Sonia Samir Honored with Young Professional of the Year Award by SWANA
Written By: Chris Libby
Date: December 6, 2022
Sonia Samir, PE, Ph.D., was recently honored with the Young Professional of the Year award by the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA). Sonia, a Civil Engineer based in Frisco, Texas, received the West Region’s Solid Waste YP of the Year award as well as industry-wide recognition at SWANA’s WASTECON® 2022, on December 6, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.
SWANA’s Solid Waste Young Professional of the Year Awards are presented by the SWANA Young Professionals Steering Committee to three rising stars who continually show outstanding dedication, leadership, and performance within the solid waste and resource management industry. Sonia is a valuable member of Parkhill’s Environmental Sector providing expertise in many technical areas covering slope stability, moisture transport, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) permitting, stormwater/groundwater/landfill gas management and monitoring, and solid waste facility design.
“I am humbled to receive 2022 West Region's "SWANA YP of the Year" recognition. I am incredibly thankful to Parkhill for supporting my involvement with SWANA and proud to represent Parkhill nationally as part of the SWANA Board of Directors,” Sonia says. “I look forward to contributing to the solid waste industry and living Parkhill's value of ‘Inspired Contribution - Giving Back with Gratitude.’”
She currently serves on the national level Board of Directors of SWANA and has served on many state, regional, and national Young Professionals committees over the years. Some of her previous recognitions include MSW Management Magazine’s “Young Professional of the Month” and “Best Reviewer Award” from the Journal of Air and Waste Management Association.
Sonia has extensive knowledge and expertise in the areas of solid waste management, including landfill design, bioreactor landfill operation, resistivity imaging, evapotranspiration and water balance cover systems, landfill gas to energy, methane emissions modeling, and landfill mining. She received a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Texas at Arlington. Prior to her time at Parkhill, she served as the manager of the Solid Waste Institute for Sustainability (SWIS), an Organized Research Centre of Excellence (ORCE) at the University of Texas at Arlington where she worked directly with the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) and member cities.
