Foufoula-Georgiou Receives Prestigious International Hydrology Prize
July 18, 2023 - UCI civil and environmental engineering Distinguished Professor Efi Foufoula-Georgiou was awarded the International Hydrology Prize, Dooge Medal at the 2023 IUGG General Assembly in Berlin, Germany on July 15. The Dooge medal is awarded annually to hydrologists who have demonstrated scientific excellence, made fundamental contributions to the science of hydrology, and exhibited outstanding international leadership. Nominations are made by the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and World Meteorological Organization committees.
Foufoula-Georgiou, who is also associate dean for research and innovation at the UCI Samueli School of Engineering, has received many honors for her work. These include the John Dalton Medal of the European Geophysical Union, the Hydrologic Sciences Medal of the American Meteorological Society and the Robert Horton Medal of the American Geophysical Union.
Foufoula-Georgiou’s research focuses on hydrology and geomorphology, with a special interest in scaling theories, multiscale dynamics and space-time modeling of precipitation and landforms. She has been a pioneer in developing mathematical theory to understand hydrologic processes and Earth-surface dynamics. Her contributions in the field are wide-ranging and include fundamental work on global estimation of precipitation from microwave satellite sensors, channel network dynamics, delta river morphology, streamflow and sediment transport, as well as climate extremes and wildfires.
Foufoula-Georgiou has established herself as a leader in the global hydrologic community and her expertise is sought by many national and international organizations. These include the Water Science and Technology Board of the National Academies, NSF Advisory Council for Geosciences, NASA Earth Sciences Subcommittee, Board of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, and the European Research Council. She has been president of the Hydrology section of AGU and chair of the Board of Directors for the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences. She is an elected member of the European Academy of Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Science.
– Natalie Tso
