Association (Florida Section), American Society
of Civil Engineers (Florida Section), Audubon Society of Southwest
Florida, Florida Engineering Society (Calusa Chapter), Florida Gulf
Coast University, Southwest Florida Association of Environmental
Professionals, Southwest Florida Watershed Council, Florida Gulf Coast
University, and Caloosahatchee Riverwatch Citizens Association.
The Florida Gulf Coast University Student Chapter of AWRA and the
FGCU student chapter of ASCE are again helping organize student
participation in the conference. University, College and High School
students from across the state are strongly encouraged (and subsidized)
to attend.
This year, for the first time, AWRA will be hosting a statewide student
research poster contest. When the advance registration closed on
December 15, there were 32 abstracts submitted to enter posters in
the contest so the poster session promises to showcase an excellent
group of research presentations. Cash prizes are being offered for the
best research posters, with first, second, and third-place awards in two
divisions; graduate students and undergraduate /high school students.
Two $250 on-the-spot scholarship will also be given out during the
sessions by random drawing. The cash prizes are supported by the
registration fees and sponsorship support.
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Blvd S, Fort Myers, FL 33965
Students are also invited to participate in the always-popular “Lunch with
a Professional.” In 2014, half of all attendees were students, making for
an excellent mix of participants. Limited student housing is available for
nominal cost of $25 per night at the scenic FGCU Vester Field Station, a
short walk from Barefoot Beach on Bonita Beach.
Hotel accommodations are available at Homewood Suites by Hilton
Ft Myers Airport/FGCU (16450 Corporate Commerce Way, Fort Myers,
Florida, 33913, Phone: (239) 210-7300). Reservations may be made
by visiting www.fortmyersairportfgcu.homewoodsuites.com. When
making reservations online be sure to enter Group Code “AWR”. Or
you may also make reservations directly by calling (239) 210-7200.
Ask for the reservations department and be sure to mention you are
with the American Water Resources Association. Should you have
any issues making your reservation, you can contact Debra Govaker
directly at 239-210-2462. Additional information is available at www.awra.
caloosahatchee.org/2015.
FGCU Vester Field Station
Homewood Suites by Hilton Ft Myers Airport
Florida Section American Water Resource Association
Page 2
AWRA Florida Section Meeting
24th Annual Southwest Florida Water Resources Conference:
Runoff Rundown: Storm Water Management for Southwest Florida
TECHNICAL AGENDA
Friday, February 06, 2015
8:30
Welcoming remarks: Florida Gulf Coast University
Dr. Wilson Bradshaw, President;
Dr. T.C. Yih, Director, Research and Graduate Studies
8:40
Plenary Session 1
Dr. Pierce Jones, University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service; Director, Program for Resource
Efficient Communities: “Land Development, Water, and Energy: How Florida's Development has
Affected its Waterscape.”
9:20
Session A: Storm Water Pollutants, Sources, and Current Conditions in Southwest Florida
Mark Thompson, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation: “Localized Runoff Coefficients for the City
of Sanibel.”
Dr. John Cassani, Watershed Council: “Storm Water Ponds in Southwest Florida: How Morphometry
Affects Stratification and Anoxia with Nutrient Dynamic Links.”
Natalie Nelson, University of Florida Dept. of Agricultural and Biological Engineering: “Algal Blooms in
the Lower St Johns River: Searching for Driving Factors.”
10:40
Session B: AWRA Florida Statewide Student Research Poster Contest
11:10
Plenary Session 2
Hye Yeong Kwan, Executive Director, Center for Watershed Protection: “Cutting Edge Storm Water
BMPs: Effective Design, Implementation Strategies, and Gaining Institutional Acceptance.”
12:00
Lunch Featuring - Student networking with Florida water resources professionals
1:00
Session C: Storm water BMPs and management strategies: examples from Florida
Roger Copp
Tabitha Stadler
Dr. Pierce Jones, University of Florida: “Land Development, Water, and Energy: Quantifying Impacts.”
2:40
Session D: Storm Water Management Institutional Approaches
Dan Waters, South Florida Water Management District
(invited) Dr. Virginia Walsh, Miami-Dade County Storm Water Utilit:
(invited) Blake Guillory, Executive Director, South Florida Water Management District:
4:00
Session E: Panel of Experts Question and Answer about Storm Water Management for Florida
4:45
Networking Reception, no-host bar overlooking FGCU’s storm water treatment ponds
Florida Section American Water Resource Association
Page 3
Technical Program Summary – November 21, 2014
Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL
State Representative Lake Ray – Jacksonville Harbor Channel Deepening Update
Mr. Ray is an advocate of the Jacksonville Port deepening and, as a civil engineer and a business man,
sees clear justification for this port project over many others. In the House of Representative he has lobbied
for increased funds for state ports and has seen that funding increase from $15M to $165M. He has
sponsored a new bill that provides funding for the next 30 years at $165M/year.
John Fitzgerald, SJRWMD – Update from the St. Johns
River Water Management District on the North Florida
Water Initiative
Mr. Fitzgerald leads SJRWMD’s North Florida Water Initiative,
which has the vision, “To ensure sustainable water supplies
and protection of groundwater-dependent natural systems in
partnership with key stakeholders in the region.” Key components
of this initiative include: Development of the North FloridaSoutheast Georgia (NFSEG) Regional Groundwater Flow Model;
Development of a SRWMD-SJRWMD joint Regional Water Supply
Plan; and Development of a Prevention and/or Recovery Strategy
for the Clay-Putnam MFLs. The driver for this initiative is the
increase in groundwater pumping in the Jacksonville area – an
example of potential regional drawdowns is shown in these model
results projected for 2030:
Permitted withdraws, shown in the graphic to the right, need to be
managed to ensure healthy groundwater systems and the surficial
systems they support.
Dr. Terri Seron – Flagler College Coastal Environmental
Science Department Chair
Dr. Seron gave a brief history of the development of the Coastal Environmental Science (CES) Department
– which started with an environmental science minor in the Fall of 2008. Now the department has 115
students majoring in Coastal Environmental Sciences and graduated 10 students in December 2014. As
anyone associated with leading college curriculum, this is an incredible growth curve and one that Dr. Seron
hopes to continue. The department currently has 7 full-time and 3 part-time faculty dedicated to promoting
the CES mission.
The key selling point for students is hands-on research in an
inviting environment. The living laboratory includes: estuaries,
marshes, dunes, oyster reefs, barrier islands, and, of course,
beaches. Community Partner GTM-NERR provides a superb
location to conduct research and field work. In addition, the
department supports a summer study abroad program in the
Bahamas and Bermuda. The students learn underwater research
methods and marine biology.
The Department hosted an Undergraduate Research
Symposium and had 10 technical presentations from students ranging from “Trees, leaves and
mortality: Studying the Effects of Prescribed Fire on Oaks and red Bays in the Coastal Strand of the
GTMNERR” to “Snail grazer abundance at a restored oyster reef.”
Florida Section American Water Resource Association
Page 4
Rick Hutton, Gainesville Regional Utilities – North Florida Utility Coordination Group – North
Florida Public Water Supply Use Trends Update
Mr. Hutton presented a summary of how different water uses are between SJRWMD and SRWMD – with
SJRWMD using about 570 MGD for public supply to SRWMD’s 23 MGD. These differences drive many
of the policies of the WMD’s and make it difficult for Utilities to serve both areas. The North Florida Utility
Coordinating Group (NFUCG) has seen a population growth increase from 1.086M to 1.276M while the
average daily use has dropped from 190 MGD to 149 MGD. A big reason for this reduction in daily use is
conservation, education, new standards, and reclamation. Conservation is working – and is driving the total
water use down to the levels of “essential use.” NFUCG is encouraging conservation by applying tiered
water rates – making the heavy use of water expensive.
Mike Cullum, SJRWMD – SJRWMD’s Springs Protection Initiative
Mike Cullum, Bureau Chief of Engineering and Hydro Science, presented a summary of the Springs
Protection Initiative by the SJRWMD, focusing on the four first magnitude springs – Volusia Blue, Silver,
Alexander, and Silver Glen Springs. The District is looking at two challenges – improving water quality
and increasing spring flow. The problem is identifying how much of the flow reduction is due to climate
variability or to groundwater pumping. This is complicated due to multi-year droughts and changes in
ecologic structure. Mr. Cullum discussed Nitrogen loading to Silver Springs and pointed out that septic tanks
account for about 37% of the load and crop fertilizer, cattle farms, and horse farms contributing about 41%,
combined.
The SJRWMD is addressing the Water Quality issues with
ERP regulations, and development of TMDLs and BMAPS. It is
addressing the Water Quantity issues via consumptive use permits,
development/re-evaluation of MFLs, and MFL recovery strategies.
The Springs Protection Initiative uses a combination of science,
regulation, outreach, water supply planning, and restoration
projects. A springshed supergroup is using surface water hydrology,
groundwater hydrology, and nitrogen biogeochemistry to evaluate
the springs. Spring project funding for FY13/14 topped $8M for
the District and, combined with state legislative and local partners,
reached close to $48M. That is a significant effort to solve this
complex problem.
Florida Section American Water Resource Association
Page 5
Board of Directors Summary
The Florida Section AWRA Board of Directors (BOD) met November 21, 2014
9:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. prior to the membership meeting. The detailed agenda
and minutes will be included on the Section website following BOD approval of
the minutes at the February 5 BOD meeting.
Highlights of the meeting include:
• Treasurer: The largest expenditure for 2014 has been student support
including travel reimbursement for attendance at Florida Section meetings and
funding to support student participation at the 2014 National meeting (over $16,000). A policy will be developed to address
financial support for National Board members.
• Education Program: 9 students funded to attend National. Each student provided a brief write to be included in the
newsletter about their experiences. The Education committee will work on developing a policy for the formation of student
chapters.
• Membership: The Board voted to adjust the membership dues for 2015 ($25 professional and $5 for students)
• National: 2014 Annual meeting was successful and well attended. National requesting Florida to host 2016. Florida
currently supports National by supporting National Board members and students and has hosted the National annual
meeting multiple times.
• Upcoming Meetings: February 6 – Ft. Myers; March – Lake Placid; May TBD; July 23-24 Key Largo; September TBD;
November – Daytona.
• Next BOD meeting: February 5 6:00 p.m. (tentative. It will be an evening BOD meeting) location TBD.
Board meetings are open to all members of the Florida Section AWRA and their guests. Members and guests are encouraged
to get involved and increase the value of their AWRA membership.
Membership Renewal - 2015
AWRA Florida’s annual membership renewal cycle has begun. And once again, the
process is completely online!
To renew your membership, please click here. Once you’ve selected the desired
membership level, click “Next” and enter the requested information. If it is your first time
logging in to our website, have problems logging in, or do not know your password, click here to reset your password. After
logging in, please review your contact information to ensure it is accurate.
One of the new AWRA Florida member benefits starting in 2015 is members- only access to an online member directory. So
once you log in, please take a few minutes to update your member profile to ensure your information is accurate. Each AWRA
Florida member has the option of controlling what profile information is published in the directory. When updating your member
profile, simply customize your profile privacy settings. Please contact Jeremy McBryan if you need help or have any questions.
Also, starting in 2015, AWRA Florida members will have access to technical meeting presentations.
AWRA Florida annual dues remain extremely economical - $25.00 for professionals and only $5.00 for students. We value
your participation and will strive to continue to provide you with a cost effective way to stay connected and involved with Florida’s
environmental and water resources topics as well as support the next generation of water resources professionals by awarding
student scholarships and grants. Click here if you have any questions about AWRA Florida membership.
In 2015, AWRA Florida will host six (6) high-quality technical meetings that focus on relevant and current issues, most of which
will provide Professional Development Hour (PDH) credits for Florida Professional Engineers, and of course the opportunity to
network with your professional peers. The meetings will be held in various locations throughout the state of Florida, such as Key
Largo, Daytona Beach, etc.
Florida Section American Water Resource Association
Page 6
Membership
The following people have renewed or joined AWRA Florida since the release
of the October 2014 newsletter. Everyone who registers for a meeting as a
non-member will become a member of AWRA.
Joseph Kanesky
Flagler College (student)
Hanna Anderson
Flagler College (student)
Gregory Kern
Tetra Tech, Inc.
Jon Barmore
Environmental Services, Inc.
Connor Killinger
Flagler College (student)
Jay Brawley
St. Johns River Water Management District
Roger Maduro
Flagler College (student)
Lewis Bryant
Kimley-Horn and Associates
Mary McAteer
Flagler College (student)
Patrick Burger
St. Johns River Water Management District
Brendon Meyer
Flagler College (student)
David Bruderly
Bruderly Engineering Associates, Inc.
Grant Misterly
Jacobs
Tim Cera
St. Johns River Water Management District
John Cheney
Flagler College (student)
Marco Alvarez
Moreno
Flagler College (student)
David Clapp
St. Johns River Water Management District
Harley Nelson
University of South Florida (student)
Taylor Coombs
Flagler College (student)
Taylor Norman
Flagler College (student)
Samuel Donahue
Flagler College (student)
Tyler Peters
Flagler College (student)
Louis Donnangelo
St. Johns River Water Management District
Steven Pine
Flagler College (student)
Elizabeth Doolittle
Flagler College (student)
Carlos Quintero
University of Florida (student)
Joseph Dorow
Flagler College (student)
Antonio Raimondo
Flagler College (student)
Joey Duncan
Tetra Tech, Inc.
Flagler College (student)
Douglas Durden
St. Johns River Water Management District
Katherine Tolton
Rodriguez
Justin East
Flagler College (student)
Madyson Rynne
Flagler College (student)
Caleb Eberle
Flagler College (student)
Bradley Salois
Flagler College (student)
Scott Ennis
HDR, Inc.
Samantha Senne
Floridian Partners
Scott Evanson
E Sciences
Michael Shannon
Flagler College (student)
Dale Smith
St. Johns River Water Management District
James Spence
Flagler College (student)
Cyndi Stevenson
St. Johns County
Will Stewart
RS&H, Inc.
David Still
PotashCorp
Matthew Tebow
Kimley-Horn and Associates
Kristin Towers
Flagler College (student)
Geoff West
Normandeau Associates, Inc.
University of South Florida (student)
John Fumero
Nason, Yeager, Gerson, White & Lioce, P.A.
Taylor Gordon
Flagler College (student)
Mitchell L. Griffin
CH2M HILL
Nancy Harms
Flagler College (student)
Christina Hartnett
Flagler College (student)
Carlos Herd
Suwannee River Water Management
District
Brandon Herman
Flagler College (student)
Kimberly Holland
RS&H, Inc.
Ching-Tzu Huang
St. Johns River Water Management District
Yanbing Jia
St. Johns River Water Management District
Peyton Jones
Flagler College (student)
Chelsea Fugate
St. Johns River Water Management District
Marc Adkins
Erin White
University of Florida (student)
MacKenzie Wilk
Flagler College (student)
Carol Worsham
HDR, Inc.
Alison Zador
Flagler College (student)
Thank you for your participation!
Joanne Chamberlain
Membership Services Coordinator
[email protected] • 561-707-8301
Florida Section American Water Resource Association
Page 7
The
2015 is going to be a great year for the Florida Section of AWRA and I look forward to
being your section President for the year. First I would like to introduce myself to those
of you who don’t know me. I am a biologist and work with the private environmental
consulting firm, Environmental Services, Inc. (ESI) in Jacksonville. I joined ESI in 1988,
when my family and I moved back to my hometown of Jacksonville were I was born
and raised. Prior to ESI, I was with two other environmental consulting firms in the
Tampa Bay area where I started my career in the water resource industry after obtaining
my degree from the University of South Florida. My first real job was conducting the
environmental monitoring of the Tampa Harbor Deepening project in the late 1970’s.
Although some in my family didn’t think riding around Tampa Bay in a boat all day was a
real job!
I was introduced to AWRA in 1992 by Ms. Marsha Parker-Tjoflat and became a member of the Florida Section.
I have served on the chapter board since the early 2000s and have enjoyed the technical meetings, comradery
with fellow members and assistance we provide to the students for all of these years. The importance of this
organization was brought home to me when I attended the National Conference last month and stood with
Michael DelCharco to accept the 2014 Outstanding State Section Award. This award is given is recognition
of a Section’s activities in advancing water resources knowledge in the Section. It includes the number, type
and scope of section activities; special activities of unusual note; and the number of National members in
the Section. Since 1975, the first year the award was given and the first time the Florida Section won the
award, our Section has won this recognition 14 times! We must be doing something right and I look forward to
continuing our success.
For 2015 we have already set the dates and preliminary programs for three of our meetings and will have the
other three set in the coming months. We will start off with the 24th Annual Southwest Florida Water Resources
Conference during the first week of February in Ft. Myers. This conference has always had a great technical
program and huge student participation and this year is no different. Our Annual Meeting is scheduled for
July 23 in Key Largo and in November we will be in Daytona Beach where we will learn about the Indian River
Lagoon from a number of student presenters.
I look forward to seeing everyone in February for our first 2015 meeitng, so register now!
Gary Howalt
[email protected]
Florida Section American Water Resource Association
Page 8
Meeting Sponsors
as of 01/13/15
Florida Section American Water Resource Association
To learn more about our sponsors click their logos.
Page 9
A Message from the Education Committee
The Rosanne Clementi Education Program
Education Committee: Rosanne Clementi, Clementi Environmental Consulting; Kristin Bennett, Tetra Tech, Inc.;
Mark Diblin, AMEC Foster Wheeler, Jeremy McBryan, SFWMD
Support for students at the 2014 AWRA National Meeting
The AWRA Board of Directors approved the Education Committee
recommendation to provide financial assistance for nine students attending
the 2014 AWRA National Meeting in Tyson’s Corner, Va.
We could not provide this assistance to the students without the financial
support provided by our AWRA members. For that support WE THANK
YOU! The Education Program is funded through meeting profits, membership
registration, the annual silent auction and direct donations to the education
program. You can make a donation directly from the website at
www.awraflorida.org.
Continued financial support for the Rosanne Clementi
Education Program*
Financial support for the education program comes from meeting revenues, directed donations and proceeds from
the Silent Auction. The Silent Auction traditionally is held during the Annual Meeting held in July.
You have met many of the students we have support over the previous few years and in 2015 you will see more.
The February 6 meeting in Ft. Myers, held at Florida Gulf Coast University will have a student poster competition,
“on the spot” student scholarships and many, MANY, students involved in the meeting planning. Natalie Nelson
(UF), Sanford N. Young and (AWRA National) Herbert Scholarship recipient, is scheduled to present at the July
23-24 meeting in Key Largo and there are discussions being held with Daytona State about forming a new student
chapter and also taking the lead in planning the November 2015 meeting (with the assistance of Cathy Vogel –
THANK YOU Cathy!). Read the students’ comments about their experiences presenting at and attending
the 2014 AWRA National Meeting at the end of this section.
You can help support the AWRA Florida Section Education Program and the students by continuing to attend
the AWRA Florida Section bi-monthly meetings, by sponsoring the bi-monthly meetings, by donating to and
purchasing silent auction items and by making directed donations to the education program. You can make a
donation directly from the website at www.awraflorida.org. Every amount helps the students. No amount is
too small or too large.
Thank you for your ongoing support of the AWRA Florida Section Rosanne Clementi
Education Program.
* The AWRA Florida Section is a 501(c)(3) entity and contributions may be tax deductible to the extent
allowed by law. The AWRA Florida Section is registered as a charitable organization with the Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs. FDACS Registration Number CH39023. A copy of the
official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services.
Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the State of Florida. Registration
information may be obtained by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352) and at www.800helpfla.com
Florida Section American Water Resource Association
Page 10
11
Student comments about their experiences presenting at and
attending the 2014 AWRA National Meeting
Mark Lucius – Florida Gulf Coast University
My name is Mark Lucius and I attended this year’s AWRA conference set just
outside of our nation’s capital. I am a graduate student at Florida Gulf Coast
University and I was fortunate enough to get opportunity to attend thanks to
the AWRA’s generosity. The conference was a great educational experience
and provided attendees insight into the current works being conducted in water
resources and provided students like myself an idea of what kind of work may
be available to them after graduation. Additionally, students are given the
opportunity to meet and network with the presenters and senior attendees, many of whom are employers in the water
resources field. Many student oriented activities were provided including an opening orientation, networking receptions,
and even a speed-networking session where students could sit down briefly with a number of attendees to discuss
one another’s interests and current work. I was able to meet other student attendees as well, and it was nice to meet
students with similar interest from all over country. Overall, the annual AWRA conference is a great opportunity for
students to learn, network, and even educate others with research presentations of their own.
Hari Kandel – Florida International University
It was exceptionally valuable for me to attend and present in the AWRA 2014 annual water resource conference held in
Hotel Sheraton, Tyson Corner Virginia on November 3-6, 2014. I treasure this trip because I received feedbacks on my
talk, and was an occasion to listen many scientists, engineers, planners and managers on challenges and opportunities
in the water resource areas from around the globe. Water focused theme of the conference, and students centered
career night and speed networking events are the keys that really allured me to go again this year.
Having a conference in the hotel, which is AWRA’s default setup, has additional benefits. I was enthralled to
communicate with the professionals beyond the sessions; I got a chance to introduce myself with a gentleman from a
Colorado based company even in the elevator while we were riding back to our hotel rooms. In the career night, I got
many tips for excelling my PhD and landing on right carrier of my choice. Speaking with university professors, project
managers in USGS, USDA, and like agencies, knowing about the NOAA sea grant fellowship, seeing people grab your
resume and put in their bags from the employment opportunity board just boosted my confidence. I remember one of
the Professors suggested me how having tenacity could help stick with my work and finally achieve success, while we
were chatting about publishing a paper in the journal.
You know what; I also enjoyed the view of DC-Virginia area from my 21st floor room of the hotel. Funding from AWRAFlorida section made this journey possible. All in all it’s been a good conference.
-Hari Kandel
PhD student in hydrologic modeling and geospatial applications lab
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
Natalie Nelson – University of Florida
This year’s Annual Water Resources Conference, held in the outskirts of DC,
was engaging, eye-opening, and fun! The Annual Conference provides so many
interesting possibilities for professional development - a wide variety of talks,
impressive panel discussions, an incredible student networking event, and
engaging conversations with professionals from a diverse array of backgrounds.
Although I’m kept up-to-date on the latest trends in research at my university, the
Annual Conference provides a unique opportunity to discover the latest trends
in the practitioner’s world. I’ve learned a great deal about ways in which to model water quality in my classes, but the
conference opened my eyes as to how these models are applied and what sorts of implications can result from the
interpretation of the model results. For me, seeing the transition from theoretical to practical was invaluable. I was also
able to meet a lot of new and interesting people, several of whom I’ve already connected with on LinkedIn and by email.
I highly encourage other students to consider attending next year’s conference in Denver!
Natalie Nelson
PhD Student
NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Dept. of Agricultural & Biological Engineering
University of Florida
Florida Section American Water Resource Association
Page 11
Isabella Bergonzoli – Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches
Each year I look forward to November. For the past three years, AWRA has been
exceedingly generous and supportive with what I do. I am writing to express
my sincere gratitude for all the opportunities this wonderful organization has
provided me. Above all, I have learned that one person can, in fact, leave a mark
on this world. I was apprehensive about this year’s conference, as it was my first
speaking in front of a great audience. However, I felt very comfortable as all the
professors provided their honest feedback and congratulations. I am honored to
be a member of AWRA and I hope to grow with it. Thank you for all your support
and wishes. I look forward to a great future with this wonderful organization.
Happy holidays.
Best Regards,
Isabella Bergonzoli
Josemaria Silvestrini - Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches
Hello,
It was a bright and early morning as I made my way to the airport for my first national conference. I was buzzing with
excitement at the tremendous opportunity before me. Arriving in Washington for the first time I made my way to the
conference and met with Dr. Thornton. We spent a few minutes going over my slides before we went to the room where I
would be presenting.
I waited for my turn to speak, nervous that I would make some mistake. When I finally did get on stage, however, the
words seemed to flow and I found an unknown confidence as I finished my presentation and answered the questions
proposed to me. With my talk complete we went to the Student Career Night event. There I was able to learn a
substantial amount on how I should go about pursuing a career in STEM. Likewise I was able to make numerous
contacts, which will be instrumental to me as I continue my research and life as a scientist.
I would like to thank AWRA Florida for their financial support of my voyage to the AWRA National Conference. I was sad
to leave the conference the next day, but I was extremely grateful to you. Without your financial support I would never
have been able to afford such a remarkable opportunity. Thank you for all of your support, without you I would have
never been able to present at the conference.
Best wishes,
Josemaria Silvestrini
Katelyn Slaight - Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches
Hello AWRA,
I wanted to sincerely thank you for the opportunity to discuss my research with the professionals at your annual
conference. As a high school student, resources are limited, so networking is crucial. I met many people who are
interested in hearing about my results and interested in helping me further my research, including individuals from
the South Florida Water Management District and other local labs. Events such as this are what make it possible for
students such as myself to conduct this level of research.
I had a great time at the conference. Not only was it extremely educational, it was very enjoyable to be in an environment
where everyone is interested in the same field. I was able to have conversations with other attendees about my study
that opened my eyes to numerous paths I may consider following to continue my research.
The opportunities and ideas this conference created were imperative to my success in this field. I cannot thank you
enough for making this experience possible.
Sincerely,
Katelyn Slaight
Florida Section American Water Resource Association
Page 12
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Page 13