EREF Awards 18 Scholarships to Graduate Students Advancing Environmental Research
The Board of Directors is pleased to announce the award of eighteen scholarships to Master’s and Doctoral students pursuing education and research in sustainable resource management.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [Raleigh, NC | October 2, 2024] – The Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) has awarded 18 new scholarships for the Fall of 2024. These scholarships support graduate students pursuing innovative research in sustainable resource management. EREF remains committed to fostering the next generation of environmental research through its active scholarship program.
Since its inception, EREF has funded research that advances sustainable practices within the waste management sector. The Fall 2024 recipients were selected based on the potential impact of their research and alignment with EREF’s three strategic research priorities.
MASTER’S LEVEL SCHOLARS
PAULINA ALULEMA
Environmental Engineering, University of Maine | EREF Scholar 2024
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Release from Spent Granular Activated Carbons in Solid Waste Management Facilities
MESHACH ANDO
Civil Engineering, University of North Florida | EREF Scholar 2024
Comparison of Field Measurements to Methane Emissions Models at Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
SANDANI BUDDHIMA
Geography, University of Waterloo | EREF Scholar 2024
Drivers of Spatial Variation in Methane Emissions from Capped Landfills in Southern Ontario
MAYA CAINE
Environmental Management, Yale University | H.H.H. Safety & Spirit of the Waste Industry Scholar 2024
Driving Economic Development with Textile and Fashion Waste in Central Ohio
SADIE MACDONALD
Bioresource Engineering, McGill University | Detachable Container Association (DCA) Scholar 2024
Carbon Footprint and other Environmental Impacts of Montreal’s Organic Waste Management Systems
KAREN MCGUIRE-DIEMER
Environmental Engineering, Oklahoma State University | Robert J. Riethmiller/PTR Baler and Compactor Scholar 2024
Evaluating the Life Cycle and Biodegradability of Green Plastics for Effective Plastic Waste Management
SYDNEY PEDARI
Chemistry, Carleton University | EREF Scholar 2024
Streamlining Plastic Reclamation Using Microbial Degradation and Raman Spectroscopy
ELIZABETH SMITH
Sustainable Agriculture/Community & Regional Planning, Iowa State University | EREF Scholar 2024
Comparative Analysis of Municipal Composting Systems and Strategies for Implementation in Ames, Iowa
MD MOSHIUR RAHMAN TUSHAR
Civil Engineering, Georgia Southern University | EREF Scholar 2024
Navigating Sustainable Pathways for PFAS Treatment from Landfill Leachate
DOCTORAL LEVEL SCHOLARS
ALIREZA ARHAMI DOLATABAD
Civil Engineering, University of Missouri | Tom J. Fatjo Jr. Scholar 2024
Degradation and Mineralization of Gaseous Organic Fluorine Compounds Generated from Thermal Treatments of PFAS-Containing Waste Minerals
ANWESHA BANERJEE
Environmental Engineering, McGill University | EREF Scholar 2024
Life Cycle Perspective on Recycling Lithium-Ion Batteries using Green Chemistry Approaches
JORGE DEL’ANGEL
Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Purdue University | EREF Scholar 2024
The Viability of Producing an Economical and Effective Fertilizer from Landfill Leachate to Promote a Circular Economy
ANYA DICKINSON-COVE
Civil Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles | Garbageman Invitational (GMI) Scholar 2024
Selective Recovery of Critical Metals from Solid Waste Leachates via Membrane Separation
KATE FABER
Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota | Fiessinger Doctoral Scholar 2024
Tracking the Destruction of Industrial PFAS Wastes with 19F NMR
BHAGYA SRI KOLITHA JAYANTHA
Molecular Biology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University | Scott & Vicki Dols Impact Scholar 2024
Upcycling of Food Waste to Biodegradable Food Packaging Material
SUPRIO KAMAL
Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota | EREF Scholar 2024
Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET) and its Interplay with Abiotic Degradation: Implications for Recycling and Environmental Fate
MIKA PORTUGAISE
Engineering Science, University of Oxford | EREF Scholar 2024
Contribution of Upstream Waste Mitigation Interventions in the Electronic Industry to Electronic Waste Management and Circular Economy Goals
YITONG YANG
Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley | Friends of BFI Scholar 2024
A Multi-Scale Approach to Measuring Landfill Emissions for Evaluating and Financing Interventions
