ASCE has honored Rosanna M. Neupauer, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, with the 2022 Margaret S. Petersen Award for pioneering development and dissemination of engaging and effective pedagogy, inspiring and dedicated mentorship, impactful research in modeling of groundwater systems, and tireless leadership in the water resources education and engineering communities.
Neupauer has shown outstanding leadership in effective pedagogy, which has had an extraordinary impact in the area of water resources engineering education and beyond. She is the principal author of the popular H2Oh!: Classroom Demonstrations for Water Concepts, which includes a sampling of the innovative physical model demonstrations and engaging hands-on activities that exemplify her teaching. She has been workshop director and multiple-times faculty mentor at ASCE ExCEEd Teaching workshops, and as a President’s Teaching Scholar she serves similar faculty development roles at the University of Colorado. She has tirelessly mentored graduate and undergraduate student researchers, leading an extraordinary number of undergraduate researchers to be co-authors on publications and presenters at conferences.
Neupauer’s research focuses on computer simulation of movement of water and contaminants through the subsurface. Her innovative mathematical techniques allow forensic analysis to accurately predict the source of observed contaminations, and she is now applying her method to a wide range of water resource systems, such as pipe networks and streams. She has also developed groundwater remediation approaches that improve cleanup efficiency by enhancing mixing processes.
Her research recognitions include the Walter Huber Research Prize, a National Science Foundation CAREER award, and designation as a fellow of the Geological Society of America. She has served the engineering community tirelessly. She has been an associate editor for leading journals, is vice president of the International Commission on Groundwater, and within ASCE has led the Groundwater Council, Groundwater Management Committee, and the Committee on Faculty Development.
The Margaret S. Petersen Award recognize a female member of ASCE or EWRI who has demonstrated exemplary service to the water resources and environmental science and engineering community.
