ASCE has honored Rao S. Govindaraju, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, F.EWRI, F.ASCE, with the 2019 Ven Te Chow Award for his pioneering contributions to the hydrology of infiltration and to run-on processes over hillslopes and watersheds, and for algorithms for the quantification of uncertainty.
Govindaraju is the Christopher B. and Susan S. Burke Professor and Bowen Head of Engineering at the School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. He is also the current editor-in-chief of ASCE’s Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, a position he has held since 2012.
Since obtaining his Ph.D. in civil engineering with emphasis in hydrology and water resources from the University of California, Davis, Govindaraju has made numerous significant scholarly contributions to the field of water resources engineering. His primary research focus has been in the area of surface and subsurface modeling of water and contaminant movement, providing a crucial bridge between environmental and water-related areas. He has been and continues to be a prolific researcher, as can be seen from his scholarly contributions, which include two authored books, two edited reference books, 131 refereed journal articles, 22 book chapters, 58 conference proceedings papers during the last 10 years alone, and 17 technical reports.
He has made numerous invited, keynote, and solicited presentations at national and international conferences, and has actively served on many ASCE committees over the years.
Established in 1995, the Ven Te Chow Award recognizes individuals whose lifetime achievements in the field of hydrologic engineering have been distinguished by exceptional achievement and significant contributions in research, education, or practice.
