ASCE-EWRI honors Texas A&M Prof. for research on water.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: A Texas A&M professor of Indian origin is receiving a prestigious award for his world-renowned work on water. Vijay P. Singh is receiving the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers-Environmental and Water Resources Institute, otherwise known as the ASCE-EWRI.
The award is in recognition of Singh’s work in the field of hydrology, which is the study of water in all aspects, such as quality, distribution, preservation, transportation, etc. Some of the work he has done has even created an entire new branch of hydrology – called entropic hydrology – that is connected to the study of entropy, which means essentially the study of order and disorder as it relates to the physical universe. His work is considered fundamental for flood planning and water modeling around the world.
Singh was born in Agra, India in 1946. He earned his Bachelor’s of Science degree from Uttar Pradesh Agricultural University in 1967, in the field of engineering. He then went to Canada for his master’s, receiving that degree in engineering as well, from the University of Guelph in Ontario. From there, he went to the University of Colorado for his Ph.D. in civil engineering, which he obtained in 1974.
Since earning his doctorate degree, Singh has held teaching positions in some of the most well-known universities in the US. He was an Associate Research Professor of Civil Engineering at George Washington University from 1977-78, an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at Mississippi University from 1978-81, and an adjunct professor as well as the coordinator of the Environmental and Water Resources Systems Engineering Program at Louisiana State University from 1999-2006 and 2001-2006, respectively.
Singh joined Texas A&M University in 2006, where he currently wears a number of different hats. He is a professor of biological and agricultural engineering, a professor of civil and environment engineering, and a Caroline and William N. Lehrer Distinguished Chair in Water Engineering (Hydrology). He has authored or edited around 10 published works in the fields of engineering and hydrology.
The ASCE is professional body of civil engineers from around the world. Founded in 1852, it is currently based in Reston, VA and is the oldest engineering society in the US.