WRRC Director Makes Connections at UCOWR Conference
On June 3–5, 2025, WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal and U of A Extension Specialist Debankur Sanyal participated in the 2025 Annual Water Resources Conference of the Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) and National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR), which was held in Minneapolis, MN. They were joined by project colleagues Mallika Nocco (University of Wisconsin–Madison) and Sarge Green (California State University, Fresno) for a panel discussion on the lessons learned from the Extension component of the USDA-funded project, which focused on the sustainability of groundwater and irrigated agriculture in the Southwestern US. During her plenary remarks at the conference, Megdal had the honor of speaking about the work and legacy of Michael E. Campana, who was posthumously awarded UCOWR’s highest honor, the Warren A. Hall Medal. She also had the pleasure of seeing Simone Williams, a former advisee of hers and former WRRC graduate research associate, accept UCOWR’s Outstanding Dissertation Award in the Natural Science and Engineering category for Williams’ 2024 dissertation, Enhancing Assessment of Groundwater Vulnerability and Contamination Risk in Arid Lands. During dinner that evening at the renowned restaurant Owamni by the Sioux Chef, Megdal was joined by Nocco, Sanyal, and U of A alum Ginger Paige, who is now at the University of Wyoming. Upon leaving the restaurant, Director Megdal noticed an additional, unexpected Arizona connection — displayed on a shelf for purchase were bags of beans from Ramona Farms, a well-known Gila River Indian Community farming operation!
Images: Jennie Snyder, Sharon B. Megdal