Universities Council on Water Resources

William W-G. Yeh

 

Dr. William W-G. Yeh
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
University of California, Los Angeles

UCOWR is proud to announce that the 1999 Warren A. Hall Award recipient is Dr. William W-G. Yeh of the University of California, Los Angeles.  Dr. Yeh received his Medal at the 1999 UCOWR Annual Meeting in Kamuela, Hawaii, on July 1.  Miguel Marino, Professor of Hydrologic Science and Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California-Davis, made the Medal presentation.
 

William Yeh has made fundamental and lasting contributions to the fields of water resources engineering and groundwater modeling.  He pioneered the development of real-time optimization models that utilize systems analysis techniques to plan, manage, and operate several of the nation’s large-scale water resources systems, including the California Central Valley Project and the Central Arizona Project.  Yeh’s original concepts and methodologies developed for large-scale hydrosystems operations have been adopted by water resources agencies in the U.S. as well as throughout the world. Yeh is a leader in groundwater modeling.  He pioneered the development of nonlinear algorithms for solving the inverse problem of parameter identification. His work provided the foundation for modern day model calibration and verification. On the international level, Yeh has applied his expertise by assisting several countries, including Brazil, Mexico, India, Taiwan, and the People’s Republic of China, in the planning and management of their water resources.

Yeh’s career as an educator has spanned over 30 years.  He started as an Acting Assistant Professor at Stanford University in 1967.  Since that time, he has served on the faculty of the University of California at Los Angeles in several capacities. He has been Department Chair and Vice Chair, and in 1975 received the University’s Engineering Alumni Association Distinguished Faculty Award for his excellence in teaching. To date, he has supervised more than 40 PhD students and more than 60 MS students.  Many of these former students are now actively engaged in teaching, research, and practical application in the field of water resources at various institutions and industries in the U.S. and abroad.

Yeh has made major contributions to the profession through his service to ASCE, AGU and other organizations.  He served as Editor of the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management.  In 1989, he received the AGU’s Robert E. Horton Award.  In 1993, the AGU elected him as a Fellow.  In 1994, he received the ASCE Julian Hinds Award. Finally, in 1996, Yeh was elected to an Honorary Member of ASCE for his distinguished career in education and private practice in the fields of water resource engineering and groundwater hydrology.

Yeh received his BS degree in CE from the National Chen-Kung University, Taiwan in 1961; his MS degree in CE from New Mexico State University in 1964; and his PhD degree in CE from Stanford University in 1967.
 

This page last updated 3-11-04 (UWIN staff) 
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