Academic achievement, a passion for research and a commitment to sustainable conservation practices earned an aspiring environmental engineer a well-deserved reward.
Jacob Smith has received the Roy W. Likins scholarship. Awarded by the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association (FSAWWA), the honor is geared toward exceptional scholars who plan to pursue a career in the water sector.
Smith received a $5,000 scholarship to support his education and a student membership to the FSAWWA. He will be recognized at the organization’s conference in November.
“I was very excited,” he says. “This scholarship is well recognized in the Florida water industry, and some of the engineers I work with at my internship at Carollo Engineers have also received it while at UCF.”
A Tampa native, Smith chose to attend UCF for the strength of its engineering programs. Attending a school so close to home was a bonus for him as well.
Studying environmental engineering turned out to be a natural fit for Smith, who had always had an affinity for the great outdoors. He says the field offers a number of opportunities for new graduates, another aspect of the industry that appealed to him.
“I have always enjoyed being outside and participating in activities like hiking and fishing,” he says. “Once I began courses and learned more about the degree, I became more interested in the field.”
Smith took advantage of an opportunity to serve in Assistant Professor Jing Hu’s research group, the Nature-based Solutions Lab, after enrolling in her Intro to Environmental Engineering course. The lab focuses on biochemical findings that provide natural solutions for environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, soil health and water quality.
Exploring how the lab uses sustainable, organic methods of removing water pollutants deepened Smith’s commitment to the field. Now pursuing this work himself as a member of the lab, he’s even more excited to work in his future career field.
“Our research focuses on sustainable methods to remove excess nutrients from stormwater runoff before it reaches more environmentally sensitive areas,” he says. “By using the natural processes that occur during plant growth and microbial activity within the soil, nutrients that are accumulated by stormwater runoff in drainage canals can be removed and stored, which prevents harmful environmental impacts such as algae blooms. This work improves the quality of downstream waterbodies without the need for excess chemicals and energy-intensive processes.”
He adds that his experiences in Hu’s lab opened doors to other opportunities at UCF. Since joining her research group, he has participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship and the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference.
Upon receiving his bachelor’s degree, Smith plans to pursue his master’s degree before entering the field.
“Providing safe and clean water to the public, as well as designing technologies that can treat water and prevent environmental disasters, is a big responsibility of environmental engineers,” he says. “Having the opportunity to be involved in this type of work in my career has made me excited to join the industry.”
- Written by Bel Huston