Soroosh Sorooshian

Soroosh Sorooshian is the founding director of the Center for Hydrometeorology & Remote Sensing (CHRS), Samueli Endowed Chair in Engineering, and Distinguished Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Earth System Science Departments at UC Irvine. Prior to 2003 he was a faculty member at the University of Arizona for 20 years. His area of expertise is hydrometeorology, water resources systems, climate studies and application of remote sensing to earth science problems with special focus on the hydrologic cycle and water resources issues of arid and semi-arid zones. He also consults on problems related to surface hydrology and urban flooding.

He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE); International Academy of Astronautics (IAA); World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) for the advancement of science in developing countries; and a foreign member of the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc) and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He Is a fellow of the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study, Texas A&M University. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); American Geophysical Union (AGU); American Meteorological Society (AMS); International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG); International Water Resources Association (IWRA); and past member of the Joint Scientific Committee, (JSC) of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP); past chair, Science Steering Group (SSG) of Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP); past U.S. member of the Hydrology Commission for WMO; emeritus member of UCAR Board of Trustees and NOAA Science Advisory Board; past president of AGU's Hydrology Section; past member of several editorial boards and former chief editor of AGU's Water Resources Research. He has served on numerous advisory committees, including those of NASA, NOAA, DOE, USDA, NSF, EPA and UNESCO; past member of the National Research Council’s (NRC) Space Study Board (SSB) and past member of the Water Science and Technology Board (WSTB). He has testified to both Senate and House sub-committees on earth observations from space and water resources issues.

Among his recent honors are the William Bowie Medal, American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2025; Walter Langbein Lectureship, American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2024; Doctor Honoris Causa, Universite de Montpellier 2023; honorary member, American Meteorological Society (AMS), 2022; Hydrological Sciences Medalist, American Meteorological Society (AMS) 2021; Lifetime Achievement Award, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC) Society 2018; Ven Te Chow Award, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2017; Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Einstein Professorship, 2014; AGU Robert E. Horton Medalist, 2013; UCLA CEE Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award 2013; Eagleson lectureship, Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science (CUAHSI), 2012; recipient of the 4th Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water Resources Management & Protection in 2010; recipient of the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal in 2005; recipient of Robert E. Horton Memorial Lectureship, American Meteorological Society, 2006; and the William Nordberg Memorial Lecture at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in 2004. In 2007, UNESCO awarded the Great Man-made River Water Prize to the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing (CHRS) and the University of Arizona’s Center for the Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrologic and Riparian Areas (SAHRA). Professor Sorooshian was the founding director for both centers. Professor Sorooshian was named the Walter Orr Roberts Lecturer, American Meteorological Society, 2009 for “bridging the interdisciplinary gap between hydrology, meteorology, and remote sensing.” He was also the recipient of the Orange County Engineering Council (OCEC) Distinguished Engineering Educator Award (2009); the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Orange County Branch 2007-2008 Distinguished Engineering Educator award and was twice selected as the “Outstanding Professor in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering” by the UCI classes of 2009 and 2011. In 2010, Professor Sorooshian was named an honorary Professor at Beijing Normal University, China.