2020 Warren A. Hall Medal Awardee
Sharon Megdal, director of the Water Resources Research Center, was recently awarded the 2020 Warren A. Hall Medal by the Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR). This lifetime achievement award honors one of UCOWR founders, Dr. Warren Hall, recognizing exceptional achievements of an individual in the field of water resources.
The Warren A. Hall award is given to an educator, devoted to the advancement of knowledge in water resources (through teaching, research, and/or public service) and with a strong commitment to the education and welfare of his or her students.
For more information about this award honoring Sharon Megdal, please read the interview from the UCOWR website at https://ucowr.org/a-conversation-with-sharon-megdal/
Sharon Megdal’s life’s work and commitment to her students, water resources and policies is best described in the WRRC website
"Sharon B. Megdal is Director of The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC), a Cooperative Extension center and a research unit in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Her work focuses on water policy and management, on which she writes and frequently speaks. She also holds the titles: Professor and Specialist, Department of Environmental Science; C.W. & Modene Neely Endowed Professor; and Distinguished Outreach Professor.
The geographic scope of Dr. Megdal’s work ranges from local to international. Projects include: comparative evaluation of water management, policy, and governance in water-scarce regions; groundwater recharge; and transboundary aquifer assessment. She is the lead editor of the book, Shared Borders, Shared Waters: Israeli-Palestinian and Colorado River Basin Water Challenges. Her policy columns and Reflections can be found at https://wrrc.arizona.edu/director. Dr. Megdal teaches the multi-disciplinary graduate course “Water Policy in Arizona and Semi-arid Regions”.
Sharon Megdal serves as Board President, International Arid Lands Consortium and Board Member, American Water Resources Association and represents the residents of Pima County on the elected Board of Directors for the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, also known as the Central Arizona Project (CAP). The CAP delivers Colorado River water to Central Arizona. Dr. Megdal has served on numerous Arizona boards and commissions, including the Arizona Corporation Commission, the State Transportation Board, and the Arizona Medical Board. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from Princeton University."
Dr. Megdal is an ALRS affiliated faculty and was a member of the ALRS Executive Committee from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2018.
She has mentored ALRS graduates* and continues to advice current student - Mary Belle Cruz
*Kelly Mott LaCroix, Ryan H. Lee and Elia Maria Tapia.