| Dr.
John J. Warwick Appointed Executive Director of DRI’s Hydrologic
Sciences Division
John Warwick is a master
juggler. Not in the traditional circus-act sense, of course, but
in his ability to manage enormous projects and disparate priorities.
Case in point: How many people could chair a university department
while simultaneously directing a National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) program, reviewing for professional journals,
and writing research grants? Warwick could and has!
As the Desert Research
Institute’s (DRI) newly appointed executive director of the
Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Warwick will have the opportunity
to apply his varied background to that division’s key leadership
role.
“After a highly
competitive national search, we found that Dr. Warwick had the blend
of abilities we were seeking,” says DRI President Stephen
Wells. “He is a dynamic leader who has vision and determination,
and his career experiences and reputation will serve his faculty,
staff, and students well. We believe John can take the hydrologic
sciences division to the next level of national and international
research.”
After studying civil
engineering at Lehigh University and earning a doctorate in environmental
engineering from Pennsylvania State University, Warwick accepted
his first teaching post as an assistant professor with the Environmental
Sciences Graduate Program at University of Texas at Dallas. That
posting led to an associate professorship, then a three-year appointment
as director of an environmental research institute.
Next, Warwick spent eight
years with the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), as a professor
in the Department of Environmental Sciences and director of the
Graduate Program of Hydrological Sciences. Most recently, Warwick
spent three years as chair of the University of Florida’s
Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences. He also taught
in the program and, for two of those years, he concurrently directed
NASA’s Environmental Systems Commercial Space Technology Center.
At all of these institutions,
Warwick maintained a rigorous research agenda as well. His research
focuses on modeling surface water movement and tracking contaminants
contained in it. He also investigates nutrient-related algae growth
in streams; sediment and mercury movement in water systems; and,
non-point source pollution’s effects on stream water quality.
Given a growing global focus on the availability of fresh water—and
the social, economic, and health problems associated with the lack
of it—demand for Warwick’s work grows daily.
As a principal or co-investigator,
Warwick has participated in 31 research studies in the past 10 years.
That research has been funded by organizations ranging from IBM
and the National Science Foundation to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the U.S. Geological Survey, and NASA.
In addition, Warwick is widely published, with more than 120 journal
articles, national and international conference papers, abstracts,
reports, grants, and feasibility studies to his credit. Wells points
out that water-related research and solutions are urgently needed
in the U.S. and around the world. “John has the ability to
coalesce the scientific clout necessary to meet those needs,”
says Wells.
Warwick’s teaching
and research expertise has been well-recognized by his students
and peers through teaching awards as well as numerous national affiliations.
For example, during his tenure at UNR, Warwick was named Top Director
of Graduate Programs in 1997 and received the Hydrologic Sciences
Outstanding Faculty Award in 1999. This year he was named a Fellow
of the American Water Resources Association, an organization in
which he has been a member for 10 years. He is a reviewer for four
professional journals, as well as a host of other specialized publications.
A registered professional engineer, his affiliations have included
a vice-chair position with the American Society of Civil Engineers;
a vice presidency and membership on the board of the Nevada Water
Resources Association; vice presidency and presidency with the American
Water Resources Association, where he currently serves as journal
editor; and a current board membership with the Florida Center for
Solid and Hazardous Waste Management. Warwick chairs the board of
the Florida Institute for Phosphate Research and was recently appointed
DRI’s lead delegate to the Universities Council on Water Resources,
where he has held a variety of positions since 1994.
Wells sees Warwick’s
dedication to collaboration and past experience at UNR as keys to
success in his new role. “As both UNR and DRI complete and
implement their institutional planning, it is clear that enhanced
collaboration in the hydrological sciences is a common goal,”
comments Wells. “When John was at UNR he was an exceptional
colleague who aggressively sought partnerships and collaboration
with DRI. This collaborative spirit is vital to both institutions.”
Warwick’s passion for his work is something he enjoys sharing
with others—as a teacher and researcher. “My interest
in leadership is the fulfillment gained from helping others achieve,”
he comments. “I invest a great deal of myself in my work and
cannot think of a better group of people to work with than those
at DRI.”
For Warwick, combining
water science with other fields is vital in finding answers. “I
have always believed that complex environmental problems can only
be solved through the application of principles from both science
and engineering disciplines,” Warwick says. “My professional
experiences demonstrate this consistent attraction to multidisciplinary
environments.” DRI’s multifaceted, integrated approach
should give him plenty of opportunities to expand on that philosophy
and practice juggling.
–Lynn Taylor
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