PWQA OFFERS Two $1,000 Scholarships ANNUALLY
Applicants are encouraged to apply to either the PWQA Member Company Scholarship or the Major of Study Related to Potable Water Quality Scholarship. Qualifications for each scholarship are listed below.
1. “PWQA Member Company Scholarship” will be awarded to an individual who is employed by a PWQA Member Company or is related to an individual that is employed by a PWQA Member Company. Said Member Company must be a PWQA Member in good standing, which is defined as a member company current on membership dues.
2. “Major of Study Related to Potable Water Quality Scholarship” will be awarded to an individual that is pursuing a major that supports potable water quality.
APPLICANT MUST:
- Provide proof of current admission or entry acceptance to a trade school, 2- or 4-year institution within 6 months of the scholarship being awarded
- Submit an essay (500 words maximum) on how you intend to utilize your education in your chosen area of study. In addition, please explain how this money will help you achieve your academic goal.
- Submit Transcripts from High School and all attended Colleges
- Completed and signed application (click here to download)
- Letter(s) of recommendation from a teacher or employer, etc. strongly encouraged
DEADLINE:
All applications and required materials must be received at the PWQA office no later than April 30. Please print out and sign the completed application. The application and requested supporting documents can be emailed to info@pwqa.org or mail to:
PWQA
Attn: Scholarship Committee
2700 East Foothill Blvd. #209
Pasadena, CA 91107
QUESTIONS:
Please direct all questions to our office at (626) 283-4464 or info@pwqa.org
2022 scholarship winners
The PWQA Member Related Scholarship category was full of excellent candidates in 2022, but Derek Pagsanhan rose to the top and is this year’s recipient of the scholarship. Derek’s father, Eric Pagsanhan is an employee of Hall’s Culligan Water in Santa Ana, California.
Derek just graduated from Santa Rosa Academy in Menifee, California posting a high GPA and a long track record of volunteer work in his community. He selected Vanguard University in Orange County as his top choice to attend in the Fall of 2022 and has been accepted. He intends to study psychology as an undergraduate with a vision to pursue a medical degree with specialty in psychiatry.
Derek earned the top rank among the applicants through the combination of a track record established in his high school academic career of high grades, a strong essay, high praise in letters of recommendation and his history of community work. PWQA can be proud to be investing in the future of Derek and we wish him success as he embarks on this first step in the Fall.
Meena Ejjada is one of many outstanding candidates that applied for the PWQA Major Related Study in 2022 and we are proud to award her this scholarship. She is a graduate student working to complete her PhD at University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Environmental Engineering after already having completed a Master’s degree at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. The focus of her research at UNLV has been investigating disinfection byproducts (DBP’s) in water.
Her most recent project is funded by the National Science Foundation with a focus on the adverse impacts of the unsheltered homeless population and wastewater treatment plants (WWTP’s) on Lake Mead’s water quality, which stores water used by populations in Nevada, Arizona, California and Mexico. Understanding how organic matter in the waste streams of both the untreated waste (homeless populations lacking sanitary facilities) and treated waste (WWTP’s) contribute organic matter, which is the precursor to DBP formation, is critical throughout the world.
The NSF project inspired her to study the uptake of DBPs in crops irrigated with water containing DBPs, particularly crops that are water intensive. The focus of this new project is 1) to establish DBP formation potential from different water sources, 2) understand the uptake of DBPs by plants grown using reclaimed water and 3) establish technical operating procedures for the technologies used to detect DBPs in both plants and water.
Meena’s work is cutting edge and will have long-term ramifications on our understanding of water reuse as a consequence of disinfection byproducts. In addition to her studies, Meena’s resume and letter of recommendation highlight her mentoring, teaching and leading other students. Her essay outlines many collaborations with other researchers to expand the scope and implications of her research projects.
The goal of any scholarship is to invest in the future of deserving individuals, and through Meena Ejjada’s work, we see that PWQA is making an excellent investment with its scholarship.
2021 scholarship winners
The PWQA Member Company Scholarship is awarded to Charles Arnold this year. Charles is studying Physics at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and is starting his third year this fall. Before attending RIT, he completed high school at Hillcrest High School in the City of Riverside where he achieved a GPA of 4.38. Charles has continued to excel in his course work at RIT.
The Major of Study Related to Potable Water Quality Scholarship is awarded to an individual who is pursuing a major that supports potable water quality.
This year’s recipient of this scholarship is George William Kajjumba, who is beginning his fourth year of graduate studies in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) this fall. He is on track to receive his PhD by the spring of 2022, with his research focus on lanthonides in wastewater, how best to remove them to safe levels for recycled drinking water and whether they can be recycled from the wastewater through coagulation processes along with other solid waste as biosolids for agriculture use. George Kajjumba came to UNLV from the University of Istanbul, Turkey and is originally from Uganda. As a graduate teaching adviser, he has mentored other students from around the globe on many subjects, including how to manage arsenic, chromium and TCE contaminants.
PWQA is very happy to contribute to George’s ability to achieve his educational goals as he prepares to take his skills back out into the world of water. We wish him the best and will be interested in following his promising career.