Memorandum of Understanding
Camarillo, Calif., April 18, 2016 — CSU Channel Islands (CI) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Association of Water Agencies Ventura County (AWAVC) Thursday, April 21 at the 24th Annual AWA Water Symposium.
Held from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott Oxnard, the thrust of this year’s symposium is “Perfect Storms: Managing water in an era of mega-floods and mega-droughts.”
President Richard R. Rush, who will retire in August, will be at the symposium to sign the MOU.
The MOU launches a scholarship program that allows CI students to attend AWA symposiums at no cost. At least 12 students will be chosen to attend the April 21 symposium.
The MOU also provides CI students with an opportunity to display research posters at future symposiums and connect with potential employers.
“We want to provide students with something more than a degree when they graduate,” said Environmental Science & Resource Management (ESRM) Lecturer Linda O’Hirok, Ph.D., who helped launch the MOU. “These water agencies are critical because they hire many of our students. Water is the most important issue in Southern California and Ventura County, so they are very likely to get a job in this field.”
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the AWAVC, a perfect time to create this formal link between CI and the AWAVC, according to AWAVC Managing Director Kelle Pistone.
“The value for the students is that they are exposed to these experts and information that relates to their studies,” Pistone said. “The value to our local water agencies is that these students will eventually graduate and go out into the workforce.”
To create an even more personal experience, each student will be matched with a representative from the water agency that sponsored his or her scholarship. That representative will be that student’s mentor for the day.
Professor and Chair of CI’s Environmental Science & Resource Management program Donald Rodriguez, Ph.D., said this MOU creates a wonderful networking opportunity for students with a career interest in water delivery and quality.
“We have had an informal relationship with the AWAVC up to this point,” Rodriguez said. “This MOU helps us institutionalize our relationship with this group of water practitioners. This will bring our two organizations together to develop this next generation of water resource professionals.”
The AWAVC was formed in 1976 to provide a public forum to learn about and discuss local and regional water issues. It is governed by a 20-member board of directors comprised of representative from various water-related entities in our region, including agriculture, municipalities, water districts, small systems, industrial water users and concerned citizens.
Regular meetings and special events are held to disseminate information, and encourage discussion and innovative solutions to water issues facing Ventura County.
Tickets are $205 for AWA Members and $245 for non-members. Tickets may be purchased online at www.awavc.org.
For more information, contact AWA at awa@awavc.org.
# # #
About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.