A team of University of Virginia undergraduates won first place in the Virginia Water Environment Association Student Design Competition, making them eligible to represent Virginia at a national competition in the fall.
Civil engineering major Hania Abboud, systems engineering majors Ekaterina Forkin and Jason Jabbour, and environmental sciences major Anna Liang devised the winning design project, which proposes new infrastructure in the courtyard between UVA Engineering's Olsson and Thornton halls to address stormwater management in the area. Winners were announced following team presentations on April 17, which took place by videoconference.
The win comes with the opportunity for the team to compete in New Orleans at the 93rd annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference Oct. 3-7, a national event known as WEFTEC.
The team also entered the proposal in the EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge, a green infrastructure design competition sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for American colleges and universities. Winners of the EPA challenge have not been announced.
“I've been so impressed with these students,” Brian Smith, professor and chair of the Department of Engineering Systems and Environment, said. “The design they came up with proposes practical solutions to real stormwater challenges at the site they selected, and I love that the team is made up of undergraduates in different majors. It's fantastic how they have taken their work beyond the classroom this year. I feel fortunate to be able to work with students like them.”
Above, UVA team members and competition judges and organizers are shown on a video conference call. Presenting remotely didn't stop the UVA team from taking top honors.