Dr. Udayarka Karra poses with the UConn Mascot
Dr. Udayarka Karra was first introduced to WEF member associations while studying for his master’s degree at the University of Utah. He became a member of the Water Environment Association of Utah and has presented at and attended WEFTEC several times. When he moved to Connecticut to continue his studies, and pursue a PhD in Environmental Engineering at the University of Connecticut, finding a local Member Association was at the top of his priority list.
Uday has been an active member of NEWEA since moving to Connecticut in 2010. While studying at UConn he was awarded the NEWEA Scholarship twice, once in 2011 and once in 2013. He graduated with a PhD in Environmental Engineering in 2014 and joined the scholarship committee to help give back to the organization that had supported him in previous years.
Uday is passionate about the NEWEA organization and getting young people involved in the organization to support their budding careers. He is also active in the Young Professionals Committee, and is working to spread the word about NEWEA scholarships and the benefits of the membership to students at his Alma Mater. He credits the contacts he has made through NEWEA and WEF for leading him to his current role as project engineer at Wright-Pierce in their Middletown, CT office. He recommends that young professionals new to the organization make every effort to attend NEWEA conferences and other wide-ranging fun social events, as a jump off point for career networking and as well to advance professional development. He has also found attending committee meetings and the NEWEA luncheon at the national WEFTEC conference to be great opportunities to meet new colleagues and friends.
Beyond his volunteer activities at NEWEA, Uday also enjoys the outdoors, camping, and running. He is active in a local runners group, the Middletown Runners. The group supports the local food pantry “Amazing Grace Food Pantry” of Middleton in organizing charity runs. He regularly participates in 5k and 10k runs and intends to complete a half marathon in the near future. He strongly believes water conservation and reuse. He is also a recycling enthusiast and has made it his personal mission to educate, heckle and encourage his friends and colleagues to recycle whenever possible.
Thank you Uday for your dedication to the environment on all levels and your support of the New England Water Environment Association.
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