William V. Storch Student Award

AWRA Florida offers William V. Storch Student Awards in the amount of $1,500 to undergraduate and graduate Florida college or university students. The selection criteria for an undergraduate student is based on academic performance including the cumulative grade point average, relevance of the student’s curriculum to water resources and leadership in extracurricular activities related to water resources. The criteria for a graduate student is based on academic and/or research performance. The measures of academic performance are identical to those described for the undergraduate criteria with the addition of the quality of the student’s research and its relevance to water resources. Applicants should prepare a title page and two-page summary of their academic interests and achievements, extracurricular interests and career goals as they relate to the above selection criteria. The application must also include a letter of reference, preferably from a professor or advisor, a transcript of all college courses and the applicant’s full name, permanent mailing address, email address, and phone number. Applications must be received by Friday, April 11, 2025.

2025 Application forms for undergraduate and graduate applicants will be available soon.

2024 William V. Storch Graduate Student Awards

Hanna Innocent – Florida International University

Hanna is a 2nd year master’s student in the Biological Sciences department at Florida International University. She is studying how the diatom communities in Lake Okeechobee and their species composition is being affected by different nutrient levels throughout the lake. Diatoms are an underutilized component of the environment, and their quick reaction times are often the first indicators of change in the environment. Through this research she hopes to better understand how diatoms could be used to better inform managers of this hypereutrophic lake.

Sajad Soleymani Hasani – University of South Florida

Sajad is driven by his deep love for nature and alarmed by the degradation of Lake Urmia – one of the biggest salt lakes in the world – due to persistent droughts from global climate change and unsustainable management and consumption, Sajad joined the University of South Florida to pursue a Ph.D. in Water Resources aiming to play his part in the preservation of globally threatened water resources. Sajad’s research interests are hydrology, water quality modeling, and the application of state-of-the-art artificial intelligence models in Water Resources. Currently, he is involved in a research project focused on predicting and managing harmful algal blooms in the St. Lucie Estuary and Watershed, which connects Lake Okeechobee to the Atlantic Ocean.

Mileisha L. Velázquez – University of Florida

Mileisha L. Velázquez has finished her first year as a doctoral student in the Environmental Engineering Sciences department at the University of Florida. Motivated by her desire to mitigate degradation of coastlines and water quality caused by atmospheric events and human activities, she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and later a master’s in oceanography from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. During her doctoral program, Mileisha will tackle environmental issues related to emerging contaminants like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), studying their ecotoxicological impacts on aquatic coastal ecosystems. She will investigate how PFAS pollution affects gene expression, microbial activity, nutrient cycles, and ecosystem services, with the goal of minimizing exposure risks for marine life and communities dependent on these ecosystems. Through her research, which spans across environmental science disciplines including pollutant transport, microbial ecology, ecotoxicology, and risk assessment, Mileisha aims to inform and enhance the management and conservation of coastal ecosystems for the benefit of future generations.

2024 William V. Storch Undergraduate Student Awards

Nathan Petters – University of Florida

Nathan is a senior studying Environmental Engineering at the University of Florida. He serves as the Internal Vice President of the ASCE student chapter, overseeing the organization's recruitment and engagement efforts. Nathan has spent this summer interning at the USACE Chicago District, working on sediment management and harbor remediation in the areas around Lake Michigan and has previous experience in stormwater modeling at Geosyntec. His hobbies include soccer, tennis and cooking.

Victoria Stevenson – University of Florida

Victoria is a senior at the University of Florida, and she is studying Environmental Engineering with a minor in Spanish. Victoria is very involved in the Engineers Without Borders UF chapter, where she currently serves as the Peru Project Lead. Her team is working with the community of Maras, Peru to improve the water distribution system for their local hospital. Victoria also serves as an undergraduate teaching assistant for hydrodynamics, where she strives to share her appreciation for water resources and engineering. This summer, Victoria is interning at Ardurra in St. Augustine, where she has had the opportunity to learn about consulting and water/wastewater treatment design.

Past Recipients

2023

Sanneri Santiago Borres - University of Florida (Graduate)

Javid Ali - University of Central Florida (Graduate

Sydney Cloutier - University of Miami (Undergraduate)

Malena Gonzalez Fernandez - University of Florida (Undergraduate)

Andrew Foley - University of Florida (Undergraduate)

Samantha Grisso - Florida Gulf Coast University (Undergraduate)

2022

Osamah Tarabih – University of South Florida (Graduate)

Estenia  Ortiz - University of South Florida (Graduate)

Megan Kramer - University of South Florida (Graduate)

Alex Orfinger – Florida A&M University / University of Florida (Graduate)

Lillian Maxwell – University of Florida (Undergraduate)

2021
Farah Aryan - University of Florida (Undergraduate)
Jenna Brooks - University of South Florida (Undergraduate)
Madison Mullen - Florida Gulf Coast University (Undergraduate)
James Javaruski - Florida Gulf Coast University (Graduate)
Ahmed Nasr - University of Central Florida (Graduate)
Cierra Braga - Florida Institute of Technology (Graduate)
Daniel Schroeder - Florida Gulf Coast University (Graduate)

2020
Ashley Boggs - University of Central Florida (Undergraduate)
Robert L. Taylor - University of Florida (Undergraduate)
Jeremy Conrad - Florida Atlantic University (Graduate)
Florida Atlantic University (Graduate)
Kyle Rezek - University of Florida (Graduate)
Sharmin Siddiqui - University of Florida (Graduate)
Osama Tarabih - University of South Florida (Graduate)

2019
Kendall Karcher - University of Central Florida (Undergraduate)
Bertrand King - Florida Atlantic University (Undergraduate)
Austin Wise - Florida Gulf Coast University (Undergraduate)
Noha Abdel-Mottaleb - University of South Florida (Graduate)
Charlotte Haberstoh - University of South Florida (Graduate)
Marco Pazmiño-Hernandez - University of Florida (Graduate)
Amanda Tritinger - University of Florida (Graduate)

2018
Luke Westlake - Florida Gulf Coast University (Undergraduate)
Yiliannis Rodriguez - Florida Gulf Coast University (Undergraduate)
Kristin Briggs - Florida International University (Graduate)
Kevin Henson - University of Florida (Graduate)

2017
Quinn Zacharias - Florida State University (Undergraduate)
Samantha C. Dowdell - University of Miami (Graduate)

2016
Andres Sola - Florida International University
Amanda Chappel - University of South Florida - St. Petersburg

2015
Alexis Johnson - University of Florida
Ileana Daniela Corsi - Florida International University

2014
Alice Alonso - University of Florida
Jason Goodrich - Florida Gulf Coast University and Edison State College

2013
Natalie Nelson - University of Florida
Allison Lewis - University of Florida 

2012
Darina Palacio - University of Florida
Aneesh Goly - University of Florida

2011
Gonzalo Moretta - Hillsborough Community College
Yogesh Khare - University of Florida

2010
Daniel Morris - University of Florida
Lisa Seales - University of Florida
Scott Simpson - University of Florida

2009
Madison Dickmon - Edison State College
Miguel Morales - University of Florida

2008
Laura Wewerka
Steven L. Byars - University of North Florida

2007
Gordon Brown - University of Florida
Heather Byrne
Russell Ferlita
Marcus Griswold
Mikhal Mobert
April Moore

2006
Jehangin Badha
Beth Bevc
Stuart Norton

2005
Christopher Rawl
Kelly Gleaton
Michael Zelazo
Ondine Wells
Stuart Mueller
Lindsay Griffen

2004
Scott Knight
Lynn Saunders