Mills Scholars Program

The Texas Water Resources Institute annually administers a competitive scholarship program to support graduate research at Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University-Galveston, and Texas A&M University-Qatar. This program is funded through the W.G. Mills Memorial Endowment. Since 2001 TWRI has funded $1,000-$1,500 scholarships for 151 students involved in water-related studies.

Download a fact sheet about this program

Recent Awards

Students in the following academic departments have been funded:

  • Agricultural Economics
  • Agricultural Education
  • Biology
  • Biological and Agricultural Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Ecosystems Science and Management
  • Entomology
  • Geography
  • Geology and Geophysics
  • Horticulture
  • Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning
  • Marine Science
  • Oceanography
  • Soil and Crop Sciences
  • Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
  • Water Management and Hydrological Sciences

Funded Projects

Research projects funded by this program cover a range of water-related topics, such as:

  • Determining the role of wetlands in water and wastewater treatment
  • Developing improved methods to better estimate water reserves in aquifers
  • Carrying out genetic and DNA studies to develop drought-tolerant turfgrasses and agricultural crops
  • Studying existing and proposed water resources management policies that have the potential to better protect water resources and associated habitats
  • Developing educational programs about water resources and the environment, including efforts to provide hands-on learning
  • Developing and refining GIS tools to better plan urban development and measure impacts of land use on water quality
  • Evaluating organic and inorganic contaminants in treated wastewater