Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, a distinguished professor of civil and environmental engineering and Samueli Endowed Chair at the University of California, Irvine, has been elected an international fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. This recognition places her among 75 new fellows joining the United Kingdom-based academy this year, which provides leadership in engineering and technology and offers expert advice to governments in the U.K. and beyond.
Established in 1976, the Royal Academy of Engineering comprises approximately 1,700 fellows drawn from various fields including academic research, industry, and entrepreneurship. The academy's role involves offering independent counsel in engineering and technology. The new fellows, including Professor Foufoula-Georgiou, will be formally welcomed at a celebration in London on October 19.
Foufoula-Georgiou expressed deep honor regarding the recognition. She noted the achievements possible "when science crosses borders," having participated in international research projects, including those with colleagues in the U.K. She stated her intention to utilize the strengths of both the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the Royal Academy of Engineering to address shared challenges in water, climate, and environmental resilience.
Her research at UCI and previously has centered on hydrology, hydroclimate science, and geomorphology. This work has contributed to the understanding and prediction of precipitation, extreme water-cycle events, and the evolution of landscapes. Her efforts have involved global satellite precipitation estimation and developing resilience plans for watersheds and coastal river deltas worldwide. These applications are relevant to water sustainability and the mitigation of hazards.
Beyond her academic research, Foufoula-Georgiou has a record of public service. She was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, where she helped produce reports for Congress concerning the long-term safety of nuclear waste transport and disposal. She has also served on U.S. National Academies committees, contributing to studies such as the Decadal Survey on Earth Observations from Space, efforts to modernize the National Weather Service, and flood risk management for critical infrastructure. Additionally, she has held advisory positions for organizations including NASA, the National Science Foundation, and various European research councils.
Foufoula-Georgiou joined UC Irvine in 2016. At the Samueli School of Engineering, she served as the associate dean for research and innovation from 2017 to 2023 and holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Earth System Science. Prior to her time at UCI, she spent nearly three decades on the faculty at the University of Minnesota. During her tenure there, she directed the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory and led the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics, an NSF Science and Technology Center.
Her election to the Royal Academy of Engineering adds to a list of prior honors. These include the John Dalton Medal of the European Geophysical Society, the Hydrologic Sciences Medal of the American Meteorological Society, the Horton Medal of the American Geophysical Union, and the UNESCO/WMO Dooge Medal, which is an international hydrology prize. She is also a fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the American Meteorological Society (AMS), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Furthermore, she is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the European Academy of Sciences.