The SWANA Hickman Endowment and Internship Program

The SWANA Hickman Endowment and Internship Program (Hickman Endowment) was established in 1996 to honor Lanny and Kay Hickman (Lanny, the retired Executive Director of SWANA and Kay, the retired Meetings Director), for their many years of service to SWANA and the field of Solid Waste Management.

The Hickman Endowment supports three SWANA programs focused on drawing students into the Solid Waste Management field as young professionals.

The Hickman Internship Program provides an opportunity for selected college and university students to integrate classroom skills with a supervised work experience including, but not limited to, investigative and analytical research, writing brief documents, and the development of technical reports. The Internship is completed on location at a hosting employer and funds help to support the effort including a stipend for living, travel and related expenses. Applications are accepted all year from U.S., Canadian and European students currently studying at the university/graduate level in fields associated with Solid Waste Management or related areas of study.

The Hickman Endowment is also an ongoing supporter of the International Solid Waste Design Competition (SWDC) in which undergraduate/graduate teams compete to solve a real world problem faced by solid waste professionals. The SWDC is held annually at WASTECON or a similar Association-wide conference at which the teams present their solutions to a panel of judges of an industry audience. Financial prizes are given to the top three teams.

During the SWDC, judges evaluate team members. One or two students, because of outstanding contributions to the team and project, may also be offered the opportunity for additional tuition assistance of up to $2,500 each for an industry Research Project. The tuition support is given for work on a separate, professor-overseen, research project related to the prevention, processing or management of solid waste. The student(s) must agree to present their research findings at the following SWDC.

The Hickman Endowment contribution to the Solid Waste Design Competition and related Research Project opportunities is intended to range from $2,500 to $10,000 per year, depending on fund balance, the number of teams, and the students selected for the Research Project. The money supports team prizes, tuition support, and expense reimbursement.

Your contribution to the Hickman Endowment can help expand opportunities for students interested in Solid Waste Management to experience the industry and its opportunities first-hand.