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A research and extension unit of the

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Reflections


Riggs Lake, Mt. Graham, AZ. Photo: Heath Brown

A new commentary series, Reflections, by Director Sharon B. Megdal is replacing her previous Public Policy Review. Beginning with the March-April 2002 issue of the Arizona Water Resource newsletter, through its final issue in Fall 2018, Director Sharon B. Megdal penned 76 public policy columns focusing on a wide range of water topics. Reflections will be published several times a year through the Weekly Wave and they will appear on this page.

A complete collection of Dr. Megdal’s AWR columns, many of which remain relevant today, is accessible for viewing or download.  

Friday, January 15, 2021

Reflections: A Reexamination of Past Water Wishes

Prior to beginning my series of Reflections essays, I published a column in each issue of the now-discontinued WRRC Arizona Water Resource newsletter. 

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Friday, December 18, 2020

End of 2020 Reflections

It is that season when we look back at the year about to end and ahead toward the coming year. What does one say at the end of this COVID-19 pandemic year? The pandemic changed things in ways we never could have imagined. We had to minimize or eliminate in-person interactions. Dislocation was experienced everywhere, including in the educational realm. Our lives were profoundly affected. 

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Friday, November 13, 2020

Reflections: The Importance of Dialogue, Process, and Participation

I write this after participating in the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) annual conference, which was held November 9-11, 2020. Though delivered virtually, the highly engaging conference had all the richness and much of the structure of an in-person event in terms of schedule and sessions, as can be seen by visiting the conference website.

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Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Reflections: Varying Views on My Water Buffalo Symbol Question

In July I released a Reflections essay asking for feedback on whether it is time to retire the water buffalo symbol. 

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Friday, September 4, 2020

Reflections: Relevance Today of Comments on Arizona’s Future from 1987

I have lived in Arizona for close to 42 years. When I moved to Arizona from New Jersey, where I grew up and was educated, I had no idea I would become a water professional. 

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Thursday, August 6, 2020

Reflections: On Wicked Water Problems

Although my spring -summer sabbatical lecture tour did not take place as planned due to COVID-19, I did deliver more than a dozen lectures and participated in several programs and interviews.

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Thursday, July 9, 2020

Reflections: Time to Retire the Water Buffalo Symbol?

I am writing to invite your feedback on an important issue that came up at the Happy Hour discussion I hosted at the Water Resources Research Center’s 2020 Annual Conference, Water at the Crossroads: The Next 40 Years. 

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Friday, June 5, 2020

Reflections: Spring 2020 and COVID-19 – The Work Must Go On

This has been a spring like no other. Who could have anticipated how our professional and personal lives would be severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic? Like most, in mid-March we at the Water Resources Research Center quickly pivoted to working from home. 

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A photo depicting Sharon Megdal in Jerusalem
Friday, March 20, 2020

Reflections: Being on Sabbatical During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This is the second Reflections on my Spring Semester sabbatical activities. While a sabbatical is intended as a time away from some routine faculty activities, it is not meant to be time off from professional endeavors. Faculty members must receive approval of their planned sabbatical program.

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a bridge over a body of water
Friday, February 7, 2020

Reflections: Singapore – A Model for Integrated Water Management

I had the great privilege of visiting the Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, at National University of Singapore the week of January 20, 2020. 

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Sharon B. Megdal and other panelists at WATEC
Friday, December 6, 2019

Reflections on a Successful Israeli Conference Experience

As an educator, I feel fortunate to have opportunities to share knowledge with individuals of different ages, backgrounds, and perspectives. Recently, I organized a panel for the biennial WATEC (Water Technology and Environmental Control) conference, which was held November 19-21, 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel

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Signing Ceremony at Boundary Monument #1 in El Paso/Juarez. Principal Engineers John Merino and Luis Antonio Rascón Mendoza. August 19, 2009
Friday, August 23, 2019

Reflections on the 10th Anniversary of the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program and the Importance of its Joint Cooperative Process

On August 19, 2009, the Principal Engineers representing the binational International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) signed the “Joint Report of the Principal Engineers Regarding the Joint Cooperative Process United States-Mexico for the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program” (Joint Report).

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Class field trip
Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Reflections on Spring as a Time for Growth

Spring semester is always interesting due to my in-depth interactions with the students taking my graduate course in Water Policy in Arizona and Semi-arid Regions.  

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Jordan
Monday, April 22, 2019

Reflections on Earth Day 2019

I was recently in Jordan, which is considered the second most water stressed country in the world.  While our region of North America it not officially as stressed, the similarities we face in terms of landscape, climate, and precipitation patterns are striking. 

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World Water Day Banner
Friday, March 22, 2019

Reflections on World Water Day

World Water Day is a good day for reflection. Just a few days ago, on March 19, 2019, representatives of the seven states of the Colorado River Basin gathered in Phoenix, Arizona to sign a letter asking Congress to approve implementation of the drought contingency plans detailed in the documents attached to the letter.

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