Clarkson University Grad Student Awarded Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Scholarship
Clarkson University environmental science & engineering graduate student Victor Manuel Melgarejo Cazares of Mexico City recently received the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) PRIDE Scholarship at the 2023 SHPE National Convention in Salt Lake City.
The scholarship was established in 2021 as an endowment by SHPE board members Emily Allen, Will Davis, and Diana Gomez. It is "designed to recognize students who are out and proud, support an inclusive SHPE Familia, and make a difference for the LGBTQ and Hispanic community."
Melgarejo Cazares is one of only two recipients of the award, which was first awarded this year.
"The implementation and recognition of this award is highly important, not only for me, but also for the Hispanic and the LGBTQ communities," says Cazares. "I belong to both of these minorities and opportunities like this make it easier to overcome the existing boundaries and break the barriers for the next generations."
Melgarejo Cazares first attended Clarkson as an undergraduate exchange student from the Tecnológico de Monterrey University. He later returned for the Master of Science in Environmental Science & Engineering program, which he will complete in December.
After graduation, Melgarejo Cazares will stay at Clarkson to continue his research with Assistant Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering Yang Yang on the remediation of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-contaminated soil through mechanochemical degradation (ball mill processing).
