John J. Ramirez-Avila, Ph.D., Ing., PH, F.EWRI, F.ASCE, associate professor, graduate coordinator, and head of the Watersheds and Water Quality Research Lab in the Richard A. Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Mississippi State University, has been named a fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction.
This recognition highlights his contributions to watershed and stormwater management, hydrologic modeling, and water quality protection through research, teaching, and professional service, which have contributed to the development of regional and national standards in water resources engineering. Within ASCE-EWRI, he has played key leadership roles. He served as Secretary of the Curve Number Hydrology Committee, contributing to updates to the USDA National Engineering Handbook. He later became chair of two subcommittees, guiding efforts that have produced synthesis and research papers on initial abstraction ratio variability, regional calibration, and large-scale dataset analysis. He has also organized technical workshops on Curve Number Hydrology and Stormwater Management. Currently, he chairs the River Restoration Technical Committee and has led planning efforts for the Watershed Management Conferences, including the 2020 and upcoming 2026 editions.
His research advances rainfall-runoff prediction and nutrient management. Early work on phosphorus risk assessment in Puerto Rico, as part of the National Phosphorus Project, informed USDA-NRCS standards and regional nutrient management tools. He has led applied watershed restoration projects, such as the Red Bud-Catalpa Creek Water Management Plan and the development of regional hydraulic geometry curves for the Tombigbee River Basin. His research has been supported by agencies such as the USEPA, USDA, and USGS, and includes international collaborations on watershed restoration and sustainable water management in Latin America.
Teaching and mentoring are central to Ramirez-Avila’s career. He has taught more than 1,500 students, graduated five Ph.D. and 23 M.S. students, and guided numerous undergraduate research projects. His students have received national recognition in ASCE-EWRI competitions. He has received honors such as the James M. Robbins Excellence in Teaching Award and the Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor Award, as well as multiple recognitions for community-engaged research and service, including initiatives like the Catalpa Creek Stream Cleanup and the Teaching Water outreach program.
Beyond ASCE, Ramirez-Avila is Director of Academic Affairs for the American Institute of Hydrology (AIH), where he launched the Hydrology Education and Research Mentorship (AIH HEARS) Program. He also conducts international stormwater workshops in Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and Ecuador. He mentors through the Society of Wetlands Scientists’ HumMentor Program. He serves as faculty advisor for student chapters of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS), and Engineers Without Borders (EWB). Through these roles, he promotes diversity, outreach, and service learning in engineering.
Ramirez-Avila earned his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, a master’s degree in Soils from the University of Puerto Rico, and a doctoral degree in Engineering with an emphasis in Water Resources Engineering from Mississippi State University. He is a licensed Agricultural Engineer (Ing.) in Colombia and a Certified Professional Hydrologist (PH) in the United States.
