2014 Undergraduate Cohort

I am completing an Environmental Science degree with a concentration in Environmental Engineering, and will be applying to graduate programs for Environmental Engineering. Within the field, I am most passionate about water resources, security, and quality management. I find the interdisciplinary relationship between environmental engineering, public health, and public policy to be of great personal interest. Ultimately, my goal is to build a career which enables me to work on international development projects to address issues of access to clean water and sanitation.

I am currently studying Environmental Engineering and will be anticipating graduation from the University of California, Irvine this coming June. I applied for PIRE’s UPP Down Under program because I am determined to attend graduate studies and I believe this will help me discover a more specific subject in which to study. My interests are among water conservation, sustainability, and water treatment. While researching with the PIRE program, I will benefit by increasing my understanding of international methodologies and applications in my area of interest.

I am interested in studying ground water flow and how to maintain the sustainability of aquifer systems.

I am a junior majoring in Environmental Engineering. I’m interested in research projects related to wastewater reclamation, stormwater reuse and water resources management. My current research focuses on investigating the fate of viruses in a wastewater treatment plant. I am currently carrying out an experiment at the Michelson Water Recycling Plant in Irvine and my goal is to compare the viral removal efficiency of the traditional activated sludge process with a newly established membrane bioreactor facility by using a flow cytometry technique. Additionally, with the ongoing drought in California I have become more interested in sustainable water systems. I am very excited to travel to Australia and learn about the various conservation techniques that were implemented to tackle their Millenium Drought.

My scientific research interests include urban water sustainability and the development of energy efficient alternatives for urban water filtration. My long-term academic goal is to bridge the gap between the scientific and non-scientific community to communicate the importance of water conservation through understandable, effective writing. I would ultimately like to merge my interest in water sustainability and my passion for writing to create written learning materials that are accurate, informative, and easily comprehended for the public.

I will be entering my fourth year as a Civil Engineering major. I am interested in learning more about water resources, its ecological challenges, and the policies implemented. I applied to the PIRE program to gain hands-on experience and exposure to water issues outside the US within a multidisciplinary group context. Through this program, I want to develop a better understanding about water sustainability; and ultimately, be able to apply it to other contexts, such as California.

I am a third year civil engineer at UCI. My interests are in earthquake engineering. I am hoping this experience will help me further expand my knowledge as a civil engineer. I am hoping to use the theoretical concepts from school and use them to do hands on and practical work.

I am a fourth year Civil Engineering student at UCLA focusing on Environmental and Water Resources Engineering. Traveling on volunteer trips to lesser-developed countries in the last few years, as well as interning in the water industry here in California has raised my awareness for global issues and how they relate back to my local community. Thus, I am particularly interested in research pertaining to the complex problem of securing reliable water resources and ensuring quality. I hope to gain research and field experience through the PIRE program this summer before I pursue a graduate degree in Environmental Engineering and Science next year.

I will be entering my fourth year double majoring in Environmental Engineering and Earth System Science. I am interested in water conservation, quality, and treatment as an environmental engineer student, but simultaneously interested in Arctic methane and climate change from my earth system science studies. I am highly considering graduate school to further my studies in environmental engineering for water sustainability. I was especially interested in the PIRE water program for the parallels between Australia and our own situation in California.

I am a third year Environmental Engineering student at UC San Diego; and I am currently interested in researching sustainable energy solutions. Specifically, I am excited by the prospects of solar-thermal, oceanic wave, and geo-thermal power. I am also very passionate about sustainable agriculture as well as permaculture; and I hope to learn more about these areas in the future. I would like to research as many of the existing integrated human-ecological bio systems as I can in order to advance this area of engineering. I envision a future where society lives in balance with nature; to achieve this we will need to draw from all areas of current knowledge to implement unique, creative solutions.

I am a third year Environmental Engineering student at the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering. I am interested in several research areas including renewable energy, chemical systems, and water conservation. I am excited to diversify my areas of research so that I can better understand what I would like to study in graduate school. I thoroughly enjoy working in team settings to develop engineering solutions to current challenges. I am thrilled for this unique opportunity to study the material I love in such an amazing environment.

I will be entering my 4th year as a Social ecology major with a minor in Earth and atmospheric sciences. I applied to the PIRE program because I have an ever growing passion for water. I am interested in researching water sustainability, conservation, and security.