This past summer, we lost a titan of our community, and of this magazine in particular, in the form of Michael Campana.
President's Message | Fall 2024
This past summer, we lost a titan of our community, and of this magazine in particular, in the form of Michael Campana. Michael was a beloved colleague and friend to so many of us here at AWRA: he was a past president of the organization (2011) and contributed thousands of volunteer hours to its mission over his 37 years as a member. Those hours included many contributing to Water Resources IMPACT, first as technical editor and then editor-in-chief. In thanks for that work, and all that he represented, we dedicate this edition of IMPACT to his memory.
As you will read in these pages, Michael was a dedicated proponent of what he called hydrophilanthropy. He was also an enthusiastic practitioner of this idea. In his roles as professor, researcher, funder, and volunteer, he tirelessly supported and led efforts expanding access to water and water knowledge. We have republished his three articles on hydrophilanthropy here, and together they tell the story of how Michael’s understanding of this work deepened over years of experience and relationships with local communities, as well as with other practitioners. We have also published an article by David Kreamer, who first coined the term hydrophilanthropy for Michael and who worked closely with him his entire career.
Finally, this issue expands to other water resources topics of pressing concern, including how much drinkable water we have left (and how to measure it), as well as how AI can help us predict water loss before it is otherwise detectable.
For the last several years, this magazine has existed largely through Michael’s tireless contributions. His loss will be felt keenly in coming issues, and we hope this retrospective of his work may be a fitting remembrance, as well as a balm in challenging times.
At a personal level for me, he was someone I loved connecting with as a friend, mentor, and fellow Pacific Northwesterner whom I could openly discuss ideas and issues with. While it is impossible to capture in a few paragraphs, please read more about Michael’s life and achievements earlier in this issue as part of the official announcement from AWRA. We miss you, Aquadoc!
Rabia Ahmed is the 2024-2025 president of AWRA.