SUT-US Scholarship Awards Ceremony

2019

by Audrey Guzman & Araceli Lopez-Acosta November 15, 2019
SUT-US Scholarship Awards Ceremony 2019
The Society for Underwater Technology in the U.S. (SUT-US) held its annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony on November 15, 2019 at Rice University in Houston. This event recognizes some of the most outstanding undergraduate and graduate students for their academic achievements in underwater technology. SUT-US provided 6 scholarships each worth $3,000 thanks to the year-round efforts of its volunteer members within the various technical committees including:
  • Subsea Engineering and Operations (SEO)
  • Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics (OSIG)
  • Group on Environmental Forces (GEFUS)
  • Robotics and Automation (R&A)
  • Offshore Renewables (OR)
  • Young Professionals Group (YP)
  • Education
  • School Touring
  • Women in Industry (WIND)
Through the SUT-US scholarship program, students can find more value in receiving an award beyond the financial benefits. Students who regularly attend the various SUT-US events are able to gain a greater exposure to knowledge through mentoring and also get the opportunity to network directly with offshore energy academic and industry experts. Professional societies like SUT-US are essential in building bridges between student communities, academia, and industry.
 
SUT-US has awarded $107,500 in scholarships in the past five years, supporting  undergraduate and graduate students through their academic careers. The funds for this program are obtained through the organization of learning programs, fundraisers, networking events, and participation in other academic and industry events such as conferences. Table 1 below shows the scholarship amounts awarded by fiscal year since 2015.

Table 1. Total scholarships granted by SUT-US since 2015
 
For the 2019-2020 academic year the SUT-US awarded the following scholars for their outstanding academic achievements:
  • Abhishek Sharma, University of Houston - Subsea Engineering
  • Alyssa Rene Coy, University of Houston - Mechanical Engineering
  • Guillermo Duran, Texas A&M University - Geotechnical Engineering
  • Issam Ben Moallem, Rice University - Mechanical Engineering
  • Moslem Moradi, Texas A&M University - Geotechnical Engineering
  • Tejas Pawar, University of Houston - Subsea & Petroleum Engineering
“By awarding me the Society of Underwater Technology Scholarship, you have lightened my financial burden which allows me to focus more on the most important aspect of school learning. Your generosity has inspired me to help others and give back to the community. I hope one day I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as you have helped me. Thank you” - Alyssa Coy, 2019 SUT-US scholarship recipient. 
 
SUT-US strongly supports outstanding students pursuing a course of studies which highlight at least one relevant component area of underwater technology. College expenses are a main concern for many students, but through scholarship support, students can better focus on their academic careers and develop their leadership skills for when the time comes to enter the real-world application.
 
Tejas Power explained “I would like to thank SUT-US for giving me this scholarship. It’s an honor for me. This scholarship will not only help me financially, but also will motivate me academically. This scholarship will make me one step closer to achieve my goal and turn my dream into a reality. Thank you again for this wonderful act of kindness. I am beyond grateful for the help you are giving me to turn this passion into a career."
 
In addition to scholarships, the SUT-US provides annual support to its Student Chapters. Since 2015, SUT-US has granted over $60,000 worth of sponsorships to its student chapters based in Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Texas A&M at Prairie View, University of Houston, Rice University, and The Institute of Technology - Petroleum and Energy (ITPE) in Mexico. These sponsorships help Student Chapters to organize learning programs, student membership drives, and support other student-related activities such as design competitions, participation in conferences, travel grants, etc. Table 2 below shows the sponsorships amounts awarded by fiscal year since 2015.

Table 1. Total student chapters sponsorships granted by SUT-US since 2015

“I hope that SUT will continue its current momentum to promote underwater technology and recognize the talent by various scholarship awards.” - Abhishek Sharma, 2019 SUT-US  a Scholarship Recipient & President of the University of Houston Student Chapter.
 
If you are interested in setting up an SUT-US Student Chapter at your university, you can contact us here.
 
There were more reasons to celebrate this evening, as two of SUT-US’ most committed volunteer members were named ‘Fellows’ by the Society of Underwater Technology, the most prestigious recognition a member can receive by SUT for their commitment and leadership. The two named Fellows were Tricia Hill, Chair of the SUT-US Subsea Engineering and Operations Committee (SEO) and Kerry Campbell, Chair of Short Courses, Learning Seminars & Webinars of the Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics Committee (OSIG).
With the accompaniment of our volunteer members and their families, students and their friends and families, and the Scholarship Awards Ceremony sponsor Altair, this was another great evening to remember and to add to the SUT-US books. You can view all event photos on our Flickr gallery → https://flic.kr/s/aHsmM2PTH7
 
To learn about the requirements and guidelines of the scholarship program visit https://sut-us.org/Learning-Programs/Undergraduate-and-Graduate-Scholarships. If you know someone who would be interested in applying to this program, help us share this information with them. The 2020 Scholarship Awards Ceremony is scheduled for September 18, 2020 to be held online. Want to sponsor this event? Click here to contact us!


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