Season's Greetings!!
The leaders and staff of the Academy extend sincere wishes for Happy Holidays and a prosperous 2017 to all members and their families and friends. Thank you for your commitment to the Academy.
2017 Excellence in Environmental Engineering & Science
It's time to begin planning your entries for the E3S Competition for 2017. The deadline for entries is February 1, 2017. The submission process is entirely electronic, allowing you to submit your completed entry directly online. Judging is also conducted electronically with an unlimited geographic representation of judges. Entering the E3S competition is a prerequisite for entering the North American category of the IWA PIA Awards.
For entry details, click here. For other information, email JSOlmo@aaees.org.
2017 Environmental Communications Awards
We all know how important communicating complex and challenging issues to stakeholders and partners can be. Effectively communicating with the public at large and other constituents is equally as important. With this in mind, AAEES is inviting you to enter this important competition. In cooperation with the International Water Association and the PIA Awards, the Academy is proud to offer this area of competition and invites consulting firms and municipalities alike to enter. The deadline to enter is March 1, 2017. The winner will be announced at the Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science Awards Luncheon & Conference. The winner will also qualify to enter the IWA's International competition in the North American section.
For details and to enter, click here. For other information, email JSOlmo@aaees.org.
Environmental Engineering and Science Foundation Announces Launch of Planned Giving Program
As part of its effort to grow its ability to act on its mandate of supporting education and related topics in environmental engineering and environmental science, the Environmental Engineering and Science Foundation has announced it is launching a planned giving program.
A planned giving program is a mechanism used by many charitable organizations as a way of making it easier for donors to make gifts. This is especially true for gifts that are combinations of traditional donor giving and estate planning in which a donor dedicates part of his/her estate to a not-for-profit recipient organization.
Information on the EES Foundation program can be viewed at eesfoundation.org/plannedgiving.
The Foundation's Board of Directors has chosen this route in order to do a better job of meeting its organizational mandate of promoting research and education in all aspects of environmental engineering and environmental science while making it easier for donors to make a gift of any size to the Foundation.
A key criterion of the program is a desire to accommodate different styles of giving and gifts of varying sizes. The program is accessible to donors making a regular small monthly contribution that is charged to a credit card. But the program also helps individuals looking to make a donation to the Foundation a part of their estate planning. The structures are in place to accommodate that level of giving as well.
The overall intent for creating the program is to generate a strong and steady level of support to the Foundation for its work in promoting environmental education. The most important element of the planned giving program is its potential to do a much better job of generating donations which can be turned into support for an expanding slate of environmental engineering education programs.
The Foundation recognizes that the environmental field is competing with a host of other academic disciplines to attract the best and brightest; the students who will be the next generation of leaders in the field they choose. The planned giving program will be a tool that the Foundation can use to build and sustain interest in an environmental career.
The bottom line for the program is its tapping the population of existing environmental engineers and scientists to help recruit and educate the next generation. Concern for the environment has never been higher. The planned giving program is a way of building the resource base that will be needed to convert today's students into tomorrow's environmental problem solvers.
Find out more at the EES Foundation website (http://www.eesfoundation.org/) by clicking on the tab for the Planned Giving Program. Please forward inquiries to: info@eesfoundation.org. Or call 410.266.3390.
2017 IWA Project Innovation Awards
The IWA Project Innovation Awards (PIA) aims to highlight innovative water and wastewater engineering projects around the world, thus bringing recognition to these projects as models of engineering excellence and spreading the knowledge of water and wastewater science and management. The awards span six categories: Applied Research, Planning, Design, Small Projects, Operations/Management, and Marketing and Communication. All 2017 and 2018 E3S award winners will be invited to submit their projects online via the IWA PIA website www.iwa-pia.org. More details forthcoming.
AAEES Webinars
AAEES is working to construct a webinar series that taps the expertise of our board certified environmental specialists in sessions that are timely and topical. We now have our first two webinars scheduled for early 2017. We hope you can attend one or both! These webinars will be interactive sessions with "live chat" capability as well. The webinar sessions are open to environmental engineering and science professionals across all sectors and career stages. Our objective is to offer special insights for graduate and undergraduate students, as well as working environmental professionals who have a special interest in selected topics. And remember, these webinars are completely free.
Title: State-of-the-Art Nitrogen Upgrade to Protect our Waters
Date: Wednesday January 18 2017 at 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm ET
On Wednesday January 18th 2017 ET, AAEES will host a live webinar with both Rich Voigt, P.E., Principal Project Manager at CH2M and Sean Stephan, Chief of Enterprise Sustainability at AlexRenew Enterprises. Voigt and Stephan will be teaming up to discuss state-of-the-art nitrogen removal technologies and processes used to meet the stringent nutrient limits required to protect the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. To register for this FREE event, go to: http://bit.ly/01182017NitrogenUpgradeWebinar.
Title: Leadership in Environmental Engineering – "A Tale of Two Journeys"
Date: Thursday Feb 2, 2017 from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm ET
On Thursday February 2, 2017 from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm ET, AAEES will host a live webinar with both Dr. Domenico Grasso, P.E., BCEE, University of Delaware Provost, and Kristin (Kris) Morico, P.E., BCEE, Global Leader-Environmental Programs for GE. Both Domenico and Kris will talk about their diverse journeys in environmental engineering with a special emphasis on the importance of both social and professional competencies, mentoring and maintenance of professional networks. To register for this FREE event, go to: http://bit.ly/AAEESLeadershipWebinar.
We hope you take advantage of these free events.
Last Call for the Student Video Competition: What can individuals do to help reduce climate change?
The deadline for the the Student Video Competition, put together by the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) and the Environmental Engineering and Science Foundation (EESF), is quickly approach. Entry forms must be submitted by December 18, 2016.
This year we asked students to consider "What can individuals do to help reduce climate change?" The video is intended to motivate individuals to change daily habits that cause carbon emissions that may contribute to climate change. To help people understand the roles of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, the video should end with brief references as to how Environmental Engineers and Scientists are working on climate issues.
The competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students studying environmental engineering or sciences worldwide. Target audiences include students in 8th grade and higher as well as the general public. The videos are a great way to engage students in an important societal challenge, develop team skills, and communicate effectively. The winning teams will receive prize money. We are hoping to also raise funds to cover travel to Washington D.C. for a few of the students.
Here is a link to the contest information: http://www.eesfoundation.org/student-video-competition/.
Please reach out to your student and professor colleagues and encourage them to participate!
View last year's winning videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOO4Ss8w6Cot5wGJ6QH7Erm_BpyTCGIbP.
Annual Certification Renewal
The 2017 Specialty Certification Renewals (paper copies) will be mailed in December. If you have not renewed for 2016, it is not too late. If you renew for both years, the late fee will be waived. Please call Joyce if you need assistance with your renewal at 410-266-3311.
2017 Environmental Engineering and Science Resource Guidebook - Sign Up for Your Listing
The Academy invites you to sign up for a listing in the 2017 Environmental Engineering and Science Resource Guidebook. We are releasing the Guidebook in both electronic and print format to make this year's edition easier to use and easier to distribute to individuals and organizations looking to connect with environmental specialists. We are expanding the content that each listing receives – enabling web links in the e-version and providing more room to post information on your specialties in both versions. We expect to print and distribute the new publication more widely than we have in the past, with a special focus on outreach at the trade events and conferences we attend during the year. We are also planning an expanded role for the Guidebook in making federal, state, and local agencies aware of the capabilities of our members in helping deal with current environmental engineering needs.
Ask your organization to reserve its space by February 15, 2017. It's great exposure for a low cost. For details, email JSOlmo@aaees.org. To download the reservation form, click here.
AAEES Career Center
The interactive job board is free to members who are seeking employment. The site provides employers and recruiters with highly qualified environmental engineering job candidates. Employers may post available positions directly to the Career Center for a fee of $495/position for a 30 day listing. Payment is made online by credit card. Internship postings are free! For more information, go to http://careers.aaees.org.
Committee Appointments
President-Elect Robert Williams is finalizing committee appointments for the Academy's next program year (January 1 to December 31), and appointment letters will be mailed to those newly appointed this year. A list of those who will chair the Academy's committees will be published in the January Highpoints.
AAEES Activities
Elevate Your Visibility Today Through the Academy
It's easy and free to host an Academy Workshop or Seminar in your locale - If you would like to learn more, please email Workshops and Seminars Chair Sharon Yin, syin@ocsd.com and copy JSOlmo@aaees.org. Be sure to give an approximate date and suggested topic (if any), possible speakers, and possible location. For three easy steps to hosting an event, click here.
January 18, 2017 at 1:00 PM – 2:30 pm ET, Webinar discussing State-of-the-Art Nitrogen Upgrade to Protect our Waters. To register for this FREE event, go to http://bit.ly/01182017NitrogenUpgradeWebinar
February 2, 2017 at 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm ET, Webinar discussing Leadership in Environmental Engineering – "A Tale of Two Journeys." To register for this FREE event, go to http://bit.ly/AAEESLeadershipWebinar
April 13, 2017, AAEES E3S Awards Luncheon and Conference, National Press Club, Washington, DC. Additional details forthcoming. Reservation and Entry forms can be found here: http://www.aaees.org/e3scompetition.php.
May 8, 2017, AAEES's 9th Annual Breakfast at NJWEA's Conference. For registration or exhibitor information, visit www.njwea.org.
May 9, 2017, AAEES's 8th Annual Workshop (with TCHs, PDHs and CEUs); includes breakfast and/or lunch at NJWEA's Conference, Atlantic City, NJ: For registration or exhibitor information, visit www.njwea.org.
