Attending academic and professional conferences is an invaluable experience for our graduate students in MSEM. These events offer unique opportunities to expand their knowledge by learning about state-of-the-art research, cutting-edge emerging technologies, and innovative practices within their field. Conferences also foster a vibrant space for networking, connecting students with leading experts, potential collaborators, and industry professionals. These are great places to learn about job opportunities, to build professional relationships, and to advance their careers. Whether it’s gaining fresh insights or building lasting professional relationships, conferences play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of environmental leaders.
In this blog we highlight the Industrial Reuse Conference put on by the WateReuse Association in Indian Wells, CA on November 19-21, 2024. Our adjunct instructor Adam Hess attended the conference as part of his job as an environmental consultant at Stantec, Inc. On the theme of water positivity – closing up the gap between water consumption and natural replenishment -, the conference focused on water reuse in the industrial sector. Water reuse is one of the main avenues for sustainable water management; especially in water-heavy industries, it can help reduce the consumption of drinking water for industrial processes, and therefore reduce the burden on potable and environmental water resources. The conference in Indian Wells was designed to create a space for business and utility leaders to learn and explore how water reuse can help industries and businesses ensure operational resiliency and meet water management goals. The conference focused on how companies are developing water recycling programs through partnerships with utilities, regulators, and other stakeholders. The conference had wide representation from industry, municipalities, regulatory authorities, consultants, and equipment suppliers. As Prof. Hess explained during an interview with us, conference presentations covered a range of topics around water reuse for industrial applications, including current challenges and limitations to expand water reuse capabilities, regulatory frameworks and policy challenges around water reuse, and specific industry applications and areas for advancement.
Water reuse connects with environmental management in many ways. Addressing water scarcity, reducing environmental degradation, and promoting efficient resource use are just a few examples. In addition to industrial water reuse, students in MSEM learn about water reuse for purposes of replenishing aquifers, irrigation, residential non-potable uses, as well as developments in potable reuse, like the recent regulations passed in CA. Field trips to Bay Area state-of-the-art water resource and recovery facilities, like the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center as well as public utilities like East Bay Mud are among the highlights of our courses on sustainable water management and water pollution control here in MSEM. With changing precipitation patterns and increasing water scarcity due to climate change, water reuse provides a reliable and adaptable solution for maintaining water supply while protecting natural ecosystems from over-exploitation.
Prof. Hess will be attending some more local conferences this coming year, like the ISPE Facilities of the Future conference in January and Future Food Tech 2025 in March. MSEM faculty and students will be attending more exciting conferences in other areas of environmental management this year like the Plant AI Symposium on sustainability and earth observations, the State of the Estuary conference in Oakland, and the American Geophysical Union Fall meeting in December 2025. Stay tuned for news from these conferences and more opportunities to engage with environmental management developments.
