IRIS affiliate Oscar Villegas Gutierrez selected for Western Dredging Association Fellowship


This past December, IRIS Master’s student Oscar Villegas Gutierrez was selected for the Western Dredging Association’s (WEDA) fellowship. Villegas Gutierrez was selected for his commitment to research that furthers the advancement of the dredging profession.

The fellowship will provide him with a stipend that will help support his research and participation in outreach activities over the following year.

“During my duties in the WEDA Fellowship, my main goal is to contribute to the exchange of knowledge between stakeholders in the dredging, navigation, marine engineering, and construction industries,” Villegas Gutierrez said of the Fellowship. “I will be working on technotes, webinars, social media, sustainable initiatives, and attending the Dredging Summit & Expo in Tampa, FL from June 24-27, 2024.”

Not only will this Fellowship provide him with valuable funding and experience, but it will help deepen the exchange of knowledge between the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) and WEDA.

“As part of the IRIS Lab, this will be a great opportunity to exchange ideas with WEDA’s sustaining members and also lay the groundwork for other IRIS students to continue contributing to WEDA in the future. This will also be a tremendous contribution to my research, as my research work is focused on the sediment dynamics and the opportunities for beneficial use in the Savannah Harbor.”

As Senior Managing Geologist at Ramboll, Staci Goetz, put it, “Oscar’s application stood out because of his academic focus and his professional experience. Oscar’s hydrodynamic modeling efforts to support beneficial use opportunities and natural infrastructure strategies to improve coastal resilience are well aligned with WEDA’s mission of supporting the understanding and development of solutions for problems related to the protection and enhancement of the marine environment[…] Oscar fits the profile of an emerging professional that can take our organization into the future on these issues. We’re excited to have him on board and are looking forward to working with him throughout this next year!”

Learn more about WEDA and the Fellowship program here.