Margaret Petersen Woman of the Year Award

The Margaret Petersen Outstanding Woman of the Year Award was established in 2010 to honor the professional accomplishments of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Fellow Margaret Petersen, a female pioneer in hydraulics and water resources engineering. Ms. Petersen has maintained a long and distinguished history of committee leadership within ASCE and EWRI. Ms. Petersen worked for 35 years on various projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including a year on loan to the Special Engineering Division of the Panama Canal. During that period she served as a role model for other female water-resources professionals. Thereafter, she joined the University of Arizona Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics where she taught, served as a graduate advisor, and authored two books on water resources planning and on river engineering. She is the author of more than 100 reports and papers and has contributed to numerous publications. Ms. Petersen’s commitment to the water resources profession and her active engagement with ASCE and EWRI serve as the founding principles for this award.

The award will be presented annually to a female member of EWRI who has demonstrated exemplary service to the water resources and environmental community. Service may include EWRI leadership through council, standing, or task committee participation; university achievements in the water resources or hydraulic fields; or industry excellence in water or environmental-related engineering. The recipient must be a member of ASCE and/or EWRI.

The award recipient is encouraged to:

1. Attend the EWRI World Environmental and Water Resources Congress to receive her award

2. Serve as ambassador for the award by promoting it at her university, engineering alumni group(s), and/or via her employer

3. The recipient is also highly encouraged to sponsor a female student to attend the conference and/or mentor a female student at a local university.

The Margaret Petersen Outstanding Woman of the Year Award will be administered by the Margaret Petersen Woman of the Year Award Task Committee. They will also coordinate with the ASCE Committee on Diversity and Women in Civil Engineering.    

Application Procedure: 

Application packages are due by October 1 each year, and should include the following items:  

• A third party letter of nomination
• A nominee's personal statement (1000 word limit)
• Up to five letters of recommendation
• Curriculum vitae of nominee
• EWRI Nomination Form - Online or fillable PDF 

The letter of nomination must include the nominee’s ASCE or EWRI membership number. Furthermore, the content of the package should explicitly support the nominee’s sustained record of EWRI leadership through EWRI council participation or standing or task committee participation and/or University or industry excellence in the water resources, hydraulics, or environmental-related profession. Package contents should also address the nominee's contributions as a mentor to female students or professionals. Complete applications received by the deadline will be reviewed by the Margaret Petersen Outstanding Woman of the Year Award Task Committee.

Electronic document submittals in .pdf format are preferred, and nomination packages should be emailed to:

Curt Elmore, Ph.D., P.E, Chair
Margaret Petersen Outstanding Woman of the Year Award Task Committee
Associate Professor of Geological Engineering
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Rolla, Missouri
elmoreac@mst.edu 

For more MPWOY award information please go to the Task Committee's web page.