May 5, 2026
Category: News
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2025-2026 Montgomery & Associates (M&A) scholarship, offered to University of Arizona students pursuing degrees in the Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences (HAS) and Geosciences departments.
Jack Flanigan, environmental hydrology and water resources undergraduate student; Min Ma, hydrology and atmospheric sciences doctoral student; and Maria Camila Sojo Aguero, geosciences doctoral student, will each receive $2,000 for the 2025-2026 academic year. Students are nominated by professors in their respective departments and recipients are chosen by the Dean of the College of Science or a designee.
Jack is a senior majoring in environmental hydrology and water resources; after graduation he will transition to the accelerated master’s program in hydrogeology. His academic and research interests center on understanding how groundwater systems respond to both natural and human pressures. He is currently involved in researching contaminant transport processes and groundwater flow using a combination of field data, analytical solutions, and numerical modeling.
Min is a doctoral student in hydrology and atmospheric sciences focused on subsurface fluid-rock interactions and contaminant transport in the vadose zone, with an emphasis on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). She is developing numerical and analytical models to understand the coupled effects of unsaturated flow, air–water interfacial adsorption, and kinetic mass transfer on PFAS migration.
Min’s long-term goal is to contribute to site-specific groundwater protection and sustainable management strategies for contaminated sites.
Maria is a doctoral student in geosciences currently working to place temporal and spatial constraints on the timing of copper, gold, and silver mineralization, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the responsible management of mineral resources. She is committed to advancing knowledge in economic geology and promoting sustainable mining practices.
Hale Barter, M&A president and UA HAS alumnus, said, “We are pleased to recognize these outstanding UA HAS and Geosciences students in groundwater studies. M&A has had connections with both these departments since the 1960s through our founders and many past and current employees. The M&A scholarship is an opportunity to give back to the university’s hydrology community and demonstrates our commitment to developing new scientists to solve the complex issues of subsurface hydrology in the face of unprecedented water demand and scarcity.”
The M&A scholarship was established to benefit HAS and Geosciences students. HAS majors must have a demonstrated interest in investigations in groundwater; geosciences majors must have a demonstrated interest in investigations in subsurface fluid-rock interactions including mining-related groundwater characterization, management, and conservation.
For more information about the scholarship, please visit UA’s HAS scholarship opportunities. To learn more about the services offered by M&A, please visit our website or contact Juliet McKenna.
Jack Flanigan
Min Ma
Maria Camila Sojo Aguero
