Student Spotlight
Thomas Kaps
Thomas Kaps is a Graduate Student Research/Teaching Assistant with the University of Nevada, Reno. Thomas holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from UNR, a Master’s of Science in Chemical Engineering, and is currently working on a Master’s in Materials Science and Engineering.
Thomas learned about NWRA student membership through while looking for organizations and professional water treatment opportunities. He looks to become involved with NWRA as a student by attending membership dinners, workshops, tours, socials, and conferences where students like him can meet working professionals, stay up to date with the latest water treatment technologies and methods, and learn about jobs in industry, government, and education.
Thomas feels that NWRA will be able to assist with career and/or educational goals because NWRA assists by providing opportunities to network with professionals in all areas of water treatment, the opportunity for scholarships to help pay for education, and the resources to stay up to date with the field of water treatment.
He suggests that current students can take advantage of opportunities that NWRA offers by attending any of the events that are offered on the website and promoted in emails to make connections with working professionals. He recommends other students use the resources and dinners provided to stay up to date on water treatment technology and attend the socials and conferences to network with industry and education professionals to find new opportunities in the water treatment field.
Thomas thinks the NWRA Board of Trustees can assist current and future students with their career goals through the opportunities, resources, dinners, and scholarships that are all valuable and incredible opportunities, but that more outreach is needed to inform students about NWRA. He thinks it could be a good investment to try to start an on-campus club through a professor that is already a part of NWRA. The professor can directly let their students know about the NWRA and club fairs/posters can reach more students that might be interested in water treatment, but have not yet chosen their major.
Well, Thomas, it just so happens that one of our new Board Members is Alex Lutz, the Director of the UNR Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences! We will be excited to share your enthusiasm with her and other NWRA professionals to extend our footprint at the University. We would also like to congratulate Thomas on the numerous scholarships and posters he has received from NWRA, including the Clare Mahannah 2023, S.A.S.S. Spring Scholarship 2023 (undergraduate), 2023 Undergraduate Poster Competition. At the 2025 Annual Conference he also received one of two 2025 Northern Nevada Scholarships. NWRA looks forward to continued participation and input from Thomas.
