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A&WMA's 120th Annual Conference & Exhibition, Next Wave Environmental Sustainability, June 28-July 1, 2027, Long Beach, CA

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


Platform Presentations
Be a part of the most comprehensive technical program in the environmental industry! Abstracts for platform presentations are due December 14, 2026. Details can be found on the Author Resource Center.

Student Poster Competition
Full-time undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students are encouraged to participate in the Student Poster Competition during the 2027 Annual Conference & Exhibition. Submissions to the Student Poster Competition are reviewed on site at ACE 2027 and awards will be presented at the Student Awards Ceremony.

Posters must be submitted through the Abstract Submittal System on the Author Resource Center by Friday, January 15, 2027.*
 
To be eligible, students must: 

  • Be a full-time undergraduate, masters, or doctoral student enrolled in an accredited institution
  • Be accepted to present their work as a poster during A&WMA’s Annual Conference & Exhibition
  • Adhere to all program submissions deadlines
  • Be the Primary Author of the abstract associated with the poster (no substitutes) at the Student Poster Competition in Long Beach, CA
The poster abstracts will be considered and judged equally for technical quality, relevance and significance to current environmental issues related to air quality and waste management, and lack of commercialism.

To be considered for the Student Poster Award, during the abstract submission process indicate your status as “student and your level of schooling,” note that your presentation is a “poster” and indicate that you want your submission to be considered for a Student Poster Award. Failure to do so makes submissions ineligible for the Student Poster Award. Poster abstract submissions will be accepted for poster presentations unless they do not cover topics relevant to A&WMA’s mission and goals. Student Posters presented on site are included in the conference proceedings of the technical program. 

*Students can only submit one poster for the competition. No extended abstracts will need to be submitted.

Scholarships and Awards
Applications for A&WMA Scholarships, Master's Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation Awards will be available in October.

JA&WMA's publication awards will be presented at A&WMA's Annual Annual Honors & Awards program to the two most outstanding papers published in JA&WMA over the preceding 12 months by either a student or early career author. All authors submitting papers to JA&WMA through the normal channels are eligible. For more information, visit www.awma.org/journalawards.

Student Events
We are planning many exciting student activities for ACE 2027, including:
  • Environmental Challenge International (ECi) Competition, where student teams solve real-world environmental problems and compete for cash prizes
  • Student Poster Contest and Session
  • Student Welcome Reception
  • Career Panel
  • Student Awards Ceremony
  • Young Professional/Student Mentor Breakfast
  • Young Professional/Student Networking Reception