Nearly 30 CCEE students and faculty attended the 2022 Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Research and Education Conference on June 28-30 at Washington University in St. Louis. The conference, which was themed “Environmental Engineering and Science at the Confluence,” included workshops, plenary talks, panel discussions, and oral and poster presentations.

Ph.D. student Leah Weaver said she attended two workshops with several other CCEE students that focused on how to choose a career path after graduate school and how to handle discrimination in the job search. 

“I enjoyed how directly applicable both of these were, and how knowledgeable the panelists were,” she said. 

Weaver, who presented a poster titled “Fungal Bioremediation of Stormwater: Suspended and Attached Growth Systems for Imidacloprid Removal,” said the oral presentations were the main event at the conference, with dozens of options to choose from in both the morning and afternoon. 

“These were a great opportunity to network and see how others are addressing similar problems,” she said. “I also got inspiration on several different approaches and methods that I may incorporate into my research in the future.”

CCEE professor Dr. Tarek Aziz, who also attended the conference, said the event brings together environmental engineering and science professors, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students. 

“It’s a great place to see what colleagues are working on and network with other academics in the field,” he said. “The conference is typically every two years, and I try to attend every chance I get because this is the one conference where I’m likely to see most of my colleagues in one place.”

Weaver said the conference was a great opportunity to meet other academics, especially ones whose papers she has read and uses regularly. 

“It’s an opportunity to hear how others are tackling similar problems, ask questions, and start to put yourself out there as a future academic,” she said. “I decided to attend because it gave me the opportunity to present my work at a national conference and meet prominent leaders in the field. I had an absolute blast and will definitely attend again in the future.”

In addition to the conference, a large group of CCEE students took advantage of the event’s location in St. Louis — also known as “The Gateway to the West” — by attending a Cardinals baseball game on Wednesday night. 

“The stadium overlooks downtown with a fantastic view of the Gateway Arch,” Weaver said. “The view at sunset was incredible.”