The David Watt Memorial Student Support Program

On Sunday August 7, 2022, Florida Section AWRA lost a cherished member and past leader of our organization, David Watt. In tribute to David Watt, we recall the words of Leonardo da Vinci: 'Water is the driving force of all nature.’ As we remember David's vibrant spirit, let us honor his enduring impact in a special way and be a force that continues to shape the landscape of our memories by supporting and inspiring future generations and members of Florida Section AWRA.

In 2024, Florida Section AWRA officially designated the Student Support Program as, The David Watt Memorial Student Support Program, to honor the untimely passing of a long serving board member and past president, David Watt. David Watt was appointed to Florida Section of AWRA Board of Directors in 2001 and served as President in 2010. David Watt also served on the Board of Directors for AWRA National from 2004 to 2006. David was always a key advocate for our student chapters – often attending their local chapter meetings and he even assisted with setting up the original student chapter at Florida Atlantic University. Through his actions and leadership, especially with the student chapters, and encouraging them to take part in our local Florida technical meetings, annual meetings, and the AWRA National Meetings, we are proud to honor David by naming the student support program in his honor. 

AWRA Florida provides financial support to students attending AWRA Florida Technical Meetings and AWRA National Conferences. If you are a student and would like to be reimbursed for travel expenses related to meeting or conference attendance, please submit requests (incuding projected travel expenses) to AWRA Florida's Student Travel Support Coordinator (Gordon Brown). See below for requirements. For more detailed information, see our Student Travel Support Policy.

AWRA Florida Technical Meetings

To qualify for reimbursement, students must:

1. Be a student member of AWRA Florida in good standing.
2. Submit a request (including a proposed budget for gas, tolls, lodging, etc.) to AWRA Florida's Student Travel Support Coordinator no later than 10 calendar days prior to the meeting date. Late requests will not be considered.
3. Students shall submit all relevant paid receipts to AWRA Florida's Student Travel Support Coordinator along with the name, email address and mailing address of the person to be reimbursed no later than 10 days after the meeting date.