While a graduate student in Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech, Margaret Prehn ("Peggy") Orr received the Best Student Paper of the Year Award from the Virginia Section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the National Collegiate Engineering Award from the U.S. Achievement Academy. Peggy also was named to Phi Kappa Phi and Tau Beta Pi, and was cited as an Academic All American and an Outstanding College Student of America.



After earning her M.S. with a focus in wastewater treatment engineering in 1990, Ms. Orr began her career with the Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan, as a plant engineer. While at Dow, she helped optimize the company's 20 million-gallons-per-day (MGD) activated-sludge plant in Michigan. Her success at Midland created an opportunity for her to oversee Dow's large wastewater plants worldwide. Two of her many projects as a senior engineer included aeration upgrades at the Freeport, Texas, 100 MGD facility, and treatment of a difficult ammonia waste at a new facility in the former East Germany.



During her career with Dow, Ms. Orr earned numerous commendations, including three Special Recognition Awards, a Safety Award in 1993, a Technology Improvement Award in 1994, and the Waste Reduction Always Pays Award in 1995. She also was active in Dow's internship and mentoring programs, encouraging young people to pursue engineering careers.



In 1996, with two young children, Peggy decided to make a career shift to minimize her time away from home. Currently, she is Facilities Manager for the Glenbard Wastewater Authority, a 16 MGD pure-oxygen, activated-sludge plant outside of Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Orr has been challenged with managing the operations through significant upgrades in process and staffing philosophy. Over the past three years, she has implemented $5 million in upgrades at the facility, with another $17 million planned for the coming four fiscal years. These upgrades consist of automation of the facilities, new solids handling, and conversion to single-stage nitrification. The upgrades have been funded through savings in the operating budget, with no anticipated rate hikes for customers.



Ms. Orr continues to write and present technical papers to professional organizations, including the AWWA and the Water Environment Federation.



Peggy and her husband, Bob, live in Lisle, Illinois, with their two daughters, Kristen, six, and Sarah, four. Peggy volunteers as a Sunday School teacher and "science mom" at the family's church/school, St. Joan of Arc, and she also finds time to volunteer at the Lisle Park District in support of her daughters' karate program.