Awards

Salt of the Earth Award Recipients

The MSSC Board of Directors recognize industry leaders that demonstrate outstanding commitment, leadership, vision, and dedication to our water industry by promoting advancements in technologies for desalination, reuse, salinity control strategies, water/energy efficiencies, and related public policies that assist communities in meeting water needs.

Celeste Cantú

Celeste Cantú serves on the following boards:
Chair of the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board
Chair, Water Policy Center Advisory Council, Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC)
Vice Chair of the Water Foundation
Water Solutions Network Advisory Council
UC President’s Advisory Council for Agriculture and Natural Resources

Cantú is a Master Gardener in Riverside County focusing on drought tolerant landscaping.

Ms. Cantú previously served as general manager of the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA). While there, she led the development of the Crest to Coast, Corner to Corner Integrated Regional Watershed Management Plan called One Water, One Watershed (OWOW) that addressed all water-related issues and joined all entities and hundreds of stakeholders seeking to create a new vision of sustainability for the Santa Ana River Watershed.

Prior to her tenure at SAWPA, Ms. Cantú served as the executive director for the California State Water Resources Control Board.

During the Clinton Administration, she served as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development State Director for California. She served as planning director for the city of Calexico and later as executive director for the Imperial Valley Housing Authority. She has a bachelor’s degree from Yale in urban planning and policy and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Sharon B. Megdal, Ph.D.

Director of The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC), a Cooperative Extension center and a research unit in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Professor and Specialist in the Department of Environmental Science
C.W. & Modene Neely Endowed Professor
Distinguished Outreach Professor

Sharon Megdal aims to bridge the academic, practitioner, and civil society communities through water policy and management research, education, and engagement programs. The geographic scope of Dr. Megdal’s work ranges from local to international. Applied research projects include analysis of water management, policy, and governance in water-scarce regions, groundwater recharge, and transboundary aquifer assessment. Key engagement initiatives are Indigenous Water Dialogues and Diversifying Voices in Water Resources.

She is the lead editor of the book, Shared Borders, Shared Waters: Israeli-Palestinian and Colorado River Basin Water Challenges and she has guest edited several special journal issues. Dr. Megdal teaches the multi-disciplinary graduate course “Water Policy in Arizona and Semi-arid Regions”. In 2020, she was awarded the Warren A. Hall Medal for lifetime achievement in water resources research and education by the Universities Council on Water Resources.

Sharon Megdal serves as on the Board of Governors for the Kasser Joint Institute for Food, Water, and Energy Security, is an ex officio member of the Leadership Team for the Colorado River Basin Water & Tribes Initiative, and is a member of the University of Arizona Presidential Advisory Commission on the Future of Agriculture and Food Production in a Drying Climate. Recent professional service includes serving for 12 years as a popularly elected Director for the Central Arizona Project, the Board of Directors for the American Water Resources Association, and Board President for the International Arid Lands Consortium. Dr. Megdal has served on numerous Arizona boards and commissions, including the Arizona Corporation Commission, the State Transportation Board, and the Arizona Medical Board. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from Princeton University. Dr. Megdal’s full CV, along with her policy columns and Reflections essays, can be found at https://wrrc.arizona.edu/director.

2023 Salt of the Earth Winner Erie AvilaErnesto A. Avila, P.E.

President, Division 3
Originally appointed in 2016; Serving through 2024
Committees: Operations & Engineering (Chair)

Ernesto A. Avila, P.E., was appointed in March 2016 to represent Division 3, which includes eastern Concord, Clayton, and part of Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. He began serving as President in May 2022.

He has over 40 years of professional experience in planning, environmental compliance, regulation, design, and construction of water, wastewater and recycled water works and municipal facilities. He is currently Principal/Vice-President of a private engineering firm.

As a member of the Board, he brings his dedication to the community, passion for water issues, and his experience in the private and public sectors.

For the community, he has volunteered for many citizen-based committees/organizations including the Walnut Creek Transportation Commission, the Concord Planning Commission, the John Muir/Mount Diablo Community Health Fund, the Knights of Columbus, the East Bay Leadership Council, and the St. Francis of Assisi School Board. While working full time, he has made volunteering in the community a priority, representing his neighbors and family on important issues that affect their everyday life.

He is passionate about water issues in his professional life, working on a variety of issues statewide during his career. Among several relevant positions, he served as Director of Engineering at Contra Costa Water District before moving on to become General Manager of Monterey Peninsula Water Management District. He also served as Executive Director for the California Urban Water Agencies, Program Director for the Multi-State Salinity Coalition, and is on the Executive Committee of the Association of California Water Agencies Board of Directors. He has experience on water projects of all shapes and sizes, including water treatment plant improvements, dam retrofits, and watershed management and habitat conservation projects.

He lives in Clayton with his family and is a licensed civil engineer with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Santa Clara University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from St. Mary’s College of California.

2023 Salt of the Earth Winner Sally GutierrezSally C. Gutierrez

Acting Director, Groundwater Characterization and Remediation Division – Environmental Protection Agency

Sally Gutierrez is currently the Acting Director of the Groundwater Characterization and Remediation Division in the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response in Ada, Oklahoma.  Prior to this assignment, she was assisting in the development of wastewater-based disease surveillance in communities, PFAS treatment, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.  She is a hydrologist and has been a member of the career Senior Executive Service since her appointment in 2000.

From 2018 to mid-2020, she served as the Acting Director of Water Permits Division in the Office of Wastewater Management, Office of Water at USEPA in Washington, DC where she was responsible for overseeing the nations’ wastewater permitting program.  Prior to that she was the Director of EPA’s Environmental Technology Innovation Cluster Development and Support Program.  She has also held the positions of Director of the National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL) and the Director of the Water Supply and Water Resources Division in NRMRL.

Sally is a native Texan.  Before coming to USEPA she was responsible for administering water programs at the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.

MSSC Salt of the Earth Award Winner 2022Mike Hightower

Program Director – New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium

Michael Hightower is a civil and environmental engineer with 40 years of experience in research and development. His current efforts include research and evaluation of innovative environmental and energy technologies and the reliability, security, and protection of critical water and energy infrastructures. He has led programs supporting
the U.S. in improving the safety, security, and reliability of energy and water infrastructures; managed and coordinated Sandia’s marine energy transport safety and security program; managed environmental research and development programs for DOE; has coordinated Sandia’s energy water interdependency research program since
2005; and has conducted civil and structural modeling, analysis, and design of penetrating weapons systems, missiles and rockets, and energy generation, mining, and transportation facilities and infrastructure. Michael’s background also includes extensive work with public-private partnerships involving water quality, desalination, and
water policy.

MSSC Salt of the Earth Award Winner 2022Patrick Dent

Assistant General Manager, Water Policy – Central Arizona Project

Patrick Dent is Central Arizona Project’s Assistant General Manager over Water Policy. Patrick is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Arizona. He joined CAP in 2000 serving in CAP’s Water Operations group.  Patrick is responsible for long-range planning, policy analysis, development and program implementation for the CAP service area, the Colorado River and the Central Arizona Ground Water Replenishment District (CAGRD).

2020 MSSC Salt of the Earth Jeff BiggsJeff Biggs

Administrator, Tucson Water
Jeff Biggs has over 39 years of experience in the water profession. He started his career with the Burlington, Iowa Municipal Waterworks in 1980. Jeff was then hired by the Kansas City, Missouri Water Services Department in1987 and in 2001 was hired by Tucson Water. Jeff’s experience includes water treatment and quality, public outreach, intergovernmental affairs, and research. Jeff has extensive management experience, managing staff of up to 500 and budgets over $200 million. Jeff was appointed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer to the Groundwater Users Advisory Board in 2010. Jeff is on the Board of Directors for the Multi-States Salinity Coalition, Chair of the AZ Water Utility Council and on the Town of Marana, AZ Utilities Board.

Jeff is an avid golfer and is the Chair of the Southern Arizona Golf Classic, which in ten years has raised over $260,000 for Water for People. Water for People is an international 501(c)(3) nonprofit humanitarian organization that focus on long-lasting, safe drinking water and improved sanitation for developing countries.

Jeff is a current member of American Water Works Association (AWWA) and AZ Water Association. He has also received the AWWA Missouri Section Meritorious Operator Award – 1994, Water for People Kenneth J. Miller Award – 2010 and the AWWA Life Member Award – 2011

mssc-award-robert-rennerRobert Renner

Chief Executive Officer, Water Research Foundation
The Water Research Foundation (www.WaterRF.org) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that sponsors research that supports the water community in cooperatively managing water from all sources to meet social, environmental, and economic needs. With over 1,000 subscriber members in the U.S. and abroad, the Foundation has funded and managed more than 1,400 research projects valued at more than $500 million.

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2005, Renner was the executive director of the International Society of Automation and served as deputy executive director of the American Water Works Association. He has more than 20 years of experience as a consultant optimizing water treatment plant performance. Mr. Renner holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in sanitary engineering from South Dakota State University is a licensed professional engineer in both Colorado and Minnesota, and is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers.

mssc-award-mike-mickleyDr. Michael Mickley

Mike Mickley, P.E., Ph.D., Mickley & Associates

Mike Mickley, P.E., Ph.D. (Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Colorado, 1976) has been conducting research and working with clients in the field of membrane technology since 1966. Since 1990 most of Mickley & Associates’ efforts have involved addressing challenges of membrane concentrate and, more generally, effluent management.   Several projects involved collaborating with engineering companies and utilities on evaluating concentrate disposal alternatives, interacting with regulatory agencies, and writing permit applications.   Several research projects have been funded by AwwaRF, Bureau of Reclamation, Office of Naval Research, and WateReuse Foundation – all addressing various concentrate management issues.   More recent attention has been focused on zero liquid discharge and high recovery technologies and the selective sequential removal of salts from concentrate.   Dr. Mickley is an internationally recognized expert in concentrate management and is on the editorial boards of Desalination and Desalination and Water Treatment.

ron-sullivan-salt-of-the-earthRonald W. Sullivan

Eastern Municipal Water District Board Vice-President and Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority Commissioner

EMWD Division 4: The City of Menifee, the central and southern portions of the City of Perris, the eastern portion of the City of Canyon Lake, and the unincorporated areas of Mead Valley, Good Hope, and Romoland.

A board member since January 2003, Ron Sullivan brings a wide variety of service with city and county organizations, including chair of the Riverside County Planning Commission, City of Hemet Planning Commission, and Riverside County Aviation Commission. He served as a representative to former State Senator Marian Bergeson. A licensed general contractor, he is experienced in real estate planning, design, development, and construction. He is an owner in Sullivan & Sullivan R.E. Group Inc.

Mr. Sullivan serves on EMWD’s Operations and Engineering Committee and the Planning Committee. He is also liaison with Western Municipal Water District, Western Riverside Water and Wastewater Financing Authority, and the Pechanga Tribal Committee as well as EMWD’s commissioner of the five-member Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority. His EMWD board term expires in January 2021.

karl-longley-salt-of-the-earthKarl Longley

Professor & Dean Emeritus of Engineering, California State University, Fresno (Fresno State), Environmental Engineer & Program Manager, Fresno State’s California Water Institute

Karl Longley’s current responsibilities include serving as a research engineer for the California Water Institute located at Fresno State. His current research is focused on the development of treatment technologies for the treatment of saline waters. He has also been the principal investigator for a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant focused on developing solutions for the safe drinking water needs of small, economically disadvantaged communities (DACs). Karl Longley is a gubernatorial appointee who has been serving on California’s Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVWB) from 1989 to1997 and 1999 to the present. A very significant action by Longley as a board member has been the white paper he authored and presented in 2003 that pointed to the need for a long-term salinity management program. This program is now designated as the Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS). The CVWB’s salinity and nutrient management program is now being finalized after over ten years of intensive stakeholder effort, and it will be incorporated into the basin plans for which the CVWB has responsibility. The implementation of the new basin plan provisions for nutrient and salinity will be a long term effort that will insure that Central Valley salt and nutrient issues will be properly mitigated in the future.

Karl Longley served on a large number of committees including as a member of the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Agency’s Board of Consultants (1994-1998), and the California Governor’s Environmental Policy Council (1993-1997). He is a U.S. Army officer working as an environmental engineer beginning in 1960 and departing active duty as a lieutenant colonel in 1981.

Dr. Longley earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New Mexico, and both a Master of Science in Engineering degree (Sanitary Engineering and Water Resources program) and a Doctor of Science degree (School of Hygiene and Public Health) from the Johns Hopkins University. He is a registered professional engineer in California and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer.

davis-photoTom Davis

Director of the Center for Inland Desalination Systems at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)

Tom Davis is a native of Columbia, South Carolina. He earned his BS and PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of South Carolina. Most of his career has been devoted to the understanding of ion-exchange membranes and their applications to electrodialysis and fuel cells. His employment includes Southern Research Institute, Exxon, Graver Water, the University of South Carolina, and ZDD, Inc., a small company that is commercializing technology for reduction of the amount of water lost in the disposal of concentrate from desalination of saline water. ZDD (Zero Discharge Desalination) technology was demonstrated at Alamogordo, New Mexico, where the groundwater is nearly saturated with gypsum, and it was used in UTEP’s entry in the Desal Prize competition. He is currently involved in a start-up company, Atlas Regeneration Technologies, to commercialize a UTEP invention–a sensor to detect hardness in water treated by a water softener to determine when the softener should be regenerated. Other research includes the use of electrodialysis to recover acid from process water and the use of photovoltaic (PV) power in desalination.

napolitano-photoCongresswoman Grace Napolitano

U.S. Representative

Grace Flores Napolitano was first elected to Congress in November 1998. She is currently serving her fifth term representing California’s 38th District. Her Los Angeles County-based district covers several cities in the Southeast and San Gabriel Valley areas including Norwalk, Pomona, Santa Fe Springs, La Puente, the City of Industry, Montebello, and Pico Rivera, plus the unincorporated communities of Avocado Heights, Hacienda Heights, West Puente Valley, and parts of Whittier, East Los Angeles, Rowland Heights, South San Gabriel, and Valinda.

Congresswoman Napolitano has been a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources since the 106th Congress and was selected the Chair of the Water and Power Subcommittee for the 110th Congress. She has always been an avid promoter of conservation, water recycling, desalination, and sound groundwater management and storage to address Southern California’s need for adequate water quality and supply. She is proud of her legislative efforts on a number of fronts–assisting in the implementation of CALFED, a water management plan for the State of California, protection of the fragile ecosystem in the Bay-Delta and promotion of the use of advanced technologies. Her legislative effort in 1999 to begin removal of a 10.5 million ton uranium tailings pile at the banks of the Colorado in Moab, Utah, stands out as a major accomplishment, alleviating a very real danger to the health of more than 25 million people living in 7 states, an ecosystem that supports the Southwest’s tourism industry, two national monuments, and a variety of pristine natural habitats.

At the start of the 110th Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the appointment of Napolitano as the most senior new member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, yielding her a voice for her communities on matters of jurisdiction over America’s surface transportation, freight and passenger rail, the inland waterway system, international maritime commerce, the Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ support of the nation’s water resources, and the federal clean water program.

Napolitano brings strong background and experience to the Committee with 6 years on the California State Assembly Transportation Committee, and current work on rail safety and congestion relief in the San Gabriel Valley. She will continue her work advocating on behalf of the transportation needs faced in the eastern half of Los Angeles County, which lacks mass transit and has the most congested and underserved transportation system in the country. She will also continue advancing and promoting the ideas of minorities, including the many Hispanic Americans who not only design and build our transportation systems, but use mass transit in greater proportion.

archuleta-photoEdmund G. “Ed” Archuleta

Director of Water Initiatives

Edmund G. “Ed” Archuleta was manager of the El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board from January 1989 until his retirement in January 2013. He was responsible for all aspects of water, wastewater, reclaimed water service, and storm water to the greater El Paso metropolitan area. He reported to, and implemented, strategic policies set by the seven-member Public Service Board. Ed was then named the Transition and Special Projects Manager for the El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board from January through July 2013. Ed joined UTEP as Director of Water Initiatives on September 1, 2013.

A registered Professional Engineer in Texas, New Mexico, and Iowa, Mr. Archuleta earned BS and MS degrees in Civil Engineering from New Mexico State University and a Master of Management degree from the University of New Mexico. He is an American Academy of Environmental Engineers Diplomat. He was appointed in June 2006 by President George W. Bush to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council. In 2008, he was appointed to the National Academy of Engineering/Science to develop a publication on Water Reuse as an Approach on Meeting Future Water Supply Needs. Most recently, he was named The WateReuse Association’s Person of the Year for 2010.

In 2010, Mr. Archuleta was appointed by President Barack Obama to represent the United States as Chairman on the three-member Pecos River Compact Commission. Archuleta serves with two other Commissioners–one representing the state of Texas, and the other represents New Mexico.

Mr. Archuleta is currently involved with several technical and professional organizations, including the American Water Works Association, the Water Environment Federation, WateReuse Foundation, the National and Texas Societies of Professional Engineers, the Texas Water Conservation Association, New Mexico/Texas Water Commission, and the Far West Texas Planning Group. He is a past Chairman of the Water Research Foundation, and past Board Member of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, the WateReuse Association, and the El Paso Regional Economic Development Corporation. He served as chairman of the Multi-State Salinity Coalition, an organization of 17 member cities in the West. He is an advisory board member to the USO- El Paso Chapter.
Mr. Archuleta is currently serving or has served on several civic organizations, including the United Way, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, the Rotary Club, and the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, Paso del Norte Group, El Paso Symphony, Community en Acción and New Mexico State University Academy of Civil Engineers. He is also on the Engineering Advisory Board of New Mexico State University and the University of Texas at El Paso.

mssc-bill-steeleWilliam Steele

Former Area Manager of the Southern California Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region

William “Bill” Steele oversaw implementation of Reclamation’s program which included: Title XVI Reclamation Water Reuse and Recycling; desalination research; water conservation; drought assistance; planning activities covering water reuse and recycling, conjunctive use of ground and surface water resources, storm water runoff augmentation, watershed modeling to address both water quantity and quality issues, and the development of new water sources; and technical assistance to Native American Tribes.

Bill worked in water resources since 1972 at both the State and Federal levels of government as well as a private consultant. He had 42 years of experience in water resources. His Federal service was all with Reclamation for over 35 years, with the last 12 years serving as Area Manager in Southern California. Prior to coming to Southern California, Bill held various positions in Reclamation’s Washington headquarters office. From 2000 to 2002, he represented the Lower Colorado Regional Director in Washington as their Regional Liaison with the Department of the Interior, Congress, and OMB and from 1998 to 2000, he was the Federal Program Manager of the Salton Sea Project serving as joint lead with the Salton Sea Authority.

Bill retired after 28 years from the US Army Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel.

On October 28, 2012, Bill was recognized by California State University, San Bernardino for his many years in water and was granted their Lifetime Achievement Award in Water Resources.

Bill Steele is a native of Virginia and attended college at Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and a Master of Science in Resource Economics with a Minor in City and Regional Planning.

Bill was married, the father of three children, and the grandfather of two grandchildren.

The MSSC Board is sad to report that Bill passed away in early 2018. He faithfully served with passion, integrity, and commitment toward advancing water interests on behalf of the public in the western states.

M. Kevin Price

M. Kevin Price is currently a consultant after working thirty years for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. His last position was as the Advanced Water Treatment Research Coordinator in the Office of Research and Development. Previously, he was the Water Treatment Engineering and Research Group Manager and before that a Research Chemical Engineer. He coordinated the design, construction, R&D and O&M of Reclamation’s Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility in New Mexico; oversaw the external Desalination and Water Purification Research program; coordinated the internal Advanced Water Treatment research program; oversaw Reclamation’s financial assistance to the WateReuse Research Foundation, and drafted an advanced water treatment strategy across Reclamation’s projects and programs.

He has been involved with the Middle East Desalination Research Center since its inception in 1996, and is currently its Senior Science and Technology Advisor. He was an author of the Desalination and Water Purification Technology Roadmap and has worked with many countries around the world in desalination and reuse.

MSSC Scholarship

MSSC/Avila & Associates Future Industry Leaders Scholarship

$2,500 Scholarship – The scholarship is awarded to the student based on the overall evaluation of a 500-word essay about career objectives, transcript(s), a letter of recommendation, and leadership in extracurricular activities related to water resources.

Eligibility – Each applicant must be a full-time undergraduate or graduate student in a water resources related degree program. Students must be enrolled in a program relating to water resources for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Apply Now

Tayia Oddonetto

Tayia Oddonetto is a third-year PhD student in environmental science and engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where she is a member of the Center for Inland Desalination Systems and the NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) for nanotechnology enabled water treatment (NEWT). She holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science with a minor in mathematics from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).

Tayia’s research focuses on desalination, concentrate management, and mineral recovery using electrodialysis metathesis (EDM). She has extensive experience working with pilot scale systems at renowned facilities, including the Water Quality Improvement Center in Yuma, AZ, where she participated in the Bureau of Reclamation’s More Water Less Concentrate competition, demonstrating salt-free EDM at a pilot scale. She also has experience working at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant in El Paso, TX, where she pilot-tested salt-free EDM in batch mode. Tayia will be working at the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility (BGNDRF) in Alamogordo, NM, where through the support of the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI), she will deploy a salt-free EDM pilot to treat brackish well water of various salinities.

Tayia’s interests go beyond academia as she participated in the three-minute pitch at the Water Innovation Networking Workshop (WIN). She won first place in the ERC perfect pitch competition at Rice University. Later this year, she will represent NEWT at the national perfect pitch competition at the NSF ERC biennial meeting in Washington DC. She currently serves as the vice president for NEWT. She also has mentored undergraduates through the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) and the NEWT high school mentoring program.

In her free time, Tayia enjoys cycling, reading, and spending time with her family in Colorado.

2023 MSSC Student Scholarship Winner Anthony J. Bruno
Anthony J. Bruno

Anthony Bruno is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Civil Engineering and minoring in Water Resources at Montana State University. Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, Anthony has always been passionate about the environment and preserving natural resources. This passion led him to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering, with the goal of becoming a diligent professional in the field of water resources.

Throughout his academic career at Montana State University, Anthony has taken a diverse range of classes to gain a comprehensive understanding of the way that people interact with water in the modern world. This has included technical classes related to hydrology and hydraulic engineering, as well as social science classes that delve into the relationship between water and society.

In addition to his coursework, Anthony has been involved with the Montana State University Ecohydraulics research group and has been an active member since his freshman year. As a research assistant, he has been involved in designing and collecting data for live swim trials on new small-scale fish denils. In addition, he participates in frequent meetings to analyze recent research within the field of ecohydraulics and listen to guest speaker presentations. Anthony has also worked as a Water Resources Intern for DOWL LLC., an Engineering Consulting firm, where he has gained valuable experience in designing and assessing embankment dams and irrigation systems.

Growing up in an arid climate like the Western US, Anthony understands the importance of managing water resources efficiently and sustainably. He is committed to making a positive impact in the field of water resources, and to ensuring that this precious resource is used effectively and preserved for future generations. Anthony plans on extending his academic career in the Fall of 2023 by pursuing a graduate degree in Civil Engineering at Montana State University. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, hunting, fishing, snowboarding, and spending time with his friends and family.

MSSC Scholarship Winner 2022
Abdiel Lugo

Abdiel Lugo Montes is a first-year master student in Environmental Engineering at New Mexico State University (NMSU), working with his advisor Dr. Pei Xu. He was born and raised in the island of Puerto Rico (PR), where he received his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. He received the opportunity to do a REU for ReNUWIt during the summer of 2020, where he met his current advisor. He later was offered the chance to join the NMSU EnLITE research group led by Dr. Pei Xu and came to the United States to further his studies in the Environmental Engineering filed.

He has had experience with research back in PR, by doing a risk and vulnerability assessment with a natural hazard risk assessment software for the potable water treatment infrastructure in the island. Additionally, some of his current research has focused on different areas such as environmental and economical assessments for innovative potable reuse alternatives and his MS thesis is centered around fundamental research on the use of non-chemical pretreatment – electromagnetic fields (EMF) to effectively mitigate membrane scaling. His career goal is to make a difference in the field of potable water reuse and desalination, and to provide people clean, safe, and affordable water by reducing the energy consumption and treatment costs of desalination and membrane processes.

In his free time, he likes to do some exercise, read books, watch Netflix, and sometimes play chess. He also loves sports such as soccer, football, basketball, and tennis. He loves his family and is very thankful for all their sacrifices and the support they have given him to continue his studies far away from home.

2020 MSSC Scholarship Winner
Duong Nguyen

Duong Nguyen is a first year PhD student in Environmental Engineering at University of Colorado Boulder, working with Dr. Anthony Straub. He was born in Vietnam and received a BS in Environmental Science from Vietnam National University, Hanoi. He received Intel Grand Challenges Master Fellowship and came to the United States. He earned an MS in Environmental Engineering at Arizona State University.

His current research focus on novel membrane materials and processes for drinking water treatment, water reuse, and sustainable energy conversion. During his MS, he gained a wide range of experience in physical-chemical processes: fate and reactions of oxyanions in groundwater, removal of disinfection by-products precursors, treatment of taste and odor micropollutants, and photocatalysis of trace organic contaminants by UV-based advanced oxidation. His career goal is to become a water treatment expert who can help people access safe, clean water, especially poor and marginalized populations.

In his free time, you can easily find him fishing and hiking, or playing soccer and badminton.

mssc-scholarship-taylor-stutely
Taylor Stutely

Taylor Stutely is a Division I Track & Field athlete, recent Civil Engineering undergraduate and current Environmental Engineering masters student at New Mexico State University. Taylor was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, but moved to the United States after High School to further her academic and athletic career. She is an active volunteer within her community, a member of Chi Epsilon’s Civil Engineering Honors Society, and worked as a math tutor at NMSU for two and a half years, earning herself tutor of the year awards for each year worked. Taylor holds numerous provincial, national, and school level records for Track & Field and will compete in her final season of NCAA athletics this February.

Though heavy hearted to complete her collegiate athletic career, Stutely looks forward to continuing on her education with a special focus on inland desalination. Taylor plans to continue her research on the town of Santa Teresa, New Mexico to analyze the current limitations for drinking water to the area, and the opportunity ground water desalination may offer to the growing community. She will be aided by professors within the Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Agricultural Economics & Agricultural Business departments to help guide her research and exploration for the project.

 2018-scholarship-raul-gonzalez
Raul Gonzalez

Technical Support Engineer, Avista Technologies

Raul Gonzalez is a technical support engineer at Avista Technologies, providing application support for customers in the United States, Latin America, and Asia. While completing his Bachelor’s Degree from Cal Poly Pomona in Civil Engineering, Raul participated in the Orange County Water District internship program focused on regulations and water production. In this role, Raul gained hands-on experience with the operations and maintenance of an indirect potable reuse facility.

Today, Raul is a certified treatment operator in the State of California, an active member of the Southwest Membrane Operator Association (SWMOA), and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering.