Distinguished Professor Craig T. Simmons FAA FTSE
Distinguished Professor Craig T. Simmons FAA FTSE is a leading groundwater scientist, recognised for contributions to groundwater science, science leadership, education, and policy reform. He is acknowledged by academics, government, industry, and the public as an authority on groundwater and water science.
Craig is Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor of Hydrogeology, Schultz Chair in the Environment at Flinders University and Foundation Director of the Australian Research Council’s National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training in Australia. From July 2020, he has been seconded to the ARC as Executive Director for Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences.
Craig is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and the American Geophysical Union. He has received numerous national and international research and teaching awards including the Anton Hales Medal for distinguished contributions to research in the Earth Sciences (Australian Academy of Science) and an Australian Award for University Teaching. In 2015 Craig was named South Australian Scientist of the Year and in 2017, Australian Water Professional of the Year.
Craig has made fundamental scientific advances in a wide range of important hydrologic problems using theory, experiment, field work and cutting-edge computational simulations. These include revolutionizing understanding of unstable variable-density groundwater flow processes, quantifying surface water-groundwater interaction, elucidating complex groundwater flows and ages in fractured rock aquifers, understanding the effect of sea level rise on seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers under climate scenarios, quantifying the impact of salinisation of floodplains and wetlands on ecosystem functioning, uncovering groundwater contamination and remediation processes, the innovative use of satellite data (including GRACE) for exploring continental- and planetary-scale hydrologic phenomena and change, and profound discoveries about the history of hydrology and fluid mechanics.
Craig served as an Editor of IAH’s Hydrogeology Journal and Associate Editor for more than twelve high-profile international journals including Water Resources Research, Journal of Hydrology, Hydrogeology Journal, Groundwater, and Vadose Zone Journal. He has delivered over 50 Plenary and Keynote Addresses at major national and international conferences, including the invited opening Plenary Addresses at three IAH Congresses. He co-founded IAH’s Time Capsule Project, interviews of eminent hydrogeologists who have made a material difference to our profession. Craig is a lead author of the United Nations World Water Development Report “Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible”.
Distinguished Professor Craig T. Simmons is a very worthy recipient of the 2022 IAH Presidents’ Award.
