East Central Texas News

Dean of Natural Sciences, Mathematics Elected AAAS Fellow

Dr. David Hyndman, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at The University of Texas at Dallas, has been elected a 2022 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Hyndman, the Francis S. and Maurine G. Johnson Distinguished University Chair, is one of 506 scientists, engineers and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines who are being recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements. The new fellows will be honored in Washington, D.C., this summer.

Hyndman, a hydrogeologist, was elected in the Section on Geology and Geography “for outstanding and novel contributions to our understanding of the subsurface water cycle and how human activities impact this, and for important contributions to science education and leadership.”

A professor of geosciences, Hyndman develops novel methods to characterize the aquifers that store and transmit water supplies critical to human and ecological health, and quantifies how human activity, such as changes in climate and land use, affect the water cycle. His work involves coupling new models with high-resolution field data to explore the physical, chemical and ecological processes in natural and anthropogenically altered systems.

For more than 25 years, Hyndman’s research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies.

“David Hyndman’s research contributes critical data that helps policymakers and stakeholders make informed decisions and develop science-based approaches to the management of natural resources,” said Dr. Inga H. Musselman, UT Dallas provost, vice president for academic affairs and the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair of Academic Leadership. “Recognition by the AAAS of his scientific and academic leadership in this field is well deserved.”

Before joining UT Dallas in 2021, Hyndman was chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Michigan State University for a decade. He previously worked as a hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey before joining Michigan State as an assistant professor in 1995. He received his undergraduate degree in hydrology and water resources from the University of Arizona and his master’s and doctoral degrees in hydrogeology from Stanford University.

In addition to more than 110 peer-reviewed journal articles, Hyndman has published multiple editions of a textbook, Natural Hazards and Disasters, which he co-wrote with his father, Dr. Donald Hyndman. In 2002 he was the Henry Darcy Distinguished Lecturer in Groundwater Science for the National Ground Water Association, and in 2006 he was elected a fellow of the Geological Society of America.

“I am honored to become the sixth AAAS fellow in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at UT Dallas,” Hyndman said. “This distinction is a testament to the outstanding team of graduate students, postdocs, faculty and collaborators I have worked with during my career. AAAS continues to build a trustworthy, diverse and innovative community of scientists and engineers to drive discovery. Together, we must support inclusive STEM education and engage society on current issues related to science and technology.”

Since 1874, AAAS fellows have included scientists, engineers and innovators who have distinguished themselves across disciplines — from research, teaching and technology to administration in academia, industry and government to excellence in communicating and interpreting science.

Original source can be found here