UCI’s Soroosh Sorooshian to tackle global water issues as Rosenberg Forum chair
Professor will organize high-level conferences to reduce conflict in managing resources
Irvine, Calif., May 10, 2016 – Aiming to smooth the sometimes rough waters that come with managing one of the Earth’s most precious resources, University of California, Irvine Distinguished Professor Soroosh Sorooshian has been appointed chair of the Rosenberg International Forum through June 2022.
The forum is a program of the UC’s California Institute for Water Resources. It originated in 1996 with an endowment gift from the Bank of America to the UC system in honor of Richard Rosenberg, then-retiring bank chairman and CEO.
“I’m delighted that the University of California, through the Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy, is carrying out the vision of Richard Rosenberg in reducing conflict in water resources management through dialogue and information sharing between scientists and policymakers,” said UC President Janet Napolitano. “We are pleased that Dr. Soroosh Sorooshian, with his wide range of expertise and prominence in the international community, will be leading this important work as the incoming chair of the Rosenberg Forum.”
Sorooshian, Distinguished Professor of civil & environmental engineering and director of the Center for Hydrometeorology & Remote Sensing at UCI’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering, specializes in tracking and measuring global precipitation. In his new position, he is responsible for organizing biennial conferences – limited to the top 50 water scholars and officials around the world – to share the latest science and best policies in water management.
“The need for approaches and solutions to securing clean, reliable water sources crosses all political, ethnic and territorial boundaries,” said UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman. “But how we get to those solutions varies greatly, depending on culture, financial resources and social norms. I’m confident that Soroosh Sorooshian will be able to find ways to transcend the differences and find workable solutions for all. I’m proud that UCI can contribute to making great progress on such global issues.”
An internationally recognized expert in water resources engineering, Sorooshian has vast experience working with international organizations and looking at the big picture of worldwide precipitation and weather extremes. He’s a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the International Academy of Astronautics and The World Academy of Sciences. He has received the 2014 Einstein Professorship from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the 2013 Robert E. Horton Medal from the American Geophysical Union and the Fourth Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water in the resources management and protection category.
“I am honored to be appointed chair of the Rosenberg Forum and serve after my dear colleague Henry Vaux Jr., professor emeritus of resource economics at the University of California, who has filled this role since the forum was established,” Sorooshian said. “I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Rosenberg. He is a remarkable and humble man whose wisdom and knowledge of international issues are unmatched. I thank him for sharing his vision of the role the Rosenberg Forum can play in addressing international water issues, and I look forward to this new opportunity.”
About the University of California, Irvine: Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.
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