CAEE Students Awarded NSF Fellowships
Two current CAEE graduate students received the highly desired 2009 National Science Foundation's (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship, which grants each student more than $40,000 annually for three years. About 1,000 fellowships were awarded in the U.S.
Carolina Mendez, a first-year graduate student in environmental engineering, received the fellowship for her research which provides recommendations for the selection of roofing material for rainwater harvesting. She will use chemical and microbial analyses to investigate which residential roofing materials yield the best water quality. Her co-advisors are Assistant Professor Mary Jo Kirisits and Associate Professor Kerry Kinney.
Ashlynn Stillwell, a second year graduate student in environmental and water resources engineering and public affairs, also received the NSF fellowship for her work that examines the nexus of energy and water in Texas. She will quantify and qualitatively analyze the amount of water that Texas uses for water generation as well as the amout of electricity Texas uses for water and wastewater systems. Stillwell will also expand upon this work to include biofuels, analyzing its water use and possible negative impacts on water quality. She is co-advised by mechanical engineering Assistant Professor Michael Webber and Professor Desmond Lawler. Additionally, she is a member of the Webber Energy Group and the Lawler Research Group.