What’s the ASFPM Foundation been up to?

Do you know a university student enrolled
in floodplain management-related courses? Please encourage them to enter the ASFPM
Foundation’s 9th Annual Collegiate
Student Paper Competition. Finalists receive a stipend to help with travel
expenses to present their papers at the 2019 ASFPM annual national conference
May 19-23 in Cleveland, Ohio. Prizes of up to a $1,000 scholarship will be
awarded.

Any full-time student, or team of
students, enrolled at any college or university is eligible to submit an
abstract on subjects relating to floodplain or stormwater management. Some related
fields include engineering, geology, geography, planning and public
administration. A list of suggested topics is available here.

Abstracts
of 500 words or less must be submitted by Jan. 12.
Abstracts will be reviewed by an ASFPM Foundation panel. Three semi-finalists
will be invited to submit a full paper due April 12. Semifinalists will be
invited to present their papers at a special session at the ASFPM annual
national conference May 21. Papers and student presentations will be judged by a
panel of floodplain managers and winners will be announced at the conference awards
luncheon May 23. Learn more about the competition requirements and about past
finalists on the foundation website.

Congratulations to the Floodplain Management Association for
being selected by the foundation to co-host the 2019 State Flood Risk Symposium, which will
be held in Sacramento, California this coming spring. The Foundation Events
Committee is working with FMA to determine the symposium topic and select the
dates. Watch for future announcements about this event—the first symposium to
be held in the western United States.

During October and early November, the
foundation will conduct interviews of ASFPM chapters that previously co-hosted
these state symposia to learn more about how these events benefit floodplain
management at the state and local level. We also hope to learn what can be done
to ensure these events provide even greater value to the floodplain management
community and will use the interview results to help shape future symposia.

Planning is underway for the 6th Gilbert F. White National Flood Policy Forum
to take place in Washington, D.C. March 12-13, 2019. One of the fundamental
goals of the ASFPM Foundation is fostering research and education to support
efforts in reducing flood losses and improving floodplain management in the
United States. In 2004, the foundation began hosting the Gilbert F. White
National Flood Policy Forum to bring together leading experts in floodplain
management to define and address pressing issues we face. This year’s forum
will address urban flooding. The publications resulting from the five previous
forums are available here.

The countdown begins! Donate
to the ASFPM Foundation on #GivingTuesday
(Nov. 27) to support a variety of initiatives, including the Future Leaders Scholarship. Be sure to follow us
on Twitter @ASFPMfoundation to receive updates and reminders. Your financial
support ensures our ability to continue to offer programs that enrich our
field.