U of A Professor Earns Prestigious Science Award
University of Arizona hydrologist Dr. Laura Condon was recently awarded the 2025 James B. Macelwane Medal, one of the most respected honors for early-career scientists in Earth and space sciences. The award recognizes researchers whose work demonstrates exceptional impact, creativity and leadership in advancing scientific research.
Condon’s research focuses on how groundwater and surface water interact, particularly in landscapes shaped by human activity. Her work has challenged long-standing assumptions in hydrology by showing that groundwater is not just a hidden reservoir but an active part of the water cycle that influences climate processes, ecosystems, and water availability. By integrating subsurface and surface water dynamics into large-scale models, her research has helped scientists better predict how water systems respond to environmental change.
One of Condon’s most influential contributions was co-leading the development of the first continental scale integrated hydrologic model for the United States. This model revealed that excluding groundwater from climate and water projections can lead to significant errors in estimating future water resources. Building on this work, her team has also created an extensive dataset of reservoir operations and applied machine learning tools to improve understanding of drought resilience and water management.
Beyond her research, Condon has developed interactive tools that make hydrologic data more accessible and help students engage with hydrologic concepts. Her expertise has also informed national policy discussions.