The 6th OU International WaTER Conference Banquet and University of Oklahoma International Water Prize Award Ceremony took place Tuesday evening, September 17 from 6:30-9 pm at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.
During this event, Martha Gebeyehu was awarded the 2019 OU International Water Prize and give the plenary address.
Sun, Sep 15
Opening Reception
Mon, Sep 16
Presentations and networking all day
Tue, Sep 17
Presentations, networking and Prize Winner banquet
Wed, Sep 18
Short courses (2)
The 2019 OU International WaTER Conference gathered nearly 180 participants from multiple disciplines with a common goal of bringing water and sanitation to developing countries. Attendees included water and sanitation experts, students, and interested attendees from academia, industry, NGOs, government and foundations.
The two-day conference included both poster and concurrent oral presentation sessions devoted to all technical and non-technical topics and sectors (e.g., science, engineering, health, anthropology, sociology, business, meteorology, geography, education and cultural issues) relevant to water and sanitation in remote regions of developing countries.
John Butterworth, IRC-Ethiopia
Water systems and sustainability
John Cherry, Professor Emeritus
The global challenges in groundwater
Jenna Davis, Stanford University
Sanitation and wash systems
Kyle Harper, University of Oklahoma
The deep history of water and waste
Leila Harris, University of British Columbia
Water governance and social equity
Soroosh Sorooshian, UC-Irvine
Hydrology and water security
Martha Gebeyehu of Ethiopia was the winner of the 2019 OU International Water Prize. She is currently the coordinator for Ethiopia’s Water Expertise and Training Center. Martha is receiving this year’s Water Prize for her commitment and success in training people to manage their own water and sanitation.
She began her career as the first water quality analyst for the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church Development Commission. It was here that she developed a laboratory, began implementing safe testing practices, and started the first water quality workshops. Martha is on the front lines of bringing clean water and sanitation to all, and the WaTER Center is proud to award her with this prestigious prize. Martha was awarded the prestigious University of Oklahoma International Water Prize at the OU International WaTER Conference banquet.
