OU WaTER Center to Host Virtual OU International Water Symposium

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University of Oklahoma WaTER Conference jurors

The OU International WaTER Symposium is hosted by the Water Technologies for Emerging Regions (WaTER) Center as part of a broader mission to promote peace through sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene solutions. A virtual symposium starts at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 21. Five internationally recognized practitioners active in the field of water security will have determined the 2022 OU International Water Prize recipient earlier in the day. At the end of the symposium, the recipient will be announced.

When:
Tuesday, Sept. 21, 7-8:30 p.m. Registration is required. Upon registering a Zoom link will be sent to your email. Register here.

What:
At approximately 8 p.m. on Sept. 21, the University of Oklahoma International Water Prize is awarded to an individual who has made significant contributions to the field of water supply and sanitation for developing regions. 

Who: 
Presentations by each of the practitioners, who also are jurors, starts at approximately 7:15 p.m.  This year’s topic is Water Security and Equity in a Changing Climate. Jurors are:

Ana Barros, Ph.D., serves as the head of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A native of South Africa, she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for contributions to understanding and prediction of precipitation dynamics and flood hazards in mountainous terrains. 

Upmanu Lall, Ph.D., serves as the director of the Columbia Water Center at Columbia University in New York. He has interests in hydrology, climate dynamics, water resource systems analysis, risk management and sustainability. His career in academics began in India.

Merrell-Ann Phare, a lawyer with specialties in water rights and water law, is on the International Joint Commission created by Canada and the United States to recognize that each country is affected by the other’s actions in lake and river systems along the border. The Canadian native has worked with indigenous organizations on environmental, land, water, rights and governance issues. 

Aondover Tarhule, Ph.D., is the vice president for academic affairs and provost at Illinois State University. Born in Nigeria, he is a physical geographer and his work on climate impact on water scarcity and security has been featured in National Geographic and Nature. His experience includes a stint at the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences at the University of Oklahoma.

Callist Tindimugaya, Ph.D., works with the Ministry of Water and Environment in Uganda. He is the head of the Water Resources Planning and Regulation division with responsibility for ensuring sustainable and equitable utilization and protection of water resources of Uganda.  

Why:
The symposium is designed to bring together participants from multiple disciplines worldwide in response to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals of providing water security to emerging regions. The symposium is a precursor to the International WaTER Conference set for Sept. 26-28, 2022, in Norman, Oklahoma (USA). 

Learn more about the Gallogly College of Engineering Water Center at the University of Oklahoma.

For more information, contact:
Karen Kelly, Communications Director
Gallogly College of Engineering
University of Oklahoma 
405-325-9037 or kkelly@ou.edu





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