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AWRA FLORIDA

Sanford N. Young Scholarship

The Sanford N. Young Scholarship was created by AWRA Florida in 2005 in memory of one of its longest serving members. Sandy Young joined AWRA Florida in 1980 and was a member of the Board of Directors for 20 years until his untimely death in April 2005. Sandy’s professional work with Florida’s water resources spanned four decades.  After serving as a Captain in the U.S. Navy, Sandy returned to Florida and spent the remainder of his career working in the water resources arena. With an educational background in both civil engineering and aquatic biology, and a keen philosophical mind, Sandy’s expertise crossed a broad array of disciplines, including interests in scientific investigation, environmental regulation, water quality improvement and aquaculture technology.

AWRA Florida offers a $3,000 scholarship to assist exceptional graduate students with tuition, educational fees and/or research expenses. Applications should include a discussion of the applicant’s educational and professional goals, with as much specificity as possible. If support of a research project or program is being sought, a description of the research should be included. Applicants should also have at least one letter from a faculty member in support of the student’s request. Applications must be received by Friday April 17, 2026.

2026 Application forms are now available and due by Friday, April 17, 2025.  Click here to download the application.

The Sanford N. Young Scholarship may be given for work in any area of water resources science, technology, or management. However, AWRA Florida's Board of Directors may give preference to applicants seeking to continue their education after U.S. military service, as well as those working in areas that combine biological sciences and engineering or that focus on aquaculture or improving the environmental regulatory process. Scholarship recipients will be invited to attend the AWRA Florida Annual Meeting to receive the award and be acknowledged by the members.

AWRA Florida, as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, welcomes contributions to the Sanford N. Young Scholarship Program, which are tax deductible.

2025 Recipient

PAIGE KLEINDL - Florida International University

Paige is aPhD Candidate in Aquatic Ecology Laboratory. Her focus is on the interactions between aquatic plants (macrophytes) and microbial mat communities in the Everglades and the influence of changing hydrologic conditions and nutrient concentrations. For her research assistantship, Paige helps administrate the South Florida-Caribbean Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (SFC CESU) based at FIU, which connects federal agencies with the institutions and organizations conducting their grant-funded research. She has also been the Student Group President of the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research (FCE LTER) program for two years developing a science and art integration program.


Past Recipients

2024

Javed "Javy" Ali- University of Central Florida


2023

Jinsheng Huang - University of Florida

Bibek Acharya - University of Florida


2022

Amanda Chappel - University of Florida


2021

Taylor Hancock - University of Florida


2020
Michelle Platz - University of South Florida

2019
Conor MacDonnell - University of Florida

2018
Miles Medina - University of Florida

2017
Carrie Schuman - University of Florida

2016
Ian Hahus - University of Florida
Felicia Nudo - Florida Gulf Coast University

2015
Alice Alonso - University of Florida
Wesley Henson - University of Florida

2014
Natalie Nelson - University of Florida

2013
Drew Liddick - Florida Gulf Coast University

2012
Yogesh Kahare - University of Florida

2011
Hollie Hall - University of Florida

2010
Miguel Morales - University of Florida

2009
No award

2008
Ruben Kertesz - University of Florida

2007
Stuart B. Norton

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