Maryland Student to Represent U.S. in International Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition

Alexandria, VA – Emily Brownlee of Prince Frederick, Md. was named the U.S. winner of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) – the most prestigious international competition for water-related research – during a June 24th ceremony at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Ga. 

The student’s work, “A Tale of Two Oysters”, discusses the controversial proposal to introduce an Asian species, Crassostrea ariakensis, into the Chesapeake Bay to counteract the decline of the region’s native oyster, Crassostrea virginica, and examines the effect of algal blooms – long recognized in the Bay and symptomatic of poor water quality - on the growth rates of the native and non-native species. Brownlee’s project was selected from a pool of 44 state SJWP winners at the national competition held in Atlanta, June 22-24.

“The degradation of the quantity of native oysters in the Chesapeake Bay has been of considerable concern,” explains Dr. Charles Sorber, SJWP Nominations Chair. “Emily’s study provides another approach to solving this challenge.”

The Calvert High School student (Prince Frederick, Md.) was awarded $3,000 and an all-expense paid trip to Stockholm, Sweden, where she will compete against more than 30 countries for the international honor during World Water Week, August 20-26, 2006. The school will receive a $1,000 grant toward enhancing water science education and Brownlee will present her research to more than 16,000 water quality professionals at WEFTEC.06 - the Water Environment Federation's 79th Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference - this October in Dallas, Texas.

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) and its Member Associations, with support from ITT Industries and The Coca-Cola Company, organize the three-level (regional, state, national) competition in the United States. ITT Industries is also the international sponsor. The Georgia Association of Water Professionals, with local sponsor Delta Air Lines and various other environmental organizations, hosted this year’s national competition.

HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden will present the international award during a royal ceremony held in conjunction with the Stockholm Water Symposium in August. The laureate will receive a $5,000 scholarship and crystal sculpture. Three U.S. finalists were each awarded $1,000, including: Heather Smith of Vicksburg, Miss., for the project "Maximum Escape Speeds of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser Fulvescens)"; Megan O’Brien of Milwaukee, Wis., for the project, "Zebra Mussels vs. Quagga Mussels: Their survival in oxygen deficient conditions"; and Katherine VanderWeele Snyder of Portland, Ore., for the project, “Removal of Arsenic From Drinking Water by Water Hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes): Year II”. 

For more information, visit www.StockholmJuniorWaterPrize.org.

Click here for photos of the U.S. winner and finalists.


About WEF
Founded in 1928, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) - www.wef.org - is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization with members from varied disciplines who work toward the WEF vision of preservation and enhancement of the global water environment. The WEF network includes water quality professionals from 76 Member Associations in 30 countries.

About ITT Industries
ITT Industries, Inc - www.itt.com - supplies advanced technology products and services in key markets including: electronic interconnects and switches; defense communication, opto-electronics, information technology and services; fluid and water management and other industrial products. The company reported 2002 revenues of $4.99 billion.

About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company - www.coca-cola.com - is the world's largest beverage company and is the leading producer and marketer of soft drinks. Through the world's largest distribution system, consumers in nearly 200 countries enjoy the Company's products at a rate of more than 1 billion servings each day.