ASCE has honored Mohammad Karamouz, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, F.ASCE, with the 2022 Julian Hinds Award for original outstanding contribution in hydrology, hydraulics, irrigation and drainage, planning and management, hydroelectric power and reservoir operation, flood and drought, and climate change over a 36-year period of teaching, research, consulting, and leadership.
Karamouz has had a long and illustrious career in water resources engineering. He has made significant contributions in the field of hydrology, hydraulics, and water resources through research, teaching, graduate student supervision, private consulting, and various scientific publications. He was the principal investigator of a $3.8 million international project in hydraulics (flood plain, reservoirs/dams, hydropower), hydrological, and water resources planning in arid and semi-arid regions of the Middle East, including Iran. He has over 6,300 citations with a remarkable H index of 43 according to Google Scholar, and over 2,200 citations according to the Web of Knowledge/Science Citation of Journal articles.
He was at leave at New York University (NYU) as a research professor and the director of an environmental engineering program from 2009 to 2014, initiating a major university collaboration effort after Superstorm Sandy among NYU, Stony Brook, Cornell, Columbia, and City College that became The New York State Resilience Institute for Storms and Emergencies (NYS RISE). In 2011, Karamouz pursued steps that New York City should undertake in the face of Hurricane Irene and the infrastructure vulnerabilities that became apparent during the 2012 Superstorm Sandy.
Karamouz has contributed to the water field in three very significant areas: (1) education and capacity building, (2) research, and (3) practical applications. He is one of those rare individuals who have bridged the gap between academics and practice in arid and semi-arid regions of the U.S. and the Middle East. He has trained and educated a large group of students who have significantly influenced the direction of water resources education, research, and management in the U.S. and Iran. Karamouz served as the key figure in founding and maintaining the first Ph.D. program in water resources management in Iran.
The Julian Hinds Award is given to recognize the author or authors of that paper judged to make the most meritorious contribution to the field of water resources development. The award may also be made to an individual for notable performance, long years of distinguished service, or specific actions that advanced engineering in the field of planning, development, and management of water resources.
