The Institute of Seawater Desalination and Multipurpose Utilization (ISDMU) of China Co-Sponsors 2019/2020 Award Through a Donation to the IDRA Sustainable Water Resources Foundation (SWRF)
BOSTON, April 23, 2019 – The International Desalination and Reuse Association (IDRA) has awarded its Channabasappa Memorial Scholarship to Mr. Enzo Rene García-Bartolomei of Chile for the 2019/2020 academic year. The Institute of Seawater Desalination and Multipurpose Utilization (ISDMU), SOA (Tianjin, China), is co-sponsoring the 2019/2020 scholarship through a matching contribution to the IDRA Sustainable Water Resources Foundation (SWRF), which will issue a $5,000 USD matching grant. This makes the total scholarship value $10,000 USD.
“IDRA is proud to present this award to Mr. García. One of IDRA’s important initiatives is to support education and advanced training in the field of desalination and water reuse, which will become increasingly important in helping our world address critical issues surrounding water scarcity. We thank ISDMU China for its generous support to the IDRA SWRF in providing a matching contribution to support this year’s scholarship program, and we encourage other businesses and organizations to follow their lead,” said Ms. Shannon McCarthy, IDRA’s Secretary General.
A Marine Ecologist, Mr. García holds a B.S. in Ecology, and has eight years of working experience. He is now in his second year of doctoral studies, majoring in Inland Aquatic Systems, at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences of the University of Concepción, one of the most prestigious environmental science programs in Chile and the LATAM region.
Mr. García has a long interest in water sustainability. He is a native of Antofagasta, Chile, which is located on the coast of the Atacama Desert, and as a teenager, he witnessed the construction and operation of the first industrial seawater desalination plant in the country.
In 2015, during his scientific career, he was the leading researcher of a project entitled “Development of Biotechnological Tools for the Monitoring of Marine Systems under the Influence of Desalination Industry’s Brine Discharge,” financed by the Escondida Water Supply desalination plant. In 2017, he began his doctoral studies after receiving a scholarship from the National Commission of Science and Technology (CONICYT). In 2018, as part of a project called BloomAlert (www.bloomalert.com), he started development of an early warning tool to facilitate management plans for desalination plants during algal blooms.
The topic for his doctoral thesis is “Multidisciplinary Environmental Approach to the Sustainable Management of Seawater Desalination Effluents.” Its main objective is to develop a multi-disciplinary brine management strategy based on ecotoxicological, territorial and normative research.
About the Channabasappa Memorial Scholarship
The objective of the Channabasappa Memorial Scholarship is to encourage engineers and scientists to further their education in subjects related to desalination and water reuse. The scholarship provides financial assistance to students who have been accepted into a graduate program of doctoral studies and who intend to pursue a research thesis related to desalination and water reuse. The total maximum grant per student is up to $10,000 USD.
To be eligible for the Channabasappa Memorial Scholarship, applicants must have graduated from an accredited university and be from the top 10% of their class in science or engineering. They must prove full-time admission to a graduate program of doctoral studies related to desalination or water reuse, and must exhibit leadership and achievement potential. In addition, all applicants must be members of IDRA.
About IDRA SWRF
The IDRA SWRF, a 501(c)(3) organization, welcomes contributions to support its scholarship as well as other programs that are aimed at promoting the advancement of innovative water technology solutions to secure clean water sustainability. The SWRF’s other educational programs include competitive fellowships and internships that allow participants to work alongside the leaders of the water industry and gain practical experience that will enable them to become future leaders themselves. To learn more, visit www.idaswrf.org
About IDRA
The International Desalination and Reuse Association (www.idadesal.org) was established 45 years ago and is a non-profit association that serves members and stakeholders in more than 60 countries. Its membership comprises scientists, end-users, engineers, consultants and researchers from governments, corporations and academia. IDRA is associated with the United Nations as part of a growing international network of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).