VM
Member Since 2007
Vimal Mishra
Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar
Honors and Awards
Devendra Lal Memorial Medal
Received December 2021
Citation
Dr. Vimal Mishra is one of the leadinghydrologists at the
intersection of hydrology, water resources and land surface processes
from the current generation in India. Following his Ph.D. in 2010, he
was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington for 2
years. He could have secured an academic position in North America or
Europe. However, after this tenure, he was determined to return to India
and contribute to building the capacity of hydrology and water
resources modeling, which India continues to need desperately. He
started as an assistant professor at one of India’s young and vibrant
institutions, the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, in 2012,
where he is now an associate professor.
His research focuses on three broad areas: understanding hydrologic
processes through advanced land surface modeling; understanding the
signatures of climate variability and change in the hydrology and
climatology of the Indian subcontinent, especially floods and droughts;
and developing tools for translating hydrologic research to operational
monitoring and forecasts for flood and drought mitigation. Dr. Mishra
continues to make significant contributions to advancing our
understanding, modeling and prediction of hydrologic processes in
general and monsoonal hydrology over the Indian subcontinent in
particular, using cutting-edge land surface models for efficient
management of water resources and engineering. He developed one of the
first real-time drought monitors for South Asia and India. His
pioneering efforts have significantly enhanced hydrologic modeling and
forecast capabilities in the country. These focus areas are crucial for
skillful management of water resources and mitigating the impacts of
natural hazards, especially with limited and uncertain hydrologic
observations.
Not only is Vimal a top-notch researcher, but he is also a passionate
teacher and mentor. He has mentored and published with several graduate
students and postdoctoral researchers. They are well placed in academia
and industry, which is a testament to his continued commitment to
building India’s capacity in this area of critical need.
The Devendra Lal Memorial Medal is to recognize significant
contributions by a midcareer scientist belonging to and working in a
developing country. Dr. Vimal Mishra embodies the spirit of this award
perfectly through his impactful contributions aimed at socially
important problems and mentoring of young scientists. His selection will
motivate others in developing countries to have a similar impact on the
scholarship of the field. It is a time of global transition in wealth
and research, and this will be a fitting award to reinforce that trend
in our field.
I wish him continued success!
— Balaji Rajagopalan
University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Response
Thank you, Balaji Rajagopalan, for leading the efforts for my
nomination. I am grateful to all those who wrote letters in support of
my nomination. My sincere thanks to the selection committee and AGU for
considering my nomination for the prestigious Devendra Lal Memorial
Medal.
My interest in hydrology and water resources started during my
masters when I visited Germany under the German Academic Exchange
Service (DAAD) scholarship. I primarily worked to understand the
occurrence of the 2002 flood in the Elbe River in the eastern part of
Germany. I was fortunate to receive the fellowship for my Ph.D. at
Purdue University. Working with my doctoral supervisor, Keith Cherkauer,
was a fantastic learning experience. At Purdue, discussions with Matt
Huber on the role of climate change on the water cycle and critical
insights from Laura Bowling motivated me to continue working in this
area. I was lucky to work with Dennis Lettenmaier as a postdoc
researcher. Dennis has been a constant source of inspiration, my role
model and the person who shaped me as an independent researcher. I
continue to receive blessings and guidance from Dennis.
I was committed to returning to India and contributing to the growth
of hydrology and water resources. River basins in the Indian
subcontinent are complex due to the interplay between anthropogenic and
climatic factors. The last 10 years' journey has been to examine the
role of anthropogenic and climatic factors on the hydrologic changes in
the Indian subcontinental river basins. There is a lot to be done,
especially on understanding how climate and anthropogenic activities
will influence the water cycle in one of the world's most populated
regions. In addition, near-real-time monitoring and forecast systems are
needed to provide an early warning of floods and droughts. Being able
to contribute to the science that is directly linked with society has
been very satisfying. I am grateful to my institute, the Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, and several funding agencies
for their support. I am lucky to work with highly motivated and talented
students who contributed enormously. My association with Mike Wallace,
Upmanu Lall, R. N. Singh, P. C. Pandey, V. M. Tiwari and many others has
always been motivational.
I have just started learning about the remarkable contributions made
by Professor Devendra Lal. I feel honored to receive the medal in his
name. I owe a lot to my students, collaborators and family. I am always
grateful for the support from my parents. Thanks to my wife, Neelam;
daughters, Muskan and Gungun; and son, Atharv, for their lovely company
and endless support. Finally, thanks again, Balaji Rajagopalan, for
nominating me and AGU for this great honor.
— Vimal Mishra
Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar
Gandhinagar, India
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Union Fellow
Received December 2021