Wendy Jepson named 2022 Fellow in American Association for the Advancement of Science

Wendy Jepson, Ph.D., associate director of the Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, AAAS.

She is among the 506 scientists, engineers and innovators elected as 2022 Fellows for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements throughout their careers. AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals.

An internationally recognized leader in water security issues, Jepson serves as associate director of research for social science at TWRI at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas, leads the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Urban WISH Program, and is a University Professor of geography at Texas A&M University.

Jepson joined the TWRI leadership team in 2020 and works to develop initiatives that address pressing water security and resource issues facing Texans, as well as developing research to pursue those efforts.

A tradition dating back to 1874, election as an AAAS Fellow is one of the most distinguished honors in science and is a lifetime designation. All Fellows are expected to maintain professional ethics and scientific integrity standards.

Leading research on water insecurity

The Geology and Geography section of AAAS cited Jepson “for leading and impactful research on the complex social and political-economic factors that cause water insecurity at multiple scales — from the household to the urban region.”

“AAAS is excited to announce the newest class of Fellows from across the scientific enterprise in a tradition dating back nearly 150 years and to honor their broad range of achievements,” said Sudip Parikh, Ph.D., AAAS chief executive officer.

Jepson joined Texas A&M’s Department of Geography in 2003, was named a University Professor in 2019 and was honored as a Chancellor’s EDGES Fellow in 2022. A Fulbright Scholar and Fellow of the American Association of Geographers, AAG, she has led several international research projects to examine water governance, water security and environmental justice to advance community and human well-being.

At TWRI, Jepson’s focus is urban water sustainability, a topic she sees as critical to the well-being of Texas and Texans. She is also passionate about creating innovative approaches to community-involved research and engaging a broader base of constituencies, including organizations, civil society, communities and stakeholders.

As one of the founders of the Household Water Insecurity Experiences – Research Coordination Network, Jepson has helped the network develop a cross-cultural indicator for household water security. She also is a recipient of several National Science Foundation grants that focus on water security. In addition to serving as AAG National Councilor, Jepson has been awarded the AAG Enhancing Diversity Award and contributed to the Enhancing Diversity Committee, the Committee on the Status of Women in Geography and the AAG Climate Action Task Force.

Learn more about Jepson’s work.

The story written by Leslie Lee, Texas Water Resources Institute, first appeared at https://twri.tamu.edu/news/2023/february/wendy-jepson-named-2022-aaas-fellow/