Michelle Walvoord '94, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientist, was honored as the 2005 Subaru Outstanding Woman in Science at the annual Geological Society of America meeting in Salt Lake City on Oct. 15. Walvoord is a research hydrologist at the USGS National Research Program in Lakewood. The Woman in Science Award is presented to a woman who has had a major impact on the field of the geosciences, based on her Ph.D research.
Walvoord's dissertation proposed a major revision of the current understanding of flow processes in desert regions where water tables are greater than 50 meters deep. Using data collected from her field studies and aided by computer models, she concluded that southwestern deserts have been drying out for 10,000 to 16,000 years, since the cold and wet conditions of the ice age began to change to the hot and dry conditions of today. Walvoord's work underscored the importance of desert vegetation in preventing water from escaping past the root zone and recharging groundwater.
Walvoord received her bachelor's degree in geology from Hamilton, and a master's degree and Ph.D from New Mexico Tech. One of the papers resulting from Walvoord's work was featured in the November 2003 edition of the journal Science, and received attention on National Public Radio.
