Person of the Year Award
This award was established in 1952 and retired in 2017. The award was presented to a person outside the commercial irrigation industry who made outstanding contributions toward the acceptance of sound irrigation practices. This might have included the development or implementation of irrigation or water management policies or principles. Award recipients received a lifetime technical membership to the Irrigation Association. Winners of this award include the following:
2016
Richard Allen, PhD
University of Idaho Kimberly Research and Extension Center
Richard Allen, PhD, professor at the University of Idaho, is the world’s leading expert regarding agricultural evapotranspiration. He wrote the major world book on the subject for the UN Food and Agricultural Organization. Lately, he has focused on remote sensing and works with almost all national and international organizations on the subject. He has provided documentation and training on the METRIC process (using remote sensing) to numerous organizations. Allen has helped the IA educational effort by developing the center pivot training materials and teaching some of the classes.
2015
Guy Fipps, PhD, PE
Texas A&M University
Fipps is a professor and extension agricultural engineer in the department of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. He joined Texas A&M in 1988 following the completion of his doctorate at North Carolina State University, where he was a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Needs Fellow. While at Texas A&M, he advanced from a non-tenure extension agricultural engineer to a full professor in just 11 years.
Specializing in irrigation technology, water quality and water management, Fipps is a recognized leader in irrigation technology and water conservation not only in Texas but also around the world. Fipps has devoted more than 25 years to improving irrigation efficiency, developing new technologies and promoting water-use efficiency. His research and extension educational efforts have helped make major advancements in irrigation technologies.
Fipps has worked in Iraq, Rwanda, Libya, Burkina Faso, Afghanistan, China, Jordan, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Russia, Chad, and Upper Volta. The work done in these countries spans all aspects of irrigation, including water management, salinity management, river basin development and water resources. Fipps also acted as the subject matter expert on a $24.5 million civil works center pivot project in Iraq.
2014
Lawrence Schwankl, PhD
University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources
Schwankl’s career in water management started immediately after receiving his master’s in civil engineering from the University of California, Davis. He worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency in floodplain management and disaster relief. While earning his doctorate, Schwankl worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service as a water management engineer.
Schwankl then joined the University of California Cooperative Extension as an irrigation specialist, where he worked for 28 years until his retirement this summer. In that role, he worked on applied research problems and on improving irrigation water management. Schwankl has written over 200 publications, including a set of irrigation handbooks. He has given presentations on a wide variety of irrigation topics at over 700 meetings for agricultural and urban water users.
2013
David Zoldoske, EdD, CID
Center for Irrigation Technology, California State University
Zoldoske has been a strong leader in the irrigation industry for many years, at both the national and international levels. Some of his most notable contributions include serving as project director for the establishment of the Zimbabwe Irrigation Technology Center and representing the United States in the development of international equipment standards.
As the director of the Center for Irrigation Technology, Zoldoske has established the center as an internationally renowned irrigation testing facility — a facility that is now the primary testing lab for WaterSense-labeled irrigation products. He also served on the IA Executive Committee for five years and was president of the association from 2004 to 2005.
2012
Dr. Freddie Lamm
Kansas State University, Northwest Extension Center
For more than 30 years, Dr. Lamm has dedicated his career to irrigation-related issues, such as irrigated crop production — corn in particular — which is the dominant crop in his region. He has also authored, or co-authored, numerous articles, technical papers and nearly 300 popular press articles.
Other Past Recipients
2011
Howard Wuertz
Sundance Farms
2010
John Busch
UDSA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Retired
2009
Kerry Harrison
University of Georgia
2008
Bradford Monroe
Cuyamaca College
2006
Gene Rochester
The Rochester Group
2005
Claude Phene
SDI+
2005
John Replogle
USDA-US Water Conservation Laboratory, Retired
2004
Stuart W. Styles
Irrigation Training & Research Center, California Polytechnic State University
2004
Edward M. Norum
Center for Irrigation Technology, California State University
2003
Ronald Marlow
USDA-NRCS
2002
Dennis Kincaid
USDA-ARS
2001
Tom Spofford
USDA-NRCS, National Water & Climate Center
2000
Larry Curtis
Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University
1999
Dean Eisenhauer
Dept. of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska
1998
Joe Hung
Institute of Irrigation Research & Evaluation, California State Polytechnic University
1997
Charles Burt
Irrigation Training & Research Center, California Polytechnic State University
1996
Jan van Schilfgaarde
Natural Resources and Systems, USDA-ARS
1995
Terry Howell
USDA-ARS
1994
Robert von Bernuth
Michigan State University
1993
Leland Hardy
USDA Soil Conservation Service
1992
Leon New
Texas Agriculture Extension Service, Texas A&M University
1991
E. Dale Threadgill
Biological Agricultural Engineering, University of Georgia
1990
Kenneth Solomon
Center for Irrigation Technology, California State University
1989
Allen Dedrick
USDA-ARS
1988
Leslie Sheffield
Extension Farm Management, University of Nebraska
1987
Mel Hagood
Dept. of Agricultural Engineering, Washington State University
1986
William Lyle
Agricultural Research, Texas A&M University.
1985
Dale Heermann
USDA-ARS, AERC, Colorado State University
1984
Sterling Davis
Drip Irrigation
1983
Marvin Jensen
USDA-ARS
1981
Ronald Sneed
Extension Biological & Agricultural Engineering, NC State University
1980
LaVerne Stetson
USDA-ARS, University of Nebraska
1978
Henry Indyk
Extension Turfgrass Management, Cook College, Rutgers University
1977
Falih Aljibury
San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Research & Extension Center
1976
Walter Hinz
Agricultural Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arizona
1974
Winston Strong
Soils & Irrigation, California State University
1973
Americo Guerra
Rural Development Irrigation Projects, Mexico Department of Water Resources
1973
Frank Robinson
Dept. of Water Science & Engineering, Imperial Valley Field Station, University of California
1972
Jack Keller
Dept. of Agricultural & Irrigation Engineering, Utah State University
1971
Albert Marsh
Extension Irrigation & Soils, Science & Agricultural Engineering, University of California
1969
T.W. Edminster
USDA-ARS
1968
J.E. Christiansen
Agriculture & Irrigation Engineering, Utah State University
1967
Robert Carolus
Dept. of Horticulture, Michigan State University
1966
Marvin Shearer
Cooperative Extension Service, Oregon State University
1965
Dalton Harrison
Ag Extension Service, University of Florida
1964
J.C. Wilcox
Soils & Irrigation, Department of Agriculture
1963
Kenneth Frost
Dept. of Agricultural Engineering, University of Arizona
1962
Claude Pair
Irrigation Research, USDA-ARS
1961
Paul Fischbach
Extension, Irrigation, University of Nebraska
1956
Howard Ellis
Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University
1955
E.H. Kidder
Dept. of Agricultural Engineering, Michigan State University
1953
Frank Peikert
Dept. of Agricultural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
1952
F. Earl Price
School of Agriculture, Oregon State University