Anna Cerf’s interest in the environment first led her toward the civil and environmental engineering program at the University of Virginia. Now she is going to continue her education in Germany as a Rotary Scholar.
Cerf, of Edina, Minnesota, is a Rotary Global Grant Scholar, an award that will fund a two-year master’s program in water resource engineering and management at the University of Stuttgart. Rotary Global Grant Scholarships fund graduate-level study outside the United States, as well as community service projects related to one or more of Rotary’s seven areas of focus: peacebuilding and conflict prevention; disease prevention and treatment; water, sanitation and hygiene; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; community economic development; and the environment.
Cerf first was sponsored the Charlotteville Rotary last year, but the scholarship was postponed because of the pandemic. This year she is sponsored by the Arlington Rotary Club.
“I will research advanced water treatment of emerging contaminants, such as microplastics, pharmaceuticals or industrial chemicals,” she said. “Emerging contaminants are pollutants with undefined health risks and few or no regulations. Research of the transport and treatment of such contaminants is crucial to protecting freshwater resources for humans and the environment.”
Cerf, who graduated from UVA in 2020 with a degree in civil engineering and a minor in urban and environmental planning, said the course work for her program will cover three fundamental disciplines: sanitary engineering, groundwater remediation and hydraulic engineering.
“The University of Stuttgart has top-of-the-line water research facilities,” Cerf said. “It is also home to the Institute of Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management. ISWA focuses on research in urban water management, waste management, hydrochemistry and environmental microbiology.
“With the support of ISWA professors and access to University of Stuttgart’s premier research facilities, I will research the transport and treatment of emerging contaminants for my master’s thesis.”
Cerf said having a master’s in water resource engineering and management will further her career at the intersection of environmental issues and public health.
“By the end of the program, I will be able to anticipate, understand and evaluate water management-related issues,” Cerf said. “As climate change exacerbates existing water scarcity issues and environmental degradation damages water quality, these skills become increasingly important.”
Cerf conducted research with Craig Benson, former dean of the School of Engineering.
“Anna worked on my research team for about 18 months and authored the definitive report on odor management for the Environmental Research and Education Foundation,” he said. “Anna is one of the brightest, hardest-working and articulate undergraduates I have met. She has a remarkable work ethic, is highly professional and just plain nice to be around.
“When Anna contacted me about the Rotary and Stuttgart, I could not have been happier.”
Cerf said her interest in water management and sanitation began as a first-year student, when she received a Community Based Research Grant with four other UVA students.
“We performed a follow-up study regarding the implementation of point-of-use ceramic filters in Tadazna, Nicaragua,” she said. “The project revealed the importance of sound technical knowledge and community engagement in water sanitation projects. This experience, coupled with a burgeoning concern for environmental issues, led me to civil and environmental engineering.”
