IA Awards Program

Person of the Year

Established in 1952, this honor is awarded to a person outside of the commercial irrigation industry who has made outstanding contributions toward the acceptance of sound irrigation practices or policies. Award recipients receive a lifetime technical membership to the Irrigation Association.

 

2010

John Busch
UDSA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, retired

Busch was honored for his 30 years as a professor and researcher at the University of Idaho and recent work at NRCS. At the university, he researched improving irrigation management, and water and energy efficiency. At NRCS, Busch worked with growers to design irrigation systems, develop water management plans, provide training on best practices, and create irrigation planning and design tools. As a licensed, professional engineer, he helped develop sprinkler and surface irrigation standards.


2009

Kerry Harrison
University of Georgia

 

2008

Bradford Monroe
Cuyamaca College

 

2006

Gene Rochester
The Rochester Group

 

2005

Claude Phene

SDI+

and

John Replogle

USDA-US Water Conservation Laboratory, Retired

 

2004

Stuart W. Styles

Irrigation Training & Research Center, California Polytechnic State University

and

Edward M. Norum
Center for Irrigation Technology, California State University

 

2003

Ronald Marlow
USDA-NRCS

 

2002

Dennis Kincaid

USDA-ARS

 

2001

Tom Spofford
USDA-NRCS, National Water & Climate Center

 

2000

Larry Curtis
Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University

 

1999

Dean Eisenhauer

Dept. of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska

 

1998

Joe Hung

Institute of Irrigation Research & Evaluation, California State Polytechnic University

 

1997

Charles Burt

Irrigation Training & Research Center, California Polytechnic State University

 

1996

Jan van Schilfgaarde

Natural Resources and Systems, USDA-ARS

 

1995

Terry Howell
USDA-ARS

 

1994

Robert von Bernuth

Michigan State University

 

1993

Leland Hardy
USDA Soil Conservation Service

 

1992

Leon New
Texas Agriculture Extension Service, Texas A&M University

 

1991

E. Dale Threadgill

Biological Agricultural Engineering, University of Georgia

 

1990

Kenneth Solomon

Center for Irrigation Technology, California State University

 

1989

Allen Dedrick
USDA-ARS

 

1988

Leslie Sheffield
Extension Farm Management, University of Nebraska

 

1987

Mel Hagood
Dept. of Agricultural Engineering, Washington State University

 

1986

William Lyle
Agricultural Research, Texas A&M University.

 

1985

Dale Heermann
USDA-ARS, AERC, Colorado State University

 

1984

Sterling Davis
Drip Irrigation

 

1983

Marvin Jensen
USDA-ARS

 

1981

Ronald Sneed
Extension Biological & Agricultural Engineering, NC State University

 

1980

LaVerne Stetson
USDA-ARS, University of Nebraska

 

1978

Henry Indyk
Extension Turfgrass Management, Cook College, Rutgers University

 

1977

Falih Aljibury
San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Research & Extension Center

 

1976

Walter Hinz
Agricultural Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arizona

 

1974

Winston Strong
Soils & Irrigation, California State University

 

1973

Americo Guerra
Rural Development Irrigation Projects, Mexico Department of Water Resources

 

1973

Frank Robinson
Dept. of Water Science & Engineering, Imperial Valley Field Station, University of California

 

1972

Jack Keller
Dept. of Agricultural & Irrigation Engineering, Utah State University

 

1971

Albert Marsh
Extension Irrigation & Soils, Science & Agricultural Engineering, University of California

 

1969

T.W. Edminster
USDA-ARS

 

1968

J.E. Christiansen
Agriculture & Irrigation Engineering, Utah State University

 

1967

Robert Carolus
Dept. of Horticulture, Michigan State University

 

1966

Marvin Shearer
Cooperative Extension Service, Oregon State University

 

1965

Dalton Harrison
Ag Extension Service, University of Florida

 

1964

J.C. Wilcox
Soils & Irrigation, Department of Agriculture

 

1963

Kenneth Frost
Dept. of Agricultural Engineering, University of Arizona

 

1962

Claude Pair
Irrigation Research, USDA-ARS

 

1961

Paul Fischbach
Extension, Irrigation, University of Nebraska

 

1956

Howard Ellis
Agricultural Engineering, Michigan State University

 

1955

E.H. Kidder
Dept. of Agricultural Engineering, Michigan State University

 

1953

Frank Peikert
Dept. of Agricultural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University

 

1952

F. Earl Price
School of Agriculture, Oregon State University