Highpoints

Volume 41, No. 3 -- March 2025


AAEES Patrons

Patrons of the Academy are organizations that are distinguished by providing financial support to the Academy's programs in addition to their engagement in specialty certification of their Engineers and Scientists. They are dedicated to a collaborative effort with the Academy in pursuit of Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science. For more information, go to https://www.aaees.org/patronsprogram.


 


Lunch Live at George Washington University
Lunch on Live Stream
Dinner at Renaissance Arlington Capital View

Lunch

George Washington University
School of Engineering and Applied Science
(https://engineering.gwu.edu/science-and-engineering-hall)
800 22nd Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052

11 am to 3 pm Eastern

Ticket Price: $100 (live and live stream); $10 for AAEES Student Members

Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science Competition Award Winners

Black & Veatch

Carollo Engineers

HDR

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power & Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment

University of Houston

 

Environmental Communications Competition Award Winners

Digital Writing Environments, Location, and Localization (DWELL) Lab/University of Rhode Island

New Jersey American Water and CDM Smith 

 

Plus a poster competition by George Washington University Students!

AAEES Board Certified Individuals: Attend this event and earn 4 PDHs towards your PDH requirements for maintaining your specialty certification.


 

Dinner

Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel
2800 Potomac Ave
Arlington, VA 22202

6 pm to 9:30 pm Eastern

Ticket Price: $250 per individual; $2500 per table
Platinum Event Sponsorship: $7500

We will be honoring the following individuals for their achievements in environmental engineering and science:

Edward J. Cleary Award

Cleary Award
Kevin D. White, Ph.D.

Gordon Maskew Fair Award

Fair Award
Michael K. Stenstrom, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE

The Ralph and Joe Bales Graber Science Award

Science Award
William A. Arnold, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE

Stanley E. Kappe Award

Kappe Award
Lisa Woodward, P.E., BCEE

Honorary Member

Honorary Member
Tissa H. Illangasekare, Ph.D., PE, P.Hyd, BCEE, DWRE

International Honorary Member

International Honorary Member
Professor Cheng-Di Dong, Ph.D.

Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science Education Award
sponsored by ABET

E4S Award
Ramanitharan Kandiah, P.E., BCEE, BC.WRE, PH, ENV SP, F.ASCE, F.EWRI

Paul F. Boulos
Excellence in Computational Hydraulics/Hydrology Award

Boulos Award
Mohamed Fathi Said

W. Wesley Eckenfelder Graduate Research Award

Eckenfelder Graduate Research Award
Savanna K. Smith, Ph.D.

W. Brewster Snow Award

Snow Award
Bruno Fulco Mancini

 

40 Under 40 Recognition Program

The following individuals are recipients of the 40 Under 40 Recognition Program.

Click here to see full profiles of the 40 Under 40 recipients.

Ahmed Abdelmoneim
Assistant Professor
Louisiana State University

Ariel Atkinson, Ph.D.
Project Manager - Applied Water Quality Research
Southern Nevada Water Authority

Adaline M Buerck
Assistant Professor and Director of the Cecil Day Family Center for International Groundwater Innovation
Mercer University

Joseph Charbonnet
Assistant Professor
Iowa State University

Jiannan Nick Chen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Central Florida

Alex Ho Shing Chik, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Technical Lead and Program Manager
Ontario Clean Water Agency

Rebecca Elaine Ciez, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering
Purdue University

Sherri Cook, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Colorado Boulder

Timothy Ryan D'Agostino, P.E., P.E., ENV SP
Project Manager
P.W. Grosser Consulting

Jeseth Delgado Vela, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Duke University

Sarah Fakhreddine, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Carnegie Mellon University

Bezawit Getachew
Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Rice University

Alexander S. Gorzalski, PhD, PE, PO
Founder
One Water Engineering

Sarah Haig, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Pittsburgh

Andrea Hicks, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Ling Nathanael Jin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Ashley Kent, P.E.
Principal Water Engineer
Arcadis

Hanyang Li, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
San Diego State University

Lu Liu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Iowa State University

Xitong Liu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
George Washington University

Paniteja Madala, LEED GA
Water/Wastewater Engineer
AECOM

Cresten Mansfeldt, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Colorado Boulder

Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Environmental Health and Safety
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Will Peterson
West Water Strategy and Growth Lead
AECOM

Kelsey J. Pieper, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Northeastern University

Brett Poulin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of California Davis

Mim Rahimi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Houston

Yuexiao Shen
Assistant Professor
Texas Tech University

Yun Shen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
George Washington University

Lauren Stadler, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Rice University

Kyle A. Thompson, Ph.D., P.E.
Senior Reuse Technologist
Carollo Engineers

Michael Thompson
Senior Water Resource Engineer
Delaware River Basin Commission

Arjun Venkatesan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
New Jersey Institute of Technology

Michael Wandersee
Senior Project Engineer
US Public Health Service

Yuan Yao, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Systems
Yale University

Jessica Yeager
Principal
Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.

 

Jiachen Zhang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Southern California

 

 

New AAEES Board Certifications

The following are individuals who became newly Board Certified or earned additional Board Certifications in 2024.

Click here to see their profiles in the Winter 2025 Environmental Engineer and Scientist.

Arvind Kumar Akela, P.E., BCEE
Director of Eng & Env Services
Silicon Valley Clean Water

Jorge Miguel Arevalo Morales, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE
CDM Smith

Brian Barkdoll, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE
Professor
Michigan Technological University

Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE
Professor and Department Chair
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Aaron William Bivins, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE
Assistant Professor
Louisiana State University

Kirk Craig, P.E., BCEE
Senior Engineer
Geosyntec Consultants

Yang Deng, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE
Professor
Montclair State University

Aliasghar Ghadimkhani, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE 
Senior Water Resources and Environmental Engineer
CDM SMITH

Jeffrey H. Greenfield, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, BCES
President-Elect
American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists

Lucian L. Hill, III, Esq., PE, MBA, BCEE
Environmental Director
CAMS

Syeed Md Iskander, PhD, PE, BCEE
Assistant Professor
North Dakota State University

Trenton Amoz Jackson, P.E., BCEE 
Environmental Engineer
CDM Smith

Vijay Kubsad, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE
Senior Environmental Engineer
Washington State Department of Ecology

John Michael Kwoka, P.E., BCEE
RESTORE Act Program Mgr
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality

Justin C. Mattingly, BCES 
Environmental Protection Specialist
US EPA

Alexandra Lauren Meyers, BCES
Human Health Risk Assessor
Integral Consulting Inc

Joseph M. Nattress, P.E., BCEE
Drinking Water Discipline Leader
CDM Smith

Anthony Joseph Niemiec, Jr., P.E., BCEE
Associate
Hazen and Sawyer

Joseph Eric Odencrantz, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE
Principal
Tri-S Environmental

Daniel B. Oerther, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, BCES 
Executive Director of AAEES and Professor at Missouri S&T
Missouri University of Science & Technology

Ronald N. Palacios, P.E., BCEE
Project Manager
Carollo Engineers

Mehul Vitthal Patel, P.E., BCEE
Ex Director of Operations
Orange County Water District

Gerald Rhoads, P.E., BCEE
C&D Group Manager
Metropolitan Water District

Diego Rosso, Ph.D., BCEEM
Professor
University of California - Irvine

Adam Tabbouche, P.E., BCEE
Water & Wastewater Technical Leader
Weston & Sampson

Matthew Talbert, P.E., BCEE
Senior Engineer
Geosyntec Consultants

Volodymyr Tarabara, Ph.D., BCEEM 
Professor
Michigan State University

Svetoslava Todorova, Ph.D., BCEEM
Professor of Practice
Syracuse University

Kirankumar V. Topudurti, P.E., BCEE
Senior Vice President
Willdan Group, Inc.

Gilbert Trejo, P.Eng., P.E., BCEE
Vice President of Operations and Technical Services
El Paso Water

Martha Rincon Tremblay, P.E., BCEE
Asst Chief Engineer/Asst General Manager
Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts

David Tsetse, Ph.D., BCES
Chief, Technical and Logistical Services Section
Indiana Department of Environmental Management

Sharon L. Walker, Ph.D., BCEEM
Dean and Distinguished Professor
Drexel University, College of Engineering

Mavis C Wong, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE
Water / Wastewater Treatment Engineer
Freese and Nichols

Ruoren Yu, PE, BCEE
Wastewater Engineer/Technologist
Jacobs

 

Chapter Blue Marble Award

University of Miami

Universidad Central del Ecuador

 

2024/2025 Environmental Engineering and Science Foundation Scholarships

Abigail Chapman

Shawnee Chavez

Alexis Eaton

Tione Grant

Antonia Kopp

Thomas Avery McCall

Chloe Mellgren

Ana Luisa Sanchez

Joelle Solowieczyk

 

Plus more to come! 

The Academy is about growing, connecting, and diversifying the environmental profession, and your attendance at our annual AAEES Awards celebration is a great way to connect!

We look forward to celebrating with you on April 10!


Sponsor of the 2025 Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science Education (E4S) Award

abet

Did you know we have a PFAS resource page? 

Our PFAS Resources page includes useful links from the EPA as well as resources from our Patrons partners.

https://www.aaees.org/pfas-resources


Upcoming Webinars

Wednesday, April 02, 2025
Webinar - Water Management in Petroleum Industries

Wednesday April 30, 2025
Webinar - Enlightening Policy Makers as to Environmental Health


Current AAEES Job Postings

Supervising Engineer I, II
Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County - Whittier, CA

Water Resources Engineer
Coeur d'Alene Tribe - Plummer, ID


Everything You Need to Know About Becoming An AAEES Member

Did you know that AAEES membership is open to everyone who is studying, teaching or working in the environmental engineering and science field? If you are not ready to become Board Certified, you can still become an AAEES member. 

Join us for this FREE interactive meeting to sit down with our Executive Director, Professor Daniel B. Oerther, PhD, PE, BCEE, BCES so you can learn all about becoming a member of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. 

This LIVE discussion will include:

  • Summary of membership benefits, such as free webinars
  • Member Registration Process
  • How becoming an AAEES member can help you during the Board Certification Process
  • Interactive Question and Answer Session

We are offering this webinar on three different dates to accommodate various schedules. Register for the date that works best for you.

Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - NOON Eastern
Thursday, May 15, 2025 - NOON Eastern
Friday, June 6, 2025 - NOON Eastern

Go to https://www.aaees.org/everythingyouneedtoknow-aaeesmember for more information.


In order to celebrate the Academy’s 70th birthday, we are sharing 70 stories in 2025. We post them on our social media platforms so make sure you are following us. You can also catch up on recent stories on our website: https://www.aaees.org/70years70stories

If you would like to submit a story for consideration please email Marisa Waterman at mwaterman at aaees dot org.


 

Kappe

We are offering two lectures with AAEES Kappe Lecturer, Vinio Floris, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, CSP

  1. The Future of Sustainable Water Management – Innovation, Practices, and Opportunities for Environmental Science and Engineering
  2. Sustainability in the Supply Chain - The Role of Environmental Science and Engineering

If you would like to submit a request for the Kappe Lecturer to visit your school, please complete this form: https://www.aaees.org/kappelecturer


Have you added your Board Certification credentials to your LinkedIn name?

Show off your accomplishments to your LinkedIn network…it takes under a minute to add your credentials. 

See directions in the image below: 

LinkedIn

Call for Papers in Air Quality
70th Anniversary of AAEES 

Special Issue of Environmental Engineer and Scientist

In honor of its 70th anniversary, AAEES will publish a special air quality issue of Environmental Engineer and Scientist in 2025.

Air quality is an important part of environmental engineering and science.  For this issue, we are seeking manuscripts to include understanding sources, sinks and transport, identifying emerging pollutants, developing novel treatment technologies and use of sustainable precursors, and setting policies to reduce and mitigate threats to human welfare and planetary health from air.  This is not an exhaustive list, and we welcome enquiries to confirm that manuscripts fit within the scope of the Special Anniversary Issue prior to article preparation.  

Contributions can be a Technical Note, State-of-the-Art Review, Forum, or Editorial.     

The deadline for your submission is April 15, 2025.

For more information, go to
https://www.aaees.org/environmentalengineerandscientist-callforpapers.

If you have any questions, please email Yolanda at YMoulden@aaees.org.


EESF

Environmental Engineering and Science Foundation Scholarships – Now Accepting Applications

Are you completing an undergraduate degree program and need funding to continue your education in environmental engineering or environmental science?

The Environmental Engineering and Science Foundation (EESF) has created nine annual scholarships for students majoring in Environmental Engineering and Environmental Science. 
 
EESF Master's Degree Scholarships in Environmental Engineering and Science

Six scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each are offered to students completing undergraduate degree programs at accredited four-year institutions.  Applicants must have been accepted to enter an accredited graduate program to complete a Master’s Degree either in Environmental Engineering or related field of engineering or Environmental Science or related field.  These scholarships are based on academic performance.
 
EESF Master's Degree Scholarships in Environmental Engineering and Science for Under-Represented Minority (URM) Students

These three scholarships are identical to those described above for Master’s degree candidates but are available to students who self-identify as American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander. The URM category will include individuals who identify two or more affiliations if at least one of their affiliations is one of these groups.

 
Details, FAQs, and application forms can be found at: https://www.eesfoundation.org/scholarship/.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN MAY 1, 2025.

Foundation Donations

The Environmental Engineering and Science Foundation's primary purpose is to recognize and promote excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science. As a result, the public will become more aware of the important role Environmental Engineers and Scientists play in managing global, national and regional environmental challenges. To accomplish its goals, the Foundation dedicates its resources to education, research and awards focused on outstanding Environmental Engineering and Science achievement.

The Environmental Engineering and Science Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. As such, all contributions donated through this site are eligible to receive a tax-deduction. The Environmental Engineering and Science Foundation supports several educational, awards, and outreach programs and supports a variety of activities and initiatives of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists.

Descriptions of the various funds and their charitable objectives can be found at https://www.eesfoundation.org/donate/.


Need PDHs?

You now have the opportunity to earn PDHs from recorded webinars! If you miss an AAEES webinar, you can watch it at your convenience and then take a quiz to earn PDHs.

  1. Go to our webinar library and watch a webinar of your choice.
  2. Once you have watched it, go to the coordinating quiz link to purchase and complete a brief quiz.
  3. Once you pass the quiz, we will send you your PDH certificate.

It’s that simple!

Go to our webinar library to browse our recorded webinars: https://www.aaees.org/aaeeswebinarslibrary.


Stories Submission

AAEES is THE collaborating organization in environmental engineering and environmental science. Environmental engineers and environment scientists can come here to tell a story and connect with others. We accept a variety of formats:

  • Photo(s) with description
  • Links to news articles
  • Video clips
  • Links to relevant webinar/podcasts
  • Links to industry white paper

We appreciate everything our members submit. Depending on the size of your item, we may include it on social media, the monthly Highpoints Newsletter, or Environmental Engineer and Scientist magazine.

For more information, and to submit your story, go to https://www.aaees.org/MemberStories.


AAEES Podcasts

The Importance of Mentoring: No One is An Island

Join us as we sit down with Nicholas Albergo, PE, BCEE, BC.WRE, F.ASCE, F.EWRI and Matthew Talbert, PE, BCEE from Academy Patron, GHD. GHD Group is a global employee-owned multinational technical professional services firm providing advisory, architecture and design, buildings, digital, energy and resources, environmental, geosciences, project management, transportation and water services. Nick is a Professional Engineer, Senior Advisor to GHD, and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida. Matt is an Environmental Engineer and project manager specializing in site assessment and remediation.

You will hear about GHD’s mentoring program and the importance of intentional conversations as well as the demands placed on emerging professionals. Matthew will share how he was drawn to becoming Board Certified through the Academy and how it has helped his career.

Nick’s humor during a conversation on ethics is sure to make you laugh as he asks, “What would your mom think?” Don’t miss this episode.

Stream or Download This Episode

Environmental Engineering and Science: A Team Sport

Join us as we sit down with two of our Board Certified Environmental Scientists. Dr. Mary deFlaun, BCES is a Sr. Principal Microbiologist at Geosyntec Consultants. Dr. deFlaun will be interviewing Heather Tahon, BCES, a Principal Scientist also at Geosyntec Consultants. Heather has worked in environmental consulting for almost 20 years now and has worked at Geosyntec for the past 11 years. Heather’s practice includes managing environmental investigation, remediation, transactional due diligence, and compliance projects primarily for industrial clients. Heather currently manages the groundwater remediation and environmental management department in Geosyntec’s Pittsburgh, PA office. During this podcast, Heather discusses how her mentors have helped her throughout her career and how being board certified with the Academy has benefitted her credibility in the consulting world. Heather also gives advice on how young professionals can develop their own leadership style.

As a strong leader who now mentors others, Heather is an inspiration to anyone working in the environmental engineering/science world.

Stream or Download This Episode

A Day in the Life of an Environmental Engineer and the Steps it Takes to Get There: Interview with Isreal Hodges, Jr., P.E., BCEE

Join us as we sit down with two of our Board Certified Environmental Engineers. Anastasia Rudenko, P.E., BCEE, ENV SP, who is an associate with GHD, will be interviewing Isreal Hodges, Jr., P.E., BCEE, who is a Lead EHS Specialist for Rivian Automotive. Almost four years ago, Isreal became a Board Certified Environmental Engineer with the Academy with a specialty in Air Pollution Control. Isreal’s story will inspire any young professional who is striving for a career in environmental engineering/science. During this podcast, Isreal talks about how being Board Certified with the Academy has helped his career, and he emphasizes the importance of being proactive with early career networking. Isreal also discusses his favorite part of the job, overcoming career challenges and how prioritizing physical health improves all aspects of his life. Above all, Isreal reminds us to enjoy the journey and celebrate success. As an ambassador of environmental engineering, Isreal is an inspiration to anyone working towards becoming an environmental engineer.

Stream or Download This Episode

Overcoming Obstacles to Become a Successful Engineer: The Story of Melody Gonzalez

Join us as we sit down with Anne Germain, a Board Certified Environmental Engineer and Chief Operating Officer & Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) who will be interviewing Melody Gonzalez, a Project engineer at Black & Veatch. Melody has a captivating story to tell. Originally from Venezuela, Ms. Gonzalez used her strength, grit and determination to become an engineer all while raising two boys on her own. During this podcast, you will learn the unique details of Melody’s journey from being a single mother with limited family support to growing into an engineer practicing in the United States and working on earning a PE license. Melody talks about the importance of having a good mentor along the way and also emphasizes the importance of being a good mentor to others. Melody also discusses the importance of getting involved. Joining professional organizations, being active in the industry, and cultivating a network all serve as the building blocks for getting an engineering career off the ground. Melody is an inspiration to all women and anyone who dreams of becoming an engineer.

Stream or Download This Episode

Interactive Who’s Who

The Academy’s website has an improved and expanded feature for members: the Interactive Who’s Who. Look for the link just below the welcome message after you log in. With this tool you can search for members by name, specialization, organization, and location.

You can use this feature to find Board-Certified individuals within a specialty for possible engagement on projects. You can find out who else in your organization is a member and see their biographical information. You can get contact information for colleagues in the Academy. Universities can find local Board-Certified members to engage them with their program as mentors or external advisory board members. The feature is intuitive to use by selecting one or more text fields to search for. Once you find a member you can then click on them for more detailed profile including contact information. And, if you search for yourself, you will be able to edit your profile including adding a headshot photo for your colleagues to know you by. Enjoy this new feature that will help our members connect with each other.


All AAEES members receive a 30% discount off any of PDH Online's 3,000+ courses, including live webinars. AAEES will receive a 20% royalty for each course taken by AAEES members using the AAEES membership code AAEES30.

Members can search courses and sign up at https://www.PDHonline.com.

PDH Online is one of the leading online course providers and is an approved continuing education sponsor by many state licensing boards for professional engineers. Over 100 of their courses have been developed by BCEEs. AAEES has designated PDH Online as the Preferred PDH Provider to help AAEES members complete all their bi-annual PDH requirements.


Update Your Profile

Change of address, email or any information? You will need to login to your profile in our organization. Your username is .

If you are having trouble accessing your account, email Yolanda at YMoulden at aaees.org for assistance.


Not Getting Email Announcements from AAEES

Please be sure to whitelist or add aaees@memberclicks-mail.net to your contact list to ensure you receive important updates and announcements to your inbox.


It's Simple - Refer a Colleague to Apply for Board Certification


Host a Virtual Event

It's easy and free to host an AAEES Webinar or Virtual Workshop/Event

If you would like to learn more, please email Marisa Waterman at MWaterman at aaees.org. Be sure to give an approximate date and suggested topic and possible speakers.


Don't Miss Anything!

The AAEES calendar is a great way to stay connected with listings of upcoming events, meetings, deadlines, industry observances, and other important dates.

Click here to view the AAEES calendar.


Student Lounge

We always love to hear what our student members have been up to! Send us your recent articles, news, studies, project photos, etc. We would be happy to share with the rest of the environmental engineering and science community via social media. Send an email to Marisa Waterman at MWaterman at aaees.org.


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Our Partners

 ABET AECOM AEESP AIChE APHA APWA ASCE ASEE AWMA awwa.png Black and VeatchCDM SmithCDM Smith CESB DSWA EESF Geosyntec LACSD ladwp   MWDSC nacwa naem  neha.png  OCSAN PDH Online SCS Engineers Stanley ConsultantsSWANA usaidis uswaterpartnership WEF
 ABET AECOM AEESP AIChE APHA APWA ASCE ASEE AWMA awwa.png Black and VeatchCDM SmithCDM Smith CESB DSWA EESF Geosyntec LACSD ladwp   MWDSC nacwa naem  neha.png  OCSAN PDH Online SCS Engineers Stanley ConsultantsSWANA usaidis uswaterpartnership WEF