Waste Management Scholarships

Each year, the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) recognizes outstanding students who are pursuing courses of study and research leading to careers in air quality, waste management, environmental management / policy / law, and sustainability. Eligibility Individuals must be full-time graduate students pursuing courses of study and research leading to careers in air quality, waste management, environmental management/policy/law, and/or sustainability during the academic year. Membership is not a requirement for the student or their advisor; however, it is strongly encouraged. The Scholarship is a one-year award. Individuals must reapply to qualify for a second year.

Preference is given to a student in sanitary engineering, although any civil engineering student may qualify. MSPE will select the recipient with advice from the Chair of the Civil Engineering Department at the University. Applicants must: Be a member of an MSPE Student Chapter, if available on campus, or a State member-at-large. Be a U.S. Citizen and a resident of Michigan. Be in an ABET accredited engineering program at a Michigan college or university. Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Submit recommendations from at least two professors in the applicant's field of engineering study or appropriate math/science professor. Must specify academic and personal traits and extracurricular activities. Absence of these recommendations will disqualify the applicant. Demonstrate leadership and an interest in the engineering profession through involvement in school and/or outside activities.

The Recycling Research Foundation (RRF) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization closely associated with the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI). The foundation’s mission is to “promote the art and science of scrap processing and recycling through research, sponsorships, technical assistance, and educational programs for the purpose of advancing the industry.” Recognizing the need for affordable graduate education, the foundation has decided to create a $5,000 national scholarship open to individuals seeking a graduate degree in a program that supports the scrap processing and recycling industry as a whole. The industry itself is both labor and mechanically intensive as scrap processors take old and new metals, paper, rubber, plastic, glass, and more, and sort it into established grades which are highly sought after by manufacturers as a readily available feedstock. To begin to understand the challenges, ask yourself a few questions: How would you separate paper from glass? How about aluminum from copper, or lead, or iron and steel? It is perhaps easy to do this at the level of a few hundred pounds, but every year the industry must process in excess of 200 billion pounds of material. The challenges of recycling at this scale have given rise to new and innovative technologies as the recycling industry adapts to an ever changing marketplace of goods.

For students attending St. Cloud Technical College and majoring in waste/water management. College selects the recipient. Contact St. Cloud Technical College at (320) 308-5980 for an application. Limited to residents of Minnesota.

Scholarships are awarded by EREF to recognize excellence in masters, doctoral or post-doctoral waste management research and education. Awards to doctoral students are given in memory of Francois Fiessinger, P.E., Ph.D., a graduate of Rutgers University, who was a founding director of the foundation; and by the Environmental Research and Education Foundation. Awards to masters students are given by Robert P. Stearns, P.E., DEE/SCS Engineers, former Chairman of EREF; and by Robert J. Riethmiller/PTR Baler and Compactor, current Chairman of the Scholarship Committee. Please check the website for more information.