Jon Treasure and Ricardo Sanchez were announced as the recipients of the Avista Waters of the West Scholarship Feb. 22.
The Avista Waters of the West Scholarship began in 2012, awarding $5,000 annually to graduate students who are involved in the University of Idaho Water Resources Program. Treasure was awarded $2,000 for his work trying to improve a rearing habitat in the Potlatch River Basin for late summer juvenile steelhead. Sanchez was awarded $3,000 for his research studying base flow in 26 different watersheds in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.
Jan Boll, director for the Environmental Science and Water Resources program, said to receive the scholarship, the applicants’ thesis project must benefit some or all of the Avista market in Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, Western Montana and throughout Oregon.
“Receiving this scholarship has given me more motivation to go above and beyond what is expected of me,” Treasure, a masters student said. Sanchez, a UI doctoral student, said he didn’t know he was nominated for the scholarship.
“It came as a big surprise to me,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez said he thinks these kinds of awards are very beneficial for students because it helps keep them motivated.
“Both these students are doing exemplary work on topics that are important to society, and their research efforts are top-notch,” Boll said.
Sanchez said the scholarship is an honor and means he will be able to keep working on his research for UI.
Iris Alatorre can be reached at arg-news.uidaho.edu