Respected wetland ecologist Dr David Mitchell will receive the 2003 International Fellow Award from the international Society of Wetland Scientists, based in the US. 

According to society representative, Dr Glenn Guntenspergen, the award recognises Dr Mitchell’s “distinguished career devoted to scientific discovery and contributions to aquatic plant biology and management”.

Dr Mitchell, an adjunct professor with the University’s School of Environmental & Information Sciences based on the Thurgoona Campus, is well known in the international wetland research community for his 1974 UNESCO publication titled Aquatic vegetation and its use and control, which was largely based on his work in Africa, and for his studies of water weeds and wetland systems in many countries.

He has been an untiring advocate for improving the quality and use of water in the landscape, particularly in the management of catchment and irrigation systems, having directed major research establishments with the CSIRO Centre for Irrigation and Freshwater Research in Griffith and the Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre in Albury, before joining CSU.

His most recent achievement was managing the design and implementation of the award-winning water management system on the environmentally sensitive Thurgoona Campus, which treats and recycles storm and “grey” water around the site.

Dr Mitchell will travel to New Orleans in Louisiana, USA in June this year to receive his award at the annual meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists.

The award comes on top of the announcement of three professorial positions on water and environmental management, to be jointly funded by CSIRO and CSU, based on the University’s Wagga Wagga and Thurgoona Campuses.

“The announcements of Dr Mitchell’s award and the professorial positions highlight the strength and recognition of CSU’s research expertise into water management in the Murray-Darling Basin,” said Charles Sturt University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter.