AIH AwardsThe AIH awards carefully vetted members for outstanding accomplishments in the fields of ground water, surface water, water quality, and institute development. These awards are named after prominent scientists and engineers who have made numerous lasting contributions to the hydrologic sciences. AIH awards include Charles V. Theis (ground water), Ray K. Linsley (surface water), Robert G. Wetzel (water quality), and the Founders Award for institute development. AIH annually accepts nominations from its membership for each award. However, awards are not consistently presented on an annual basis.
Nomination Process
Any member of AIH may nominate any other member of the organization for one of the Institute's awards. There is no formal form to complete at this time. Nominations for awards must be by formal letter and sent via email (aih@engr.siu.edu.) to the attention of the General Secretary. The nomination letter should outline the education, career, accomplishments, and noteworthy publications of the potential candidate. Accomplished members can be nominated posthumously. Nominations for the year of awarding must be in the Executive Director's office no later than December 10 of the previous year.
Award Vetting Process
- Committees for each award are established by the General Secretary of AIH for the evaluation of nominees submitted by the membership. The nominees are preferably to be AIH members.
- Upon deliberation and decision of the Award Committee, a single candidate is selected for each award and forwarded to the Executive Committee for approval.
- After obtaining the Executive Committee approval, the Chairman of each Award Committee is responsible for contacting the selected person for a verbal response and the award will become official and final when he/she agrees to the following:
- Present a lecture/talk of about 10 minutes in length at the annual meeting of AIH. The topic of the lecture/talk should compliment the theme of that particular meeting or related to past, future or needs within the profession of hydrology.
- Accept the award personally by attending the official luncheon or dinner.
- Provide his/her own travel expenses to the meeting. However, the registration fee and the luncheon or dinner will be complimented by AIH.
- If illness or another problem prevents the recipient candidate from personally accepting the award, the official presentation of the award will take place at the next meeting of AIH.
Charles V. Theis Award
The Charles Vernon (C.V.) Theis Award was established in 1986 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions in ground-water hydrology. Charles V. Theis graduated with a PhD from the University of Cincinnati in June 1929 and made numerous contributions to the field of ground water science throughout his life. An excellent biography of C.V. Theis' life and contribution to ground water science is found online at http://www.olemiss.edu/sciencenet/saltnet/theisbio.html.
Ray K. Linsley Award
The Ray K. Linsley Award was established in 1986 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions in surface water hydrology. Dr. Linsley made numerous contributions to surface water hydrology and was the principal author of the textbook, Applied Hydrology, published by McGraw-Hill in 1949. He directed the PhD dissertations of 35 students at Stanford University covering research on mechanics of overland flow, rainfall synthesis, stochastic hydrology, and modeling of the hydrologic cycle. These efforts led to the development of the Stanford Watershed Model, a state-of-the-art tool of hydrologists worldwide. Stanford University has published a short biography of Dr. Linsley's accomplishments. Alexander Zaporozec and Robert L. Smith have also provided tributes to Dr. Linsley.
AIH Founders Award
The AIH Founders Award was established in 1990 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding, long and dedicated service to the Institute. It was established to honor the AIH founders Sandor Csallany, Alex Zaporozec, and Roman Kanivetsky. The award is given at the discretion of the AIH Executive Board to a member in good standing.
History of the American Institute of Hydrology by Csallany, Zaporozec, and Kanivetsky.
Robert G. Wetzel Award
The AIH Wetzel award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the field of water quality. This award was dedicated in 2006 to the family of the late Robert G. Wetzel. Dr. Wetzel was a true leader in the field of freshwater science. His thoughts and brilliant synthesis of all aspects of lakes and streams are included in more than 30 books and 400+ publications including the definitive college text book of this field, Limnology.
The criteria for selecting an individual for the Wetzel Award includes a record of performance showing detailed scientific inquiries into water-quality issues that are objective, credible, and useful – such as the integration of physical properties (optical, thermal, and hydraulic) and chemical processes (dissolution, mineralization, oxidation, and reduction) with biological processes (photosynthesis, decomposition, and trophic interactions). Careful analyses and critical research are central, but direction for making the value judgments that are necessary to choose among competing demands for limited resources is also necessary. Water users, engineers, and resource managers must make value judgments to decide among possible management actions. Advocacy for competing interests is elevated and decisions risk controversy. The ability of hydrology professionals with both perspectives of water quality should be awarded. They should be held up as examples for the continued effort to extend multidisciplinary approaches in the solution of water-quality problems.
Award Recipients
| Year | Charles V. Theis Award | Ray K. Linsley Award | AIH Founders Award | Robert G. Wetzel Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Roger J.M. DeWiest Aalst, Belgium | |||
| 1988 | Isaac J. Winograd Reston, Virginia | Peter O. Wolf London, England | ||
| 1989 | Thomas A. Prickett Urbana, Illinois | Luna B. Leopold Berkeley, California | ||
| 1990 | Shlomo P. Neuman Tucson, Arizona | Robert L. Smith Lawrence, Kansas | ||
| 1991 | Herbert E. Skibitzke Tempe, Arizona | David R. Dawdy San Francisco, California | Ralph C. Heath Raleigh, North Carolina | |
| 1992 | R. Allen Freeze White Rock, Canada | Norman H. Crawford Redwood City, California | ||
| 1993 | Philip Cohen Reston, Virginia | Wilfried H. Brutsaert Ithaca, New York | ||
| 1994 | James W. Mercer Sterling, Virginia | Joseph B. Franzini Palo Alto, California | L. Douglas James Arlington, Virginia | |
| 1995 | A. Ivan Johnson Arvada, Colorado | Vit Klemes Victoria, Canada | John E. Moore Denver, Colorado | |
| 1996 | John M. Sharp, Jr. Austin, Texas | Harold A. Thomas Cape Code, Massachusetts | Joseph S. Rosenshein Virginia Beach, Virginia | |
| 1997 | William Back Reston, Virginia | L. Douglas James Arlington, Virginia | Kenneth N. Brooks St. Paul, Minnesota | |
| 1998 | Leonard F. Konikow Reston, Virginia | James C.I. Dooge Ireland | John M. Sharp, Jr. Austin, Texas | |
| 1999 | David Keith Todd San Francisco, California | Peter S. Eagleson Cambridge, Massachusetts | Brook A. Kraeger Los Gatos, California | |
| 2000 | Mary P. Anderson Madison, Wisconsin | David Woolhiser Ft. Collins, Colorado | Darryll T. Pederson Lincoln, Nebraska | |
| 2001 | Richard R. Parizek University Park, Pennsylvania | John Cassidy San Francisco, California | Verne H. Scott Boulder, Colorado | |
| 2002 | Lorne G. Everett Santa Barbara, California | David H. Pilgrim South Wales, Australia | Antonius Laenen Portland, Oregon | |
| 2003 | M. Doug Bedinger Carlsborg, Washington | Stephen J. Burges Seattle, Washington | Gerald E. Seaburn Marietta, Georgia | |
| 2004 | J. Toth Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | C. T. Tom Haan Stillwater, Oklahoma | Helen Klose Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| 2006 | Fred Molz Clemson, South Carolina | Vijay P. Singh Baton Rouge, Louisiana | ||
| 2007 | Phillip B. Bedient Houston, Texas | Jack Delleur West Lafayette, Indiana | Robert H. Meade Reston, Virginia | |
| 2008 | Emitt Witt Rolla, Missouri | |||
| 2009 | Vijay P. Singh Baton Rouge, Louisiana | |||
| 2010 | ||||
| 2011 | Mustafa M. Aral |
