The Watershed Faculty Consortium of the University of Tennessee (UT) welcomed students and potential employers to the 5th Annual Watershed Symposium on Tuesday, Sept 13th. Over 50 undergraduate and graduate students associated from 16 different academic programs interacted with professionals in water-related fields, from private consultants to state, federal and municipal governments and nonprofit organizations. The 17 tables that comprised the career expo represented a cross-section of the diverse career paths that students may enter after completing their Watershed Minor program.
Three students clinched awards during the student poster competition: 1st place to Thom Epps, graduate student in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department (co-author Dr. Jon Hathaway), 2nd place to Bing Cao, graduate student in Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science (co-authors Dr. Andrea Ludwig and Wesley Wright), and 3rd place to Dan Walker, graduate student in Forestry, Wildlife & Fisheries (co-author Dr. Brian Alford).
In the afternoon session, Associate Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, John Stier, provided welcoming comments leading into a keynote address delivered by Andy Reese, Vice President of Amec Foster Wheeler Inc., a national engineering firm with several Tennessee offices. Mr. Reese spoke with students about finding his path to a successful career in stormwater management and encouraged students to never stop learning and “always answer the phone.” The day concluded with 10 presentations from UT faculty and graduate students on their work in water, representing the Colleges of Law, Engineering, Arts and Sciences, and Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources. Presenting faculty included Becky Jacobs representing the College of Law, John Schwartz representing the College of Engineering, Brad Collett representing the School of Architecture, and Brian Alford and John Tyner representing the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Graduate students gave “zip” talks, which meant they had 7.5 minutes to give the audience a snapshot of their research. Presenters included Di Sheng, Andrew Tirpak, Nastaran Basiri Jahromi, Katryn Pasaribu, and DeVone Coleman. The compilation of work presented showcased the valuable research and educational programs being done in Tennessee to ensure sustainable water resources into the future.
