The Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize
"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 recognized the vital importance of water and strongly promoted better water science and technology.
In honor of Mrs. Clarke's vision, NWRI established the Clarke Prize in 1993 to honor
outstanding individuals who have implemented better water science research and technology. The Clarke Prize - a medallion and $50,000 award - is presented annually in the summer. As part of the award ceremony, the Clarke Prize recipient delivers the annual Clarke Lecture.
The Clarke Prize is:
- Distinguished by the International Congress of Distinguished Awards as one of the most prestigious awards in the world.
- One of only a dozen prizes that awards scholarly and practical achievements in water research.
- Awarded annually to an outstanding individual who is significantly contributing toward any of the following areas: the discovery, development, improvement, and/or understanding of the issues associated with water quality, quantity, technology, or public policy.
- Granted on the recommendation of the Clarke Prize Executive Committee.
- Not granted posthumously.
The 2011 recipient of the Clarke Prize is environmental engineer Mark R. Wiesner, Ph.D., P.E., the James L. Meriam Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University. Wiesner was selected as the 2011 recipient because of his groundbreaking efforts and leadership in improving water quality through advancements in membrane and nanotechnology research.
“This year’s winner is an active researcher who is just outstanding,” said the chair of the selection committee, Roy Spalding, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Agronomy & Horticulture at the University of Nebraska. “Mark Wiesner is forward-thinking. Not only has he made innovations in the area of membrane technology, but he has also adapted to changes in the field. While others are doing basic research, he is out looking at the next step: assessing the risks involved with applying new technologies to water treatment.
Among his achievemnets, Wiesner was among the first American scientists to research the application of low-pressure membranes to water treatment. He initiated research on the factors controlling membrane performance, and proposed using coagulants as a pretreatment to remove organic matter and prevent membrane fouling. Later, he and his students developed cost models that predicted the circumstances in which membrane filtration would be cost-competitive with conventional water treatment technologies.
His efforts to improve the performance of water treatment membranes led him to a new area of research: investigating the uses of technology at the molecular level (“nanotechnology”). His work in developing nanomaterial-based technologies for water treatment led him to consider the possible detrimental effects that these materials might have on human health and the environment – in effect, pioneering the field of environmental implications of nanotechnology.
One of Wiesner's major accomplishments was the creation of the Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT) at Duke University, where he serves as Director. A multidisciplinary research effort supported by the National Science Foundation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CEINT is focused on understanding nanomaterial behavior from the nano-scale to the ecosystem-scale and identifying possible risks to human health and the environment.
Click here for details about the next Clarke Prize Award Ceremony and Lecture.