The Ohio Water Environment Association (OWEA) launched a Student Design Competition in 2017 modeled after the Water Environment Federation's (WEF) Student Design Competition held annually at WEFTEC. The purpose of this competition is to promote "real world" design experience for students interested in pursuing an education and/or career in water and environmental science and engineering. The competition is geared towards upper class students and/or graduate students; however, all students are encouraged to participate. In addition to gaining real world design experience, the student design competition provides numerous networking opportunities with young and experienced water professionals in the industry. The judging panel for the competition consists of water industry experts from government and engineering consulting firms.
Attending One Water conference was an absolute blast, and I am so grateful to everyone who helped facilitate my group's attendance. It was so exciting to be surrounded by professionals who are working every day to solve the issues we learn about in class. I think the Student Design Competition is an excellent way for students to apply their skills to real world issues and meet industry professionals along the way. I would recommend more students get involved in them.
Madeleine Harris, CWRU
Attending One Water Ohio was a great experience for me, especially as I begin my career. I learned so much in just a few days, from the technical sessions to the exhibition hall to the 5S induction ceremony. The highlight for me was getting the chance to meet and learn from so many experienced and knowledgeable water professionals. I left the conference confident that the water environment industry is the right place for me.
Nicholas Merchant-Wells, CWRU
One Water was a phenomenal experience for me and my team. In addition to presenting on our project for the WEF Student Design Competition, I had the opportunity to attend numerous technical sessions and talk to industry professionals throughout Ohio at both the YP networking event and the evening event at Brother's. Seeing so many people come together to celebrate accomplishments and address challenges in water and wastewater has reinvigorated my love of both the subject and the industry. My team and I are unendingly grateful to OWEA for such a formative and exciting experience so early in our careers.
William Worsham, CWRU
The OWEA Student Design Competition helped me instantly connect with my colleagues when entering the workforce. It gave me a leg up that proved to be so important for building communication and presentation skills. I loved getting to share my work from school with industry specialists who could help me learn more about the areas I was interested in. This competition is such a great way to challenge yourself, expand your skills, and form valuable connections as a young professional.
Lizzie Clingan, University of Cincinnati, and Engineer at Strand Associates
Participating in the OWEA Student Design Competition was an amazing experience and gave me the confidence to transition from school into a full-time career in the water and wastewater industry. Attending the One Water Ohio Conference was invaluable because I got to network with water professionals and reconnect with mentors and engineering leaders from my co-op experiences. The real-world engineering and design knowledge I gained not only helped me succeed in interviews for full-time positions but also gave me a strong foundation to launch my career in environmental engineering.
Allison Reynolds, University of Cincinnati, and Engineer at McKim & Creed
Any Ohio college or university is welcome to participate!
Student Design Competition Co-Chairs
Student Design Competition Advisor
