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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. 2027 Application submittal deadline is TBD (likely mid-April 2027).

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.

2027 Application forms are not yet available.

2026 Recipient

Ashley Hennessey – University of Florida, Gainesville
Ashley Hennessey is a Ph.D. student in Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences at the University of Florida, studying how reclaimed water influences wetlands, streams, nutrient cycling, and microbial communities. Born and raised in West Palm Beach, her passion for water quality grew from seeing Florida’s water challenges firsthand and followed her through her master’s research in the green catfish ponds of Auburn, Alabama, to her current work in wastewater-fed wetland systems across Florida. Currently, she serves as president of her department's graduate student association and student ambassador for the Water Institute, where she shares her passion for cultivating a community working towards water solutions.

Past Recipients

2025
Paige Kleindl - Florida International University

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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