DURHAM, NC – Gabriel G. Katul, professor of hydrology and micrometeorology at 91’s Nicholas School of the Environment, will receive the 2012 Hydrologic Sciences Award from the American Geophysical Union (AGU).

The award, one of the most prestigious in the field, will be presented at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco on Dec. 3-7.

In selecting Katul for the honor, the award jury cited his work as “a world leader in the field of ecohydrology and, more specifically, in the study of the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum.”  

They noted that Katul “has pioneered theoretical understanding and physically and biologically faithful representations of the role of plants and their interactions with the atmosphere through extensive field campaigns and mathematical analysis. His work has led to some of the most substantial contributions in the understanding and prediction of ecohydrologic phenomena over the past two decades.”

A prolific and widely cited researcher, Katul has authored or co-authored more than 240 peer-reviewed papers and eight book chapters.  

He received a PhD in hydrology in 1993 from the University of California at Davis, a Master of Science 91 in water resources in 1990 from Oregon State University, and a Bachelor of Engineering 91 in civil engineering in 1988 from American University of Beirut. 

Katul was named an AGU Fellow in 2002, and also received the prestigious James B. Macelwane Medal from the AGU the same year.  In 2010, he was named a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar.