Philip H. Jones Award

A major goal of the Canadian Association on Water Quality is to showcase the talents of students who conduct water quality research. The CAWQ sponsors a competition for the “best presentation” of a research paper made by a student at each of the regional symposia on water pollution research. Since 2000, the winners have received the Philip H. Jones Award. This award was created as a memorial to Philip H. Jones who was a long-standing member of the CAWQ and who was a driving force in the development of the organization. This award includes:

  • a cash prize ($300 for first place, $200 for second place) at the closing ceremony of the respective regional conference;
  • a one-year membership in the CAWQ, including a subscription to the Water Quality Research Journal of Canada and IWA’s Water 21;
  • the publication of the name of the student in an issue of the journal and on the CAWQ website (see below);
  • a certificate acknowledging his/her performance; and
  • a formal invitation from the President of the CAWQ to submit his/her work for peer review and eventual publication in the Water Quality Research Journal of Canada.
  • Prior to 2000, only one of the regional winners of the “best presentation” award was selected as the recipient of the Philip H. Jones Award.

Judging Criteria:

  1. Introduction: Did it invite the interest of the audience? Was the problem defined? Objectives stated?
  2. Slides: Were illustrations clear? Busy? Wordy? Readable? Aesthetic?
  3. Delivery: Organized? Logical progression? Professional demeanor?
  4. Content: Scientific merit? Conceptualization? Theoretical aspects? Sufficient detail? Proper data reduction?
  5. Conclusions: Justified by the work presented? Too ambitious?
  6. Time: Subtract marks for presentations that run overtime or (worse) did not finish in the allotted time.
  7. Questions: The student will be marked on how well questions were handled.

Awards Winners:

2025

Atlantic Symposium of the Canadian Association on Water Quality (PEOPLE 2025 International Conference), July 21–25, 2025

  • Zhonghao Zhang (1st Place Philip H. Jones Award), University of Victoria, “Quantifying Uncertainty in Urban Hydrological Models and Exploring AI-Based Prediction: A Case Study in the Saanich Area”
  • Hao Wu (2nd Place Philip H. Jones Award), Memorial University, “Harnessing Marine Microalgae for Carbon Capture and Biomass Production under Naphthalene and Bicarbonate Stress”

12th Western Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, June 17, 2025

  • Tae Hyun (Calvin) Chung (1st Prize Philip H. Jones Award), University of Alberta, “Biogas upgrading and desulfurization via microbial electrosynthesis system”
  • Maha Dassouki Dit Tahan (2nd Prize Philip H. Jones Award), Middle East Technical University, Türkiye / Toronto Metropolitan University, “Characterization of Polyethylene Microplastics Following Aerobic and Anaerobic Bio-Aging”
  • Sunanda Paul (1st Prize Best Poster Award), University of Alberta, “Immune cell bioassays identify receptor-mediated inflammatory effects of Oil Sands Process Waters and Naphthenic Acids: Implications for water quality assessment”
  • Shivani Sonkar (2nd Prize Best Poster Award), University of Alberta, “Plasma activated water mist: a promising surface disinfection technology”

60th Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, February 23–24, 2025

  • Omar Abdelrahman (1st Place Best Presentation), Toronto Metropolitan University
  • Omar Mohamed (2nd Place Best Presentation), Western University
  • Juviya Mathew (1st Place Glen Daigger Award – Poster), York University
  • Nada Hosni (2nd Place Glen Daigger Award – Poster), Toronto Metropolitan University
  • Fatima-zahra Ezzahroui (1st Place 3MT), Toronto Metropolitan University
  • Ani Memuduaghan (2nd Place 3MT), Toronto Metropolitan University

2024

WEST Conference, June 12–14, 2024

  • Phoebe Riddell (1st Place Philip H. Jones Award), University of Manitoba, “The development of a predictive non-linear water resources model in MODSIM – DSS for climate change analysis”
  • Rachel Boyer (2nd Place Philip H. Jones Award), University of Victoria, “Context-Appropriate Microbial Methods: Identifying under-reported adaptions and improvements for increased water quality monitoring”

59th Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, April 9, 2024

  • Mohammad Noor Tamim (1st Place Philip H. Jones Award), Western University, “Phosphorus Removal from Agricultural Diffuse Sources Using Magnesium Pellets: Lab and Field Evaluations”
  • Zanina Ilieva (2nd Place Philip H. Jones Award), Toronto Metropolitan University, “Assessing the Influence of Prolonged Exposure of Aerobic Granular Sludge to Four Target PFAS”
  • Sama Al-Ani (3rd Place Philip H. Jones Award), McMaster University, “Detection and Segmentation of Filamentous and Floc-Forming Bacteria in Microscopic Images using AI”
  • Sabrina Jivani (3rd Place Philip H. Jones Award), Western University, “Phosphorus Exports from a Cold Climate Urban Subwatershed: Insights from a Monitoring and Modeling Study”

2022

57th Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, April 4–5, 2022

  • Keval Vejani (1st Place), Ryerson University
  • Basem Zakaria (2nd Place), University of Alberta
  • Eric Fries (1st Place – One Slide 3-min Presentation), Ryerson University
  • Shraddha Chavan (2nd Place – One Slide 3-min Presentation), INRS

2021

WEST Conference, June 9–11, 2021

  • George William Kajjumba (Tied 1st Place), University of Nevada, “Application of lanthanum treated water in cornfields, its uptake, effects, and mapping in the corn plant”
  • Savanna Vacek (Tied 1st Place), University of Nevada, “Application of lanthanum treated water in cornfields, its uptake, effects, and mapping in the corn plant”
  • Ehsan Banayan Esfahani (2nd Place), University of British Columbia, “Vacuum-UV irradiation capable of catalyst-free decomposition of emerging PFAS: mechanism and effects of water matrix”

2020

1st Virtual Atlantic Symposium on Water Quality, November 6, 2020

  • Rania Souidi (1st Place), Université Laval, “Recovery of phosphate from wastewater in the form of viviante using electrochemical technology”
  • Cassandra Guerette (2nd Place), “Traitement des effluents hospitaliers par oxydation en voie humide: Devenir des produits pharmaceutiques”

55th Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, February 20, 2020

  • David Patch (1st Place Best Presentation), “Irradiation-Based Degradation of Per-and-polyfluorylalkyl substances (PFAS): Insights Into Mechanism, Isomer-Dependence, pH, and Transformation”
  • Alexandra Duchesne (2nd Place Best Presentation), “Smouldering (STAR) Remediation of PFAS-Contaminated Soil”
  • Farokh Iaqa Kakar (1st Place), Ryerson University, “Evaluation of different configuration of fermentation, anaerobic digestion and hydrothermal pretreatment of thickened waste activated sludge”
  • Hamid Ghazisaidi (2nd Place), University of Toronto, “Using Animal Blood as a Source for Flocculants to Treat Biosludge”

1st Virtual Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, July 24, 2020

  • Heline Chow (1st Place), University of Waterloo, “The Evaluation of Polarity Reversal as a Means of Mitigating Fouling in Electrocoagulation”
  • Timothy Abbot (2nd Place), University of British Columbia, “Assessment of various sludge digester processes for organic matter, trace contaminants of emerging concerns, and recalcitrant nutrient removals”

2019

33rd Eastern Canadian Symposium on Water Quality, October 25–28, 2019

  • Sasan Fazeli (1st place winner), Concordia University, “Identification of sulfamethoxazole transformation products by triple quad LC-MS-MS remediated by UV/H2O2 AOP”
  • Tiwari Bhagyashree (2nd place winner), ETE-INRS, “Treatment of hospital wastewater in membrane bioreactor: profiling and role of microbiome”

National Water and Wastewater Conference, November 3–6, 2019

  • Gao Mengjio (1st place winner), University of Alberta, “Anaerobic treatment of source-diverted black water – Energy recovery from human excreta”
  • Ben Ethier (2nd place winner), University of Calgary, “Climate change: current and future impacts on erosive rainfall in Calgary”

Atlantic Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, November 6–8, 2019

  • Xing Song (1st place winner), Memorial University, “Enhanced biosurfactant production by marine originated bacteria Bacillus Subtilis and its application for oil removal with the existence of heavy metal”
  • Jenneifer Dubuc (2nd place winner), University of Quebec, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, “Efficiency of solid ferrates (VI) for treatment of extreme concentrations of arsenic in synthetic mine effluents”

WEST Conference, June 13–14, 2019

  • Ehsan Banayan (1st place winner), University of British Columbia, “Hydrated Electron-Based Degradation of Per-or-Poly-fluoroalkyl substances Using Vacuum Ultraviolet Irradiation”
  • Lais Pereira (2nd place winner), University of Toronto, “Bioleaching of Nickel from sulphide ores and wastes at circumneutral pH under denitrifying conditions”

11th Western Symposium on Water Quality Research, May 10, 2019

  • Farokh Laqa Kakar (1st place winner), Ryerson University, “Thermal Pretreatment Impact on the acidification of Source Separated Organics and Municipal Sludges”
  • Sen Yang (2nd place winner), University of Alberta, “Nitration-anammox Processes for Ammonium Rich Sludge Thickening Lagoon Supernatant Treatment”

54th Central Symposium on Water Quality Research, February 27, 2019

  • Sam Cherniak (1st place winner), University of Toronto, “Occurrence and Fate of Microplastics Through Drinking Water Treatment”
  • Danelle Bishoff (2nd place winner), York University, “Methane as carbon source for nitrification-denitrification using methanotrophic mixed culture in a sequential batch reactor”

2018

National Water and Wastewater Conference, November 4–7, 2018

  • Evelyne Dore (1st place), Polytechnique Montreal, “Lead and copper sampling in schools and large buildings – Implications for exposure and regulations”
  • Bernadeta Szmudrowska (2nd place), Credit Valley Conservation, “Smart blue roof applicability in the IC&I sector for climate change adaptation”

53rd Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, February 23, 2018

  • Emad Shahnam (1st place winner), University of Waterloo, “Extruding Filaments for 3D Printing of Water Treatment Membranes”
  • Rachel E. Yee (2nd place winner), University of Alberta, “Occurrence of Residual Biological and Chemical Contaminants in Recovered Struvite-Nutrients from Blackwater”

WEST Conference, June 11–12, 2018

  • Catherine Bourgault (1st place winner), Laval University, “Methanogenic Activity Test for characterizing the Ammonia inhibition of anaerobic digestion of faecal sludge”
  • Rajat Jain (2nd place winner), University of British Columbia, “Pilot Scale Testing of Passive Membrane filtration systems for Drinking Water Treatment for Small and Remote Communities”

2017

52nd Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, February 23, 2017

  • Antoine Boyer, University of Toronto, “Strontium-90 and Wetland Organic Matter Interactions”
  • Sanaz Alizadeh, Polytechnique Montreal, “Chronic Impact of Silver Nanoparticle on Aerobic Wastewater Biofilm”

31st Eastern Symposium on Water Quality, May 19, 2017

  • Nicolas Beauchamp, Université Laval, “L’absorbance UV différentielle pour le suivi des sous-produits de la désinfection dans l’eau potable: du laboratoire à l’échelle réelle”
  • Kim Lompe, École Polytechnique de Montréal, “Selecting powdered activated carbon against taste & odour events in different water matrices”

WEST Conference, June 11–13, 2017

  • Shona Robinson, University of British Columbia, “Ageing of membranes in the wild – putting lab research into context”
  • Tess Young, University of Washington, “Disinfection and disinfection by product formation during solar irradiation of chlorinated drinking water”

2nd Atlantic Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, October 16, 2017, St John’s NL

  • Fereshteh Shahhoseini, Memorial University, “Biodegradable thin-film molecularly imprinted polymers for monitoring PAH’s in Water”
  • Zhiwen Zhu, Memorial University, “Enhanced biosurfactant production by marine originated bacteria Bacillus Subtilis and its application for oil removal with the existence of heavy metal”

National Water and Wastewater Conference, November 6–8, 2017, St John’s NL

  • Hoda Tafvizi, Memorial University, “Removal of Natural Organic Matter from Newfoundland Water supplies for DBP’s”
  • Erin Hayward, “Old Technologies with New Applications: Impacts on Aquatic Organisms”

2016

WEST Conference, June 6–7, 2016

  • Olenka Forde, University of British Columbia, “Mechanisms and geochemical impacts of fugitive methane gas migration related to shale gas development”
  • David Hurley, University of British Columbia, “Wind waves in an end pit lake”

30th Eastern Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, May 27, 2016

  • Bradley Young, University of Ottawa, “Feasibility of Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) Nitrification at 1°C”, co-authors: R. Delatolla; K. Kennedy; E. LaFlamme; A. Stintzi
  • Patrick D’Aoust, University of Ottawa, “Hydrogen Sulfide Generation in Wet Stormwater Ponds: Understanding the Cause and Looking Toward Solutions”, co-authors: P. M. D’Aoust; R. Delatolla; L. Chen; R. Wang; C. Rennie; A. Poulain; F. Pick

51st Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, February 23–24, 2016

  • Jeffery Parr, McMaster University, “Electrochemical copper disinfection as an alternative water treatment method for underprivileged societies”
  • Bipro Ranjan Dhar, University of Waterloo, “Kinetics to change of anode potential in biofilm anodes: Can extracellular electron transfer be rate-limiting?”

2015

First National Water and Wastewater Conference, October 26–28, 2015

  • Natalie Linklater, Carleton University, “Effectiveness of Chlorine and Chlorine-free Alternatives for the Disinfection of Wastewater”
  • Audrey Murray, Carleton University, “Evaluation of Non-imprinted Polymer Particles for Advanced Treatment of Water and Wastewater”

WEST Conference, June 7–9, 2015

  • Michael Zima, “The Hyporheic Zone: A River’s Liver”
  • Cassandra Cummings, “The use of reference lakes to detect climate-related changes on diatom assemblages in the Adirondacks (NY, USA)”

50th Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality, Burlington, Ontario, February 18, 2015

  • Paul Chiocchio, University of Waterloo
  • Stephanie Gora, University of Toronto

2014

29th Eastern Canadian Symposium on Water Quality, Polytechnique Montréal, October 17, 2014

  • Céline Vaneeckhaute, Université Laval
  • Sahil Dhawan, Carleton University

Joint IMFE 2014/CAWQ Atlantic Symposium, St. John’s, Newfoundland, August 6–8, 2014

  • Kalen Thomson, Memorial University of Newfoundland
  • Usman Khan, University of Victoria
  • Qinhong Cai, Memorial University of Newfoundland

WEST Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, June 8–10, 2014

  • Kaitlynn Livingstone, University of British Columbia
  • Bryce Figdore, University of Washington

49th Central Canadian Symposium, Niagara Region, Ontario, March 5–7, 2014

  • Tala Navab-Daneshmand, McGill University
  • Lihui Wang, University of Guelph

2013

28th Eastern Canadian Symposium on Water Quality, Queen’s University, October 26, 2013

  • Shawn Burdett, Royal Military College of Canada
  • Imad Touahar, University of Sherbrooke

48th Central Canadian Symposium, Hamilton, Ontario, March 6–8, 2013

  • Ayla Ahmad, University of Ottawa
  • Ludiwine Clouzot, Université Laval

2012

13th Pacific Canadian Symposium, Penticton, British Columbia, April 21–25, 2012

  • Parssa Hassan, University of British Columbia (Vancouver Campus)
  • Hui Zhang, University of British Columbia (Vancouver Campus)

47th Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 21–22, 2012

  • Tala Navab-Daneshmand, McGill University
  • Mark Spanjers, University of Waterloo

2011

26th Eastern Canadian Symposium on Water Quality, Quebec City, Quebec, October 7, 2011

  • Nilufar Islam, University of British Columbia Okanagan

12th Pacific Canadian Symposium, Kelowna, British Columbia, April 16–20, 2011

  • Sepideh Jankhah, University of British Columbia

46th Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 22–23, 2011

  • Catherine Dielman, McMaster University

2010

11th Pacific Canadian Symposium, Whistler, British Columbia, May 1–5, 2010

  • Kerry Black, University of British Columbia

45th Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 22–23, 2010

  • Etienne Bordeleau, University of Ottawa
  • Neema Prabhakaran Mariyamma

2009

25th Eastern Regional Symposium, Ottawa, Ontario, October 30, 2009

  • Usman Khan, McGill University

44th Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 23–24, 2009

  • Tony Tsui, University of Toronto
  • Harris R. Switzman, McMaster University

10th Western Canadian Symposium, Penticton, British Columbia, April 25, 2009

  • Siva Sarathy, University of British Columbia

2008

43rd Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 11–12, 2008

  • Mohamed A. Hamouda, University of Waterloo

9th Western Canadian Symposium, Whistler, British Columbia, April 26–30, 2008

  • Andrea Miskelly

24th Eastern Canadian Symposium, Université Laval, Québec, November 7, 2008

  • Jason Faber Carpenter

2007

42nd Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 12–13, 2007

  • A. Farquharson, University of Guelph

8th Western Canadian Symposium, Penticton, British Columbia, April 23–25, 2007

  • Jason Vanderzwaag

23rd Eastern Canadian Symposium, Sherbrooke, Québec, October 26, 2007

  • Jeremy Landon Conkle, Louisiana State University

2006

41st Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 13–14, 2006

  • Cherilyn Carrara, University of Waterloo

22nd Eastern Canadian Symposium, Montreal, Québec, November 30, 2006

  • Robert Delatolla, McGill University

7th Western Canadian Symposium, Whistler, British Columbia, April 30–May 3, 2006

  • Elizabeth Tilley, University of British Columbia

2005

40th Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 14–15, 2005

  • Satinder K. Brar, University of Quebec
  • Yi Zhang, University of Toronto

6th Western Canadian Symposium, Penticton, BC, April 19, 2005

  • Patrica L. Keen, University of British Columbia

21st Eastern Canadian Symposium, Québec, Québec, November 4, 2005

  • Geneviève Aubry, University Laval

2004

39th Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 9–10, 2004

  • Anna Charbonneau, Queen’s University

5th Western Canadian Symposium, Whistler, British Columbia, May 4, 2004

  • Alexander Forrest, University British Columbia

20th Eastern Canadian Symposium, Ottawa, October 29, 2004

  • Selvia Kurniawati, McGill University

2003

38th Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, February 10–11, 2003

  • Owen Horn, McGill University

19th Eastern Canadian Symposium, Sherbrooke, Québec, October 22, 2003

  • Caroline Anderson, University of Québec

2002

18th Eastern Canadian Symposium, Montreal, October 18, 2002

  • Melanie Duhamel, University of Toronto

37th Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 4–5, 2002

  • Michael Moncur, University of Waterloo

2001

17th Eastern Regional Symposium, Québec, Québec, November 9, 2001

  • Bernard Lavallée, Université Laval

36th Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 5–6, 2001

  • Nora Doerr, University of Waterloo

2000

35th Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 7–8, 2000

  • Ron Hoffman, University of Toronto

4th Western Regional Symposium, Vancouver, British Columbia, May 8–9, 2000

  • Kevin Frankowski, University of British Columbia

16th Eastern Regional Symposium, Ottawa, Ontario, November 17, 2000

  • Salem Bouhairie, McGill University

1999

34th Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 8–9

  • Chandra S. Tripathi, University of Toronto

15th Eastern Regional Symposium, Sherbrooke, Québec, November 5

  • Claudine Boisson (1999 Philip H. Jones Award Winner), École Polytechnique

1998

33rd Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 9

  • Chris Cousin (1998 Philip H. Jones Award Winner), University of Toronto

3rd Western Regional Symposium, Vancouver, British Columbia, June 24

  • Alexander Dumitrescu, University of British Columbia

14th Eastern Regional Symposium, Québec, Québec, October 26–27

  • Michel Boivin, Université Laval

1997

32nd Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 10–11

  • Ron Hoffman, University of Toronto

13th Eastern Regional Symposium, Montreal, Quebec, November 19–20

  • Isabelle Bénard (1997 Philip H. Jones Award Winner), École Polytechnique

1996

31st Central Canadian Symposium, Burlington, Ontario, February 6–7

  • Tim Constantine (1998 Philip H. Jones Award Winner), McMaster University
  • Dominique Sorel, University of Waterloo

2nd Western Regional Symposium, Vancouver, British Columbia, May 29

  • Aymen Shawwa, University of Alberta
  • Samantha Fothergill, University of British Columbia

12th Eastern Regional Symposium, Trois-Rivières, Québec, November 1

  • Robert Dufresne, Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Faune
  • Martin Papineau, Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières