Award-Winning Research at the Pan-African Professional Alliance Conference 2026

Recognizing Collaborative Environmental Research and Student Mentorship
Following the completion of our project, “Beneath Urban Growth: Landfill-Driven Groundwater Vulnerability and Waterborne Disease Risk in Lagos, Nigeria,” I presented the research at the 9th Annual Pan-African Professional Alliance (PAN-APA) Conference held at Penn State University on March 21, 2026. The presentation highlighted our interdisciplinary approach to understanding groundwater contamination and waterborne disease risk in rapidly urbanizing communities across Lagos State, Nigeria.

The project received the PAN-APA 2026 Award of Excellence for Best Abstract, accompanied by a cash prize, in recognition of the quality, impact, and interdisciplinary relevance of the research. Beyond the award itself, the recognition reflected the value of collaborative mentorship, student-centered research training, and environmental scholarship focused on addressing sustainability and public health challenges in African communities.
Building on this milestone, the manuscript developed from the project is currently under review in the journal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, marking an important step toward contributing to broader discussions on groundwater vulnerability, urban sustainability, and environmental health in rapidly growing cities.