UCOWR awards the 2020 Warren A. Hall Medal to Sharon B. Megdal of The University of Arizona Water Resources Center.
Congratulations Sharon!
Dr. Sharon Megdal has been a vital and active member of UCOWR for several years, including service as a Board Member and President. She was also featured in our Member Spotlight (https://ucowr.org/spotlight/september-2016-sharon-megdal/). Please join UCOWR in congratulating Sharon Megdal on this distinguished lifetime achievement award in water resources. To learn more about the Warren A. Hall Medal, please visit https://ucowr.org/awards/warren-a-hall-medal/.
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 of the International Arid Lands Consortium and Board Member of American Water Resources Association. She also 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.