During the Missouri S&T 2019 Stueck Lecture last spring, Dr. Paul F. Boulos, a global water resources and wastewater industry expert, shared his successful leadership lessons with students, faculty and members of the S&T Academy of Civil Engineers. After spending a few days getting familiar with the people in the civil, architectural and engineering department, Boulos helped facilitate a fellowship offered by Digital Water Works, an engineering services provider where he serves as CEO.

This new fellowship, named “Digital Water Works Excellence in Water” was offered to support an outstanding graduate-level student pursuing a degree in water resources engineering.

“Through the tremendous efforts and passionate commitment of Missouri S&T faculty and its distinguished Academy of Civil Engineers members, the university is quickly earning a stellar reputation in the field of civil, architectural and environmental engineering education,” Boulos says. “We want to do what we can to help support their water resources program and its students. We believe this is the most effective way to promote the well-being of people everywhere. We see it as an excellent investment not only in students at S&T, but in the future of our nation and the world.”

The fellowship went to Wesam Mohammed Ali, a Ph.D. candidate in civil engineering. Wesam was recently recognized with one of the S&T College of Engineering and Computing Dean’s Educator Awards for his excellence as a graduate instructor teaching water resources. Wesam also received the 2019 James and Sharon Weinel Fellowship, the top graduate fellowship from Chi Epsilon, the national Civil Engineering Honors Society.

For his Ph.D. dissertation, Wesam uses a computational model to optimize water releases from hydroelectric power plants for the minimization of the streambank instability down the river. The proposed method uses the reach of the Osage River downstream of Bagnell Dam as a test case.

“Wesam is a very deserving recipient,” says Burken, Curators’ Distinguished Professor and chair of civil, architectural and environmental engineering. “He is an outstanding graduate instructor and gives much of his time to his profession. He hosts student groups in the hydraulics and hydrology lab — ranging from grade school students to prospective student groups to distinguished alumni. He engages them all with his passion for engineering and water. Wesam will be a fantastic professor after graduation.”