I am Oluwatuyi, a Ph.D. student in the Land and Water Resources Engineering research area at Iowa State University. Water has always been dear to my heart because of my childhood experience, and we struggle daily to either keep water or get it. We were not careful about the water quality we got from the stream as long as we could access it. It has led to my desire to champion many significant innovations in water management; attending water-related conferences is one of the ways to make that dream a reality.
Iowa Water Conference in Dubuque is at the center of bringing the people back to the water; the message is clear for this year’s conference we want an inclusive water policy, cleaner water, a safer water system, reduced production cost, resilient systems against climate, regenerated land and recovered the Gulf of Mexico and many other in that category.
I could not have been anywhere else between the 27th to 29th aside from the phenomenal water conference held in Dubuque that received the convergence of water enthusiasts, water professionals, academia, and a host of moguls across different industries. I was privileged to network, which has increased the array of resources I can access.
I opted for the pre-tour conference to explore and learn fully from the conference. I learned about the field of dreams; the Impact 7G did a great job organizing this fantastic event, from stream restoration to float park engineering design; I am looking forward to a most sought-after Dyersville for tourists in the nearest future.
The experience on the first day of the conference was ecstatic for me; even though I have never been intimidated by large a large, moderating the four profound breakout lectures at this year’s conference is an honor I appreciate; it will be my very first experience moderating a conference session. I learned more about carrying everyone along, speaking at the frequency of your listening, connecting with the speaker, and time management. All of these are valuable assets to me and my future in the research world. I also attended a panel session on the prairie strips, which opened my eyes to more insights into approaching my research.
What a beatific ending for the conference! Two things stood out for me during the last day event; I attended a session on “The mighty Mississippi – what can we do to revive old man river”? I must say from all indications; Bartlett did justice to the topic; he went down memory lane to place the history of the United States in perspective; I understand some of the little things we do can culminate into more significant and how, and I learned I could do my best to see to the changes we desire. He ended with a quote that resonates with everyone ‘That the situation is hopeless should not prevent us from doing our best.
The second one was the opportunity to have been placed 3rd for the poster presentation at the Iowa Water Conference 2022. This really bolstered my courage to work more on my research and contribute to regenerating our lands in Iowa and beyond, thereby reducing the dead zone of the Gulf of Mexico and protecting our water systems at large.
I am anticipating the conference for next year.
Thank you, Iowa Water Conference organizer, for the Scholarship to attend this memorable and phenomenal event.