vaya con aquas, aquadoc

This is heartbreaking news… I’ve been a big fan and acquaintance of Mike Campana for many years extending back to his days the University of New Mexico in the 1990s. He had such good, positive energy and an inspiring desire to share his knowledge with everyone via conferences, his Water Wired blog, and various social media platforms. He was an avid reposter of Texas+Water and some of my watery posts. My condolences to his family. We’re all going to miss you, Mike

In Memory: Dr. Michael E. ‘Aquadoc’ Campana   It is with deep regret and sorrow that we inform you of the passing of our beloved colleague, friend, long-term AWRA member, and Past AWRA President (2011), Dr. Michael E. ‘Aquadoc’ Campana. He passed away on August 25 from injuries sustained in a car accident. We want to express our deepest condolences to the Campana family, especially Michael’s wife, Mary Frances, at this time and acknowledge with gratitude and honor, the incredible volunteer, mentor, scientist, and person he was.   Michael was Professor Emeritus of Hydrogeology and Water Resources Management at Oregon State University and Professor Emeritus of Hydrogeology at the University of New Mexico. He joined Oregon State University in 2009 and also directed the Institute for Water and Watersheds there. Prior to that, he had a long and successful career at the University of New Mexico’s Water Resources Program. He received a doctorate in Hydrology from the University of Arizona and conducted extensive research on water resources internationally — notably in Central America, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia — as well as on transboundary water resource issues, water allocation and availability, and related topics. Michael served on a number of federal research committees, was chair of the 10,000-member Association of Ground Water Scientists and Engineers, and participated in many other national and international water research and management initiatives.   Michael was also a passionate student of the natural world and a scientist at heart. He earned a B.S. in Geology from William and Mary in 1970, an M.S. in Hydrology and Water Resources Science from University of Arizona in 1973, and a Ph.D. in Hydrology and Mathematics from the University of Arizona in 1975.   Michael was a familiar figure at AWRA, and many of us enjoyed his company at AWRA events. His many decades of selfless service and dedication to AWRA are legendary. He was a member of AWRA for over thirty-seven years and contributed thousands of volunteer hours to support the mission and vision of the organization. He served on the AWRA Board from 2008 to 2009, was President-Elect in 2010, and President in 2011. He was also the AWRA Technical Director for eight years and Editor-in-Chief for the IMPACT Magazine. He served as Conference Chair and Conference Technical Director for more than 15 national and international AWRA Conferences.   Michael received numerous awards and honors in his lifetime, including the International Service Award from the US Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists for Outstanding International Contributions in Hydrogeology (2015) and the President’s Award for Excellence from AWRA two times (2013 and 2019). He also received AWRA’s Fellows Award (2021) and Icko Iben Award (2009). In 2022, he was honored by AWRA with the creation of a new award in his name: The Michael E. Campana Emeritus Award, which confers use of the title “AWRA Director Emeritus” on the recipient. Michael was the first AWRA Director Emeritus (2022).   In addition to his roles in AWRA, he was Past Chair of the Scientists & Engineers Division of the National Ground Water Association (NGWA), Past President of the nonprofit NGWA Foundation and President and Founder the nonprofit Ann Campana Judge Foundation, an organization involved with WaSH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) in Central America. He served on the Steering Committee of the Global Water Partnership (GWP).   For those of you who are planning to attend the 2024 AWRA, UCOWR, & NIWR Joint Water Resources Conference in St. Louis, MO this September 30-October 2, there will be a memorial table set up onsite with his pictures and a memory book for folks to write messages in (which will be sent to Mary Frances). We will also remember him in the various talks during the Conference.   No services are planned at this time by his family. Please let AWRA Staff know if you would like a copy of the obituary when it becomes available. In the meantime, you may wish to send a card to Mary Frances at 3485 NW Walnut Blvd., Corvallis, OR 97330-3532. If you would like to offer an additional remembrance, it may be made to the Ann Campana Judge Foundation. Michael started the foundation in honor of his sister, the former Travel Department Head of The National Geographic Society, who passed in the September 11, 2001 attacks. The foundation has been supporting life changing water and sanitation related projects in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Nicaragua. More about the foundation and giving can be found here: http://www.acjfoundation.org/index.html.   Our deepest condolences,   The AWRA Board of Directors and Staff