Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize

The Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize, or “Clarke Prize,” is awarded annually by the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) of Fountain Valley, California. It consists of a gold medallion and $50,000 award for demonstrated excellence in the fields of water science and technology. It recognizes the highest contributions by an individual engaged in the discovery, development, improvement, or understanding of the issues associated with water quality, quantity, technology, or public policy.

Clarke Prize Laureates are active researchers and/or practitioners who demonstrate excellence through their continuous contributions to the body of knowledge related to protecting, maintaining, treating, and reclaiming water resources. The Clarke Prize is one of only a dozen water prizes awarded worldwide and has been distinguished by the International Congress of Distinguished Awards as one of the most prestigious awards in the world (www.icda.org).

The Clarke Prize was established by NWRI in 1993 in honor of the late Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke, co-founder of NWRI. The Prize was established in collaboration with Mrs. Joan Irvine Smith, co-founder of NWRI and the daughter of Mrs. Clarke.

About NWRI

A 501c3 nonprofit, NWRI was founded in 1991 by a group of Southern California water agencies in collaboration with the Joan Irvine Smith and Athalie Richard Clarke Foundation. NWRI's mission is to create new sources of water through research and technology and to protect the freshwater and marine environments. NWRI conducts research in following areas: treatment and monitoring, water-quality assessment, knowledge management, and exploratory research. More information on NWRI is available online at www.nwri-usa.org.

Award Ceremony

The Clarke Prize is awarded annually at a formal ceremony in July at the annual Clarke Prize Lecture and Award Ceremony. The black tie dinner includes a presentation of the medallion and the award of the $50,000 prize by Mrs. Joan Irvine Smith.

As part of the award ceremony, the recipient presents the annual Clarke Prize Lecture, which gives the recipient an opportunity to promote his or her area of expertise and to educate the audience on its importance and impact in the field of water research and technology.

Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke

"Nothing is more important than the careful stewardship and development of our water resources", said Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke, co-founder of NWRI.Mrs. Clarke, was known fondly as the “first lady” of Orange County. She married James Irvine, Jr., in 1929, and along with her daughter, Mrs. Joan Irvine Smith, ran the Irvine Ranch, one of California’s most diverse and productive farms.

Both Mrs. Clarke and her daughter encouraged The Irvine Company to adopt a master plan for what would become the City of Irvine. She also encouraged The Irvine Company and the University of California system to establish the University of California, Irvine, on a portion of the vast Irvine Ranch. She and her daughter also founded The Irvine Museum, which is dedicated to California Impressionism. Mrs. Clarke knew several of the "plein-air" painters of her generation personally, and the museum's exhibits reflect the California landscape she cherished. (www.irvinemuseum.org)

Mrs. Clarke recognized the vital importance of water and strongly promoted better water science and technology. In 1991, Mrs. Clarke co-founded NWRI along with her daughter Joan Irvine Smith. In honor of Mrs. Clarke's vision, NWRI established the Clarke Prize in 1993 to recognize outstanding individuals who have implemented better water science research and technology.

Joan Irvine Smith

The great-granddaughter of James Irvine (an immigrant who assembled about convert|120000|acre|km2 of what is now Orange County to form the Irvine Ranch), Mrs. Smith is well known for her philanthropy.

Smith’s reverence for California’s native plants and animals inspired her to become a leading environmental activist, speaking out about the urgent need to protect the state’s precious natural resources and to balance environmental preservation with economic growth. She was also responsible for donating land to what became the University of California at Irvine.

Today, as a leading philanthropist through the Joan Irvine Smith and Athalie R. Clarke Foundation, Smith continues to champion the University of California at Irvine, funding important medical causes, including the Reeve-Irvine Research Center (www.reeve.uci.edu). She also supports NWRI, which was founded by her vision and financial support, as well as numerous other environmental, cultural, and historical endeavors.

Nominations and Selection

Nomination materials must include:

• Identification of nominee
• Nominee’s vita or resume.
• Identification of nominator
• Summary of nominee’s accomplishments
• At least three letters of reference

Nominations for the Clarke Prize, as well as related credentials and letters of recommendation, must be received by March 1 of each year. The Clarke Prize recipient is selected by the Clarke Prize Executive Committee. For complete nomination guidelines, please visit: www.nwri-usa.org/ClarkePrizeNomination

List of Clarke Prize Laureates

*2007: James L. Barnard, Ph.D., P.E., environmental engineer::Global Practice and Technology Leader for Advanced Biological Treatment at Black & Veatch Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri.

*2006: Philip C. Singer, Ph.D., P.E., water quality engineer::Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.::Lecture: Disinfection Byproducts in Drinking water: Additional Science and Policy Considerations in the Pursuit of Public Health Protection

*2005: Menachem Elimelech, Ph.D., water quality engineer::Roberto C. Goizueta Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Yale University. ::Lecture: The Global Challenge for Adequate and Safe Water

*2004: Vernon L. Snoeyink, Ph.D., environmental engineer::Director of the Science and Technology Center for Advanced Materials for the Purification of Water with Systems (Water CAMPWS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. ::Lecture: Public Water Supply: Quantity, Quality, and Distribution Challenges

*2003: George Tchobanoglous, Ph.D., wastewater engineer::Professor Emeritus in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of California, Davis. ::Lecture: The Importance of Decentralized Wastewater Management in the Twenty-first Century

*2002: Harry F. Ridgway, Ph.D., microbiologist::President of AquaMem Consultants in Las Cruces, New Mexico. ::Lecture: Membrane Research: The Quest for Pure Water in a New Millennium

*2001: Joan B. Rose, Ph.D., microbiologist::Homer Nowlin Endowed Chair for Water Research at Michigan State University. ::Lecture: The Unseen Challenge to Safe Water: Microbiology of Water.

*2000: Charles R. O'Melia, Ph.D., water quality engineer::Abel Wolman Professor of Environmental Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University. ::Lecture: a long the riverrun

*1999: James J. Morgan, Ph.D., aquatic chemist ::Marvin L. Goldberger Professor of Environmental Engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). ::Lecture: Health of the Waters and Water for Health

*1998: Rafael L. Bras, Sc.D., hydrologist::Bacardi and Stockholm Water Foundations Professor and Chair of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).::Lecture: What Is a Hydrologist?

*1997: Perry L. McCarty, Sc.D., environmental engineer::Silas H. Palmer Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Emeritus at Stanford University. ::Lecture: Learning and Listening About Water

*1996: Walter J. Weber Jr., Ph.D., DEE, environmental engineer::Gordon M. Fair and Earnest Boyce Distinguished University Professor at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. ::Lecture: Fit Water for the Future: The Requisite Exercise of Social Discipline, Competent Technology, Responsible Engineering, and the MEAD AORTA Agenda

*1995: David C. White, M.D., Ph.D. (d. 2006) microbiologist::Distinguished Professor in the Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville. ::Lecture: Clean Water Hardly Anywhere and That Not Safe to Drink

*1994: Bruce E. Rittmann, Ph.D., water quality engineer::Director, Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University::Lecture: When Water Science Meets Water Technology

External links

* [http://www.nwri-usa.org/ The National Water Research Institute] of Fountain Valley, California