UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Elizabeth W. Boyer, associate professor of water resources in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has been honored with the 2018 Witherspoon Lecture Award by the American Geophysical Union.
She will present the lecture at the organization's fall meeting, Dec. 10-14, in Washington, D.C.
The Witherspoon Lecture Award recognizes significant and innovative contributions by a mid-career scientist in advancing the field of hydrologic sciences — considering the awardee's research impact, innovative interdisciplinary work, application of research to socially important problems, and inspired mentoring of young scientists.
The award also acknowledges that the awardee shows exceptional promise for continued leadership in the hydrologic sciences.
Boyer, who is director of the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center and assistant director of Penn State's Institutes of Energy and the Environment, approaches research from an interdisciplinary perspective. She has worked with more than 350 collaborators from around the world on her publications, which collectively have been cited more than 14,500 times.
Her research focuses on processes affecting status and trends of chemical constituents in surface and ground waters, and explores how changes in watersheds will impact the water cycle and water quality. Such work provides a scientific basis for policies and management strategies to mitigate the effects of environmental pollution and to protect, conserve and restore water resources.
The Paul A. Witherspoon Lecture honors the life and work of hydrologist Paul A. Witherspoon, who was a dynamic and influential leader in hydrologic sciences for more than 50 years. Among many achievements, Witherspoon initiated the Earth Sciences Division of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and served as its first director.