Dr. John Warwick has informed Dr. Terry Surles and I that he will be leaving DRI to take the Dean of Engineering position at Southern Illinois University (SIU) beginning on August 1. John has been a long-term and significant part of the leadership team at DRI for the past nine years, serving as Executive Director of the Division of Hydrologic Sciences (DHS), Interim Executive Vice President for Research (EVPR), and Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs.

John's tenure at DRI has been exemplary and while Terry and I will miss him very much, I am confident that everyone at DRI wishes the very best for John in the next chapter of his life. I know how much he values teaching and mentoring students so SIU will be privileged to have John as a Dean. John has been a key player in the role that DRI plays in the University of Nevada, Reno's Hydrologic Sciences graduate program.

As the Division Director, John has overseen a significant period of growth in DHS in both faculty size and extramural funding. I am also very proud of John's attention to increasing the diversity of his faculty with the hiring of women and others from under-represented groups. While John has led a successful division for nearly a decade, I appreciate his efforts during his interim role as EVPR on the federal initiatives, guiding us through the process in a transparent and inclusive fashion. He championed a young faculty investigator program, professional service faculty support program and a proactive diversity recruitment program. John has been a critical partner in strategic planning for the institution, working collaboratively with Dr. Cleve McDaniel and myself.

John leaves DRI next month, but he has left a lasting mark on the institute. Thank you John and good luck in your new career.