The MU NYWEA chapter attended the 2025 NYWEA Annual Meeting from Feb. 3-5. @MU_NYWEA / INSTAGRAM
Barbara Vasquez, Production / Web Editor
A number of students from the Manhattan University New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA) chapter were recognized for their achievements at the NYWEA 2025 Annual Meeting.
This meeting, held from Feb. 3-5, was a multi-day conference that dove into the world of water. More than 1,600 people attended the event, including a number of professionals in the water industry. One of the conference highlights was Navigating the Tides: Inspiring Future Leaders in Water panel discussion. Six panelists impactful in the industry were selected to speak, including MU student Daniel Galarza Lojano.
Lojano, a senior civil and environmental engineering major, currently serves as president of the university’s NYWEA chapter. Since joining the organization, Lojano has received repeated accolades, research opportunities relating to his work in water and numerous scholarships, including a 2024 NYWEA Student Chapter Scholarship. Still, his inclusion as a panelist at the conference came as a surprise.
“Honestly, it was an honor to get to be one of the panelists, especially when I called and asked ‘hey, are any other students going to be on it?’ and they were like ‘hey, no’,” Lojano said. “Then, I’m next to people who run wastewater in New York City, new and old presidents of NYWEA, just people who do a lot in their waters. Me, I’m just a student at the end of the day who got to share my story with everybody.”
Alongside Lojano, Dominique Whyte was also awarded a 2024 NYWEA Student Chapter Scholarship. Whyte, a senior chemical engineering major and the former president of MU NYWEA, first joined NYWEA after it was recommended to her by a professor she conducted research with. After attending her fair share of conferences since first joining, Whyte found other students to be the highlight of this one.
“With the most recent conference, it was more speaking with other student chapters that I gained the most insight,” Whyte said. “I got to hear about what they were doing on campus, and also raising the concern that they’re having the same issue of turnout [at NYWEA events] at their school.”
When asked if her and her fellow members’ accomplishments could serve as a source of motivation for other students to get more involved, Whyte agreed.
“It can show them that, hey, it’s not just to turn up,” Whyte said. “There are things that you could compete in and there things that you could strive for. It gives you a purpose. Like, I’m not just going to turn up, I have a goal that I’m working towards. There’s something to get out of this.”
Grace Hesselbacher, a graduate environmental engineering student, also participated in the NYWEA conference with a presentation detailing her research on the removal of certain herbicides in water using UV disinfection and chlorination. After winning second place in the University Forum Student Presentation Competition, she was grateful for the recognition. Being a former chapter president of SWE (Society of Women Engineers), Hesselbacher was asked by The Quadrangle how important she thinks it is for her and other female students at the NYWEA to be recognized for their achievements.
“It’s important because it highlights the contributions women are making in engineering and encourages more diversity in the field,” Hesselbecher wrote to The Quadrangle. “Recognition like this helps inspire future students and reinforces the value of our work.”
Whyte shared similar sentiments.
@MU_NYWEA / INSTAGRAM
“I think us getting those awards show that we’re here, and we contribute something– we’re not just here to make a quota,” Whyte said. “We actually put the work in and we do deserve this. And it also inspires others to show them that it’s possible for them to do the same.”
Following their most recent accolades from NYWEA, the MU students involved think highly of the organization and the opportunities it has given them.
“It’s a great opportunity because it connects students with industry professionals, provides hands-on experience, and helps us apply what we learn in class to real-world challenges,” Hesselbecher wrote. “NYWEA has given me networking opportunities, exposure to industry trends, and experience presenting research. It’s helped me build connections and gain insights that will be valuable in my career.”
Lojano, who has won multiple scholarships through NYWEA, agreed.
“For me, I always just stay connected, talking to people, researching, attending these conferences,” Lojano said. “It [NYWEA] benefits the students with all the networking, learning more about the water industry and you grow as a student overall. And there’s always a lot of opportunities like scholarships given out.”
“I think as students we want to know what’s next for us,” Whyte said. “We want to know where we’re going after we graduate, whether that be what company or even what industry in general. And I think participating in different events in NYWEA in school gives you a taste of what you would be able to look forward to and see if you like it or if you don’t… It’s worth it to at least help you in figuring out what’s next.”