For the past 16 years, the LSPA Scholarship Fund has been awarding educational scholarships to individuals pursuing degrees in the fields of science, environmental engineering, or other majors that are consistent with the goal of becoming a Licensed Site Professional. At LSPA’s June 11^th Membership Meeting in Taunton, MA, the LSPA Scholarship Fund awarded three individual scholarships. 

Veronica Gonsalez received the $5,000 Jeff Hardin Memorial Award, which is presented to an LSPA  member or member of their immediate family, who exemplifies the goal of environmental excellence. For those who remember Jeff, you know he strove for environmental excellence. Veronica is well-deserving of this scholarship.

Ms. Gonsalez is a student member of the LSPA  and is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Tufts University. Originally from Brazil, Veronica plans to graduate from Tufts and work as an Environmental Engineer in the New England area before returning to her native Brazil to work for the Sao Paulo State Environmental Agency improving the quality of local environmental services. While at the University of Sao Paulo, Ms. Gonsalez founded Matematica Em Movimento and Engineers without Borders. She went on to work for a Brazilian consulting firm for 4 years, focusing on contaminated sites and real estate due diligence.   

Our second award recipient is Jillian Blye, a Student Member of the LSPA and also Co-President of the LSPA Student Chapter at Bridgewater State University (BSU). Jillian received $3,500 to continue her studies at BSU this fall where she plans to pursue a Masters or Doctorate upon graduation. Ms. Blye studied under LSPA Past President Mike Penzo at BSU and also received rave reviews from other professors including Dr. Christine Brandon, who called Jillian “an organized, collaborative leader and a great student.” Congratulations Jillian and best of luck this fall.  

The Scholarship Fund’s third and final recipient is Hyowon (Raphi) Kang, who received a $3,500 award. Ms. Kang, who will be attending MIT to study Biological Engineering this fall, has an extremely impressive academic resume. She:

• Was a Biomedical Engineering Intern at the Research at Kaplan Lab at Tufts University
• Co-authored a paper, “Analysis of M,oryzae Cdc14 phospahate reveals potential inhibitor as candidate for broad-spectrum fungicide.”
• Co-authored a paper of “Freeform 3D Printing of Silk Fibroin in Laponite-polyethylene Glycol Gel.”
• Was a member of the Engineering Club and Co-head of a competitive math club at her high school

Raphi’s teachers praise her leadership skills and we look forward to seeing them in action someday in the near future! Her goal is to become an environmentally conscious biomedical engineer.

Congratulations to the award recipients and best of luck in all of your future endeavors. We look forward to hearing from you in the future!       

About The LSPA Scholarship Fund  
The LSPA Scholarship Fund was incorporated in 2006 as a 501(c) (3) charitable organization. The purpose of the scholarship program is to support continued education in environmental fields in the Massachusetts and New England region. While the number and amount of the scholarships vary each year, the objective is to provide two $5,000 scholarships each year to qualified individuals. Since 2003 the LSPA Scholarship Fund has awarded 44 scholarships totaling more than $182,000. The Fund is a separate corporation from the LSPA, but both organizations share the goal of advancing the field of hazardous waste site cleanup in Massachusetts.