UA Water Economist Dr. Bonnie Colby Honored with Medal by UCOWR

Water economist Dr. Bonnie Colby of the University of Arizona (UA) Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC) was recently awarded the Warren A. Hall Medal by the Universities' Council on Water Resources (UCOWR), in recognition of her outstanding accomplishments and distinction in the water resources field. She was nominated by WRRC Director and UCOWR board member Sharon B. Megdal and UA AREC Professor George Frisvold. Dr. Megdal presented Dr. Colby with the award at the UCOWR's Awards Banquet on June 18, 2015, at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas, NV. 

 

Bonnie Colby has been a UA faculty member since 1983 in AREC. She grew up in California’s San Joaquin Valley, with an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Davis. Her early work on water issues was with the California Department of Food and Agriculture during intense statewide controversy over the Reclamation Reform Act. Her PhD is from the University of Wisconsin Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

 

Colby’s research, teaching and outreach focus on evaluating economic tradeoffs in water and energy management, climate change adaptation, water conservation and incentive-based agreements to improve water supply reliability for agricultural, environmental, and urban needs.  Dr. Colby has authored over one hundred journal articles and eight books. 

 

Colby has provided invited testimony in her areas of expertise to state legislatures, state and federal courts and the U.S. Congress, and has taught at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government Executive Training Programs.  She works with western states, federal agencies, private firms, water districts and NGOs to develop and implement new strategies to improve water supply reliability and resolve conflicts over water.