Join

Students

A&WMA's 118th Annual Conference & Exhibition, Collaborating for an Equitable, Resilient Environment, June 9-12, 2025, Raleigh, NC

ACE is the place for students to learn, grow and connect with environmental professionals


ACE 2025 Student Events

Student Poster PresentationStudent Platform Presentations and Poster Competition
Student platform paper presentations will be held throughout the technical program. See your fellow students present their research as platform presentations throughout the week.

The Student Poster Presentations and Competition will be conducted on Tuesday, June 10. Students will present their posters to the judges during this year’s Student Poster Competition. The competition recognizes student posters to be the best among those considered in the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral categories. Awards for exceptional posters will be provided at the Student Awards Ceremony and Reception on Wednesday, June 11.
ECi CompetitionEnvironmental Challenge International (ECi) Competition
Student teams participate in a competition where they devise an environmental solution to a real-world problem and gain experience with proposing effective solutions taking into consideration site conditions, multiple parties' needs, and external events.

Get your team together now and start planning your strategy! Register your team by emailing Stephanie.Bolyard@deq.nc.gov. Check out this year's ECi problem and protocol. 

ECi Poster Judging will be on Tuesday, June 10 and final presentations will be on Wednesday, June 11, followed by the Student Awards Ceremony and Reception.
Student Welcome Reception
Tuesday, June 10 • 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm 

Students participating in the Student Paper, Student Poster Competition, and the Environmental Challenge International (ECi) are invited to meet and network with fellow students from around the world. Poster setup guidelines and ECi rules will be reviewed and attendees can enjoy light refreshments. Immediately following the Welcome Reception, the Student Keynote will be presented.
Student Keynote Address
Tuesday, June 10 • 12:30 pm - 1:00 pm 

Elizabeth BiserPresented by: Elizabeth Biser, President, Biser Strategies LLC

Elizabeth Biser is the President of Biser Strategies LLC, an environmental policy consulting firm. Governor Roy Cooper appointed Biser to serve as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in June of 2021, where she served until September 2024. She was the first woman confirmed to serve as DEQ Secretary. In August of 2023, she was elected by her peers to serve as President of the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), the national nonprofit, nonpartisan association of state and territorial environmental agency leaders. Previously, she served as the Vice President of Policy & Public Affairs at The Recycling Partnership, and the Government Relations & Policy Advisor of Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Career Panel: Being Adaptable for a Resilient Career 
Tuesday, June 10 • 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm 

Get the inside scoop from distinguished professionals working in different parts of the environmental field as they share their career experiences and answer questions in this interactive and enlightening panel.

Presenters include: 

Taylor HartsfieldTaylor Hartsfield, Deputy Director, Division of Air Quality, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

Taylor Hartsfield is currently serving as the Deputy Director for North Carolina’s Division of Air Quality. She has been with DAQ since January 2013 and previously worked in the Raleigh and Winston-Salem Regional Offices in the roles of Regional Supervisor, Compliance Supervisor, and Environmental Engineer. She has previous experience with writing permits, investigating complaints, and conducting compliance inspections. Taylor is a past recipient of DAQ’s Employee of the Year Award and DEQ’s Distinguished Employee Award. She is a North Carolina Certified Public Manager and a graduate of Clemson University with a B.S. in Biosystems Engineering. 

Jordan HaywoodJordan M. Haywood, Environmental Engineer, Siemens Energy

Jordan Haywood, a 30+ year A&WMA member, is an environmental engineer with Siemens Energy in Orlando dealing primarily with power plant (gas and steam turbine) air emissions and acoustical issues. Prior to joining Siemens in 1999, Jordan worked as an air pollution consultant for several years following graduation with a master’s in environmental engineering from the University of Central Florida in 1996. Jordan has chaired the Florida Section several times, and is active in A&WMA International, recently rotating off the A&WMA International Board of Directors as the 2023 President. Jordan has been active on the Technical Council for nearly 20 years, primarily in the Industry, Government and Public Sector (IGP) Group.

Khalil PorterKhalil Porter, Manager, Environmental Affairs, North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives

Khalil Porter, Manager of Environmental Affairs at North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives, has over 20 years of experience in the environmental profession. He specializes in air quality compliance for combustion and electricity generation but is also responsible for SPCC, EPCRA/Tier II Reporting, and waste compliance. He has a B.A and an M.S. in Chemistry. Khalil has held numerous leadership roles, including serving on the Board of Directors as Director, Vice Chair, Chair and Past Chair. He served as Treasurer in 2024. Additionally, Khalil is actively involved as the Co-Chair for the local host committee for the A&WMA ACE 2025.

Stephanie TaylorStephanie Taylor, Project Manager, SCS Engineers

Stephanie Taylor currently holds the position of Project Manager at SCS Engineers in the Overland Park, KS office. Prior to joining SCS, she was an intern at EPA Region 7 for over 2 years while finishing her degree in the Air Permitting and Compliance and Air Planning and Development branches. She holds a degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of Kansas and was awarded the 2021 Outstanding Young Professional Award from the Air & Waste Management Association. She has over 12 years of experience in air consulting services including air permitting, ambient air dispersion modeling analysis, NSPS and NESHAP compliance, and environmental auditing. Stephanie currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) – Midwest Section and is the 2025 Vice Chair for the A&WMA Young Professionals Advisory Council. 
Student Awards CeremonyStudent Awards Ceremony and Reception
Wednesday, June 11 • 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm 

All students and professionals participating with the Student Program are invited to the Student Awards Ceremony and Reception, which will honor exceptional students who have received scholarships, poster awards, platform paper awards, thesis and dissertation awards, and ECi awards.
 
YYP/Student Networking Receptionoung Professional/Student Networking Reception
Wednesday, June 11 • 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm 
The Raleigh Times (Alpha/Bravo Rooms), 14 E Hargett St
Cost: $35. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Join A&WMA students and young professionals for a fun evening of networking. This popular event brings together many students, YPs, and seasoned professionals in a fun, casual environment. Located in a 100-year-old building, The Raleigh Times showcases the city's unique culture and history with old press clippings and images on its walls from the newspaper of the same name.