Justin Nichols Awarded Competitive Pat Tillman Scholarship

June 18, 2018

Founded in 2008, the Tillman Scholar Program supports active-duty service members, veterans and their spouses with academic scholarships, a national network and professional development opportunities, so that they are empowered to make an impact.

Justin is among 60 individuals who represent the best and brightest from a group of thousands of talented applicants. Through their military service, their academic passions, and their desire to make an impact, they will form a tight-knit community of scholars that will truly make its mark on the world.

justin nicholsJustin Nichols was born and raised in New Mexico, and he knew from a young age that he wanted to serve in the military. This was mostly due to the past military service of his granddad, grandpa, and uncle and the stories they told him about their time in the service. After Justin graduated from high school, he joined the U.S. Army where he served for four years. Justin took great pride in being a soldier, but during his service he also realized how many communities are lacking clean water across the globe. Therefore, he decided to leave the Army to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering at the University of New Mexico.

After graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering at UNM, he plans to complete a Master’s of Science in Water Resources Engineering degree working with Dr. Gonzalez-Pinzon. While attending school for his MS, he will be conducting research on nutrient dynamics in arid watersheds. Nutrient enrichment is a major water quality impairment in many water resources across the globe, and it is currently estimated to cost the U.S. $45-165 billion a year. The research Justin will be performing will develop a more comprehensive understanding of nutrient dynamics and ultimately lead to better strategies, policies, and infrastructure development to mitigate aquatic nutrient impairment.

 You can read more about the Tillman Scholar Class of 2018 here.

 

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