OAWWA Diversity In Water: Dr. Willie Harper

Join Ohio Section American Water Works Association for the next installment of its Diversity in Water virtual speaker series. The goal of the series is to highlight diverse voices in the water industry and provide career advice for young professionals and students. The speakers discuss their career path, how their identity has impacted their journey, and how they see diversity playing a role in the future of the water industry.

Dr. WIllie HarperThe event will take place on May 13th at 5:30pm and feature Professor Willie Harper. Dr. Harper is a professor of environmental engineering and science at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He has transitioned from a role as an industry engineer into academia where his research focuses on how we can use microorganisms to detect and degrade contaminants. Dr. Harper has taught numerous courses in water quality, microbiology, and environmental policy and he has served as a visiting faculty member at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and at the Denmark Technical University.

Learn more about Dr. Harper and register for the event on Eventbrite.

OAWWA Water Industry Career Panel

On Tuesday, March 23 at 6pm, the Young Professional’s Committee of the Ohio Section of the American Water Works Association is hosting a virtual panel for students to learn about different career paths in the water industry. This is an opportunity to hear from a young professional from each sector of the water industry: research, regulatory, operations, and consulting.

Panelists include:

  • Liz Crafton – Research Engineer with Hazen and Sawyer
  • Andy Elderbrock – Water Resources Specialist at Arcadis
  • Brandon Fox – Plant Manager at the Jackson Pike Wastewater Treatment Plant
  • Hayley Zimmerman – Environmental Specialist 2 with the Division of Drinking and Groundwater at the Ohio EPA

The event will include brief presentations from each panelist about their role and background, followed by a Q&A session, and finally the opportunity to speak with the panelists individually in breakout rooms.

This is a great chance for students of various backgrounds to learn about the many opportunities within the water industry. Plus, ask your questions about entering the professional world!

Register here and a Zoom link will be sent to you via email. Please contact Dane Elliott (elliott.634@osu.edu) if you have any questions.