SWANA Selects Participants For The 2010 Hickman Internship Program

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has selected two students as interns in the Lanny and Kay Hickman Internship Program. Samantha Garcia of San Diego, California, and Fabien Besnard of Loches, France/Charlotte, North Carolina were selected by the Hickman Intern Program Committee to participate in the program.

The Lanny and Kay Hickman Internship program was established in 1996 to offer students the opportunity to work with SWANA members and academia to acquire practical working skills, experience the realities of the work world, and expand their knowledge and understanding of municipal solid waste management. The intern's work program is defined by the Hickman Intern Committee and the student and is centered on their course of study and the needs of SWANA, as well as the host organization. Interns are required to commit at least 20 hours per week for a full semester and are expected to develop one or more actual outputs, such as survey results or reports, which can be used in the field of solid waste management.

Participants in the Intern Program must be at least a junior at the undergraduate level and must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. In addition, intern majors must be in a science or engineering discipline applicable to the field of solid waste management.

Samantha Garcia is a junior and plans to work on her Master’s Degree over the next five years in a biology related discipline at San Diego State University – looking toward a career in solid waste management. Her host organization is the City of San Diego Environmental Services Department and her internship will focus on researching the designs and operations of materials recovery facilities (MRF). She will begin the internship in May 2010.

Fabien Besnard will be a second year Ph.D. student at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte pursuing an advanced degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. His host organization is the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNC Charlotte. Significant support to the internship will be provided by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC). His internship will focus on the development of a pilot food waste and compostable food containers (CFCs) composting program for commercial/institutional waste streams where CFCs are used. Mr. Besnard’s internship will begin in September 2010.

For more information about the Hickman Internship Program and other scholarship opportunities offered by SWANA, please visit www.SWANA.org/scholarships.