Workshop: Northeast Graduate Student Water Symposium (NEGSWS), Amherst, MA; September 8-10, 2017

University Of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA

Investigators

Abstract

1745262 Reckhow Clean, adequate, and accessible water is a fundamental human need and is also critical to the healthy ecosystems. Furthermore, water affects key sectors of society (e.g., agriculture, energy production, and industry) as well as home life, especially in developing countries. To address this need specifically in the Northeast United States, the Northeast Graduate Student Water Symposium was first organized in 2014 by graduate students in the Environmental & Water Resources Engineering program within the Civil and Environmental Engineering department of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass). The purpose of Northeast Graduate Student Water Symposium is to provide an affordable conference opportunity in the greater Northeast region for graduate students in water-related disciplines, to be held at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, September 8-10, 2017. The symposium centers on the theme of research advances in water engineering, resources, science, and policy. Organized and hosted primarily by graduate students, it is an opportunity for graduate student researchers to present current research, exchange ideas, network, and interact with industry and government professionals in the water sector. This symposium will build upon the momentum generated from previous events to offer an improved event that will bring together graduate students who study water from a variety of institutions to gain valuable experience presenting their research and networking with their peers. The purpose of the Northeast Graduate Student Water Symposium is to stimulate research and cross disciplinary exchange among the Northeast Universities with water programs. In its first 3 years, the Northeast Graduate Student Water Symposium has set very high standard for scholarship and research quality. The student presenters represent the top research groups across the region. This workshop is large enough to have many students for the New England Region attend, yet small enough to stimulate active discussion and the potential for student-research collaborations to result. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been looking to the UMass Amherst campus for leadership in support of the New England business sector involved in water technologies. In 2011 and 2012, the PI participated in trade missions to Israel and Singapore that explored successful models in those countries for accelerating innovation and bringing the innovations to market. As a result of the trade missions and other statewide activities, the non-profit New England Water Innovation Network was created. This Network is giving water industry stakeholders; entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, start-up CEOs, government officials, and select university researchers--a stronger voice in advocacy and policy development. New England Water Innovation Network?s research indicates that Massachusetts has more water innovation patents per capita (in drinking, wastewater, coastal, storm and industrial sectors) than any other state. By developing a unified business and research cluster, the state stands to generate substantial revenue, create jobs, and gain greater exposure for our leading-edge technologies. Most relevant to this proposal is the engagement of New England Water Innovation Network and the entrepreneurial community in the Northeast. The Northeast Graduate Student Water Symposium provides a unique opportunity to bring the young researchers across the region together with professionals in an intensive 2-day forum.