USU engineering professor recieves award
A Utah State University engineering professor has been given the 2005 Award for the Advancement of Surface Irrigation for his work on improving surface irrigation systems and practices.
Wynn Walker is an associate dean for the College of Engineering and a professor of biological engineering at USU. The American Society of Agricultural Engineers presented him with the award at the association’s national conference in Tampa, Fla.
Walker was recognized for his work in irrigation, which he said has been a lifelong specialty for him.
“They always award these things when you’re old and useless,” he said.
Walker has been acknowledged internationally as an expert in surface irrigation according to the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. He has been studying surface irrigation for 25 years.
His award was credited to a model he designed to calculate the association between the effectiveness of irrigation and the quality of irrigation return flows. This model has been used to lessen the salt content in the Colorado River Basin, Walker said.
In most areas of the world, the method of irrigation is to flood the land, which creates problems with runoff and ineffective water use, Walker said.
“The challenge is to put just what the land needs,” he said.
His work in irrigation is intended to help improve the effectiveness of these irrigation methods by better informing farmers.
He has been involved with developing guidelines to help farmers learn to manage water more effectively. He said he has worked with farmers to improve management practices in over 40 countries, including Iraq and several South American countries, as well as in the United States.
Walker has been a professor at USU for over two decades, and has been an associate dean in the College of Engineering since 2002. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from USU and then earned a master’s in civil engineering and a doctorate in agricultural engineering from Colorado State University.
A professor emeritus from California Polytechnic State University, John Merriam established the Award for the Advancement of Surface Irrigation in 2000. Individuals who demonstrate and publicize the value of upgrading surface irrigation methods are eligible to be selected according to the guidelines for nomination.
-dmaxfield@cc.usu.edu