Each year, the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, honors six faculty and six staff at the University of Iowa for their extraordinary contributions and sustained record of excellence. Each award recipient receives $1,000 and is honored at a special awards ceremony and celebration. The 2019 award ceremony has been delayed due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nathan Young, College of Engineering, IIHR—Hydroscience & Engineering
Young has worked intermittently for the UI for a total of 19 years since 1996, and is a research engineer at the UI’s IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, associate director of the Iowa Flood Center, and director of IIHR’s Lucille A. Carver Mississippi Riverside Environmental Research Station. He was the primary investigator of the $12.5 million Iowa Statewide Floodplain Mapping Project, which developed floodplain maps showing the probability, extent, and depth of flooding in 85 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Young and his team developed flood inundation maps for 25 Iowa communities to help citizens better prepare for impending flooding, and he is currently leading implementation of the Iowa Watershed Approach (IWA), a $97 million statewide project helping redefine how river communities work together to address water quantity and quality issues. The IWA promises to serve as a model for the state and the Midwest.
“The University of Iowa is the outstanding institution it is because of our incredibly talented and dedicated people, and these Regents Award recipients are a prime example of that fact,” says Montserrat Fuentes, executive vice president and provost. “Collectively, they have made extraordinary contributions to education and research, and they have had a tremendous positive impact on the university and the communities we serve. I am so pleased we have the opportunity to recognize them in this way.”
“I am proud to work at this institution and support these individuals who have dedicated themselves to hard work, innovation, and service,” says Cheryl Reardon, chief human resources officer and associate vice president. “In fields ranging from medicine to literature to information technology, these awardees exemplify our institution’s values and its mission of research, education, and public service. I gladly applaud their accomplishments and look forward to what they’ll do next.”
The faculty and staff award recipients were selected by committees appointed by shared governance in collaboration with UI administration and confirmed by the Regents.
For more info and other winners, read the article in Iowa Now.