WEDA Announces 2025 Scholarship Program

Western Dredging Association (WEDA) has announced its 2025 WEDA Fellow program, a scholarship program for students interested in the dredging industry. Now in its third year of operation, the program will provide a $6,250/term or $12,500/school year scholarship to only one or two eligible students.

WEDA’s goal is to “provide an incentive for students to contribute to the advancement of the dredging profession through significant and sustained contribution to the dredging discipline via excellence in dredging education, innovation in practice or education, demonstrated meritorious service and/or knowledge sharing.”

Responsibilities of WEDA Fellows may include:

• Provide preparation assistance and support for the 24th World Dredging Congress and Exposition (WODCON) in San Diego, Calif., June 23-27, 2025.
• Participate in WEDA’s mentoring program.
• Provide support for the Environmental Commission Sustainability working group to compile and research sustainable projects.
• Assist with enhancements to the past WEDA proceedings and papers available online.
• Assist with WEDA monthly educational webinars.
• Assist with WEDA promotion and marketing of publications, webinars and programs.

Effective February 1, 2025, students must fulfill the following requirements for consideration:

• Students must be enrolled for the 2024-2025 academic year in an applicable university program such as dredging, coastal engineering, civil engineering, oceanography or another related field.
• Students must be pursuing undergraduate (seniors only), master’s, or Ph.D. degrees.
• Students must provide three references, at least two of whom are university-affiliated.
• Students must hold a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• Students must have the ability to devote 40 hours per month to the program. Includes meeting with WEDA members and working on assignments.
• Students must have the ability to support conference preparation and attend WODCON in San Diego, Calif., June 23-27, 2025.
• WEDA accepts both official and unofficial transcripts as part of the application process.

The 2025 term will be held February through December. Applications must be completed and submitted by December 20, 2024.

Program and application details can be found at www.westerndredging.org. Look under the Education Portal tab. Send questions to Jessica Bridges at jbridges@westerndredging.org.