Giovanni Baroccu
On behalf of Council, President Ken Howard proposed that the 2015 award be made to Professor Giovanni Baroccu, and this was approved by the General Assembly. Giovanni has been Professor of Engineering Geology at the University of Cagliari since 1980 and from 1999 to 2005 was Director of the Department of Land Engineering. He retired from full time employment in 2010 but, at the request of his Faculty, still teaches his engineering geology course.
His broad research interests include the hydrogeology of hard rock aquifers, integrated water resources management and coastal zone aquifers and Giovanni has undertaken research in partnership with European, North African and Israeli institutions on both fractured and porous aquifers. He is currently scientific adviser to the UNESCO-IHP MED-MAP project on the Management of Coastal Aquifers, Groundwater and Land.
- Giovanni (left) in conversation with Ghislain de Marsily
Since 2003 Giovanni has been chair of IAH’s commission (now network) for coastal aquifer dynamics and coastal zone management. From 2007 he has been chair of the Italian Geological Society’s Hydrogeology Section and from 2009 to 2012 the editor of their “Proceedings online”. He was president of the IAH Italian National Chapter from 1997 to 2011. Giovanni well deserves this award for his long term contribution to the work of the Association and he was warmly congratulated by colleagues in the congress arena.
