October 13, 1997 - 5:00pm
Two Malaspina University-College students were awarded first prize and scholarships in the Waterpower '97 contest of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Darren Salisbury and Joe Knight travelled to Atlanta, Georgia, recently, to present their paper and receive their awards in front of 600 international delegates at the annual conference of American civil engineers.
The students analyzed the improvements made by B.C. Hydro to the fish passages at the dam on the Puntledge River in Comox, and submitted their paper for the contest which was open to university and college students in North America.
The objective of the contest is "to promote interest in the hydropower industry and to encourage and support the study, investigation, and sharing of knowledge which advances the role of hydropower."
Salisbury and Knight who are taking the two-year Resource Management Officer Technology (RMOT) diploma program worked with B.C. Hydro fish biologist Goff Longworth.
The students were awarded $500 US scholarships each, a plaque and a carrying case, while Malaspina received $1,000 US, which will be matched by the province of B.C. to be used for an annual scholarship for a Resource Management Officer Technology student named after Salisbury and Knight.
Both students welcomed the trip to Atlanta..
"Competing with students at an international level and having the opportunity to present a high quality paper at a professional conference was a great experience," said Knight.
"I'm excited about the prospect of leaving a legacy by having scholarship money available to future students in the program," said Salisbury.
B.C. Hydro sponsored one of the students to attend the conference, while the American Society of Civil Engineers picked up the travel, accommodation and conference costs for a student and RMOT instructor Dr. Chuck Chestnut.
Tags: In the Community
