Apply Now for Water/Sanitation Engineering Scholarship

Deadline: June 30

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission is now accepting applications for the annual Joyce Starks/Gene Counihan Engineering Scholarship. To be eligible for the $1000 scholarship, students must reside in the WSSC service district that includes Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. Eligible students must be enrolled in a program that leads to a Bachelor of Science in Engineering or an advanced degree in engineering. Past winners are also eligible to compete. WSSC will select one winner each from Montgomery County and Prince George’s County.

Applicants should send a copy of their official transcript along with a cover letter, proof of permanent residency, two letters of reference and a 400- to 1000-word essay that answers the following question:

"Consider the water/sewer system of the future: Describe it and detail how engineering will impact the evolution from today’s water systems to the water system of the future."

"We are asking applicants to address not only what a future system might be like, but also to ponder how a transition from what we have now might occur," explained Gary Gumm, WSSC’s Chief Engineer. "The challenge of detailing not just the future system, but how it will evolve over the years makes the question much more difficult. I am interested in reading what our next generation of engineers thinks about this complex issue."

The reference letters must be submitted separately or in a sealed envelope if sent with the application materials. The scholarship winner may also be offered a paid internship at WSSC in the summer of 2014. The scholarship will be awarded at the August 21, 2013 Commission meeting. The scholarship is named after former WSSC Commissioner Joyce Starks and current Commissioner Gene Counihan.

Send applications to Sheila Finlayson, Esq., WSSC Corporate Secretary, 14501 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, MD 20707. Applications must be postmarked by June 30, 2013.

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Established in 1918, today WSSC is among the largest water and wastewater utilities in the nation, with a network of nearly 5,600 miles of fresh water pipeline and more than 5,400 miles of sewer pipeline. Serving 1.8 million residents in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, WSSC drinking water has always met or exceeded federal standards.

Published June 4, 2013