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LAWRENCE — Kansas Geological Survey assistant scientist Sam Zipper is the recipient of this year’s Hydrologic Sciences Early Career Award from the Hydrology Section of the American Geophysical Union. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to hydrology through research, education or societal impacts.
Zipper joins a distinguished group of scientists, leaders and communicators recognized by AGU for advancing science. Each honoree reflects AGU’s vision for a thriving, sustainable and equitable future supported by scientific discovery, innovation and action. Early career awards recognize scientists who are within 10 years of receiving their doctorates.
Steven Loheide, Zipper’s doctoral adviser and distinguished professor of water resources engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, nominated Zipper for the award.
“Sam is a really unassuming scientist and amazing to watch work through a problem,” Loheide said. “He has a particular knack for making an observation or hearing something and storing away that piece of information. Then, he sees the puzzle where that piece should fit. One of the really fun things that I enjoyed when working with Sam was watching how he was able to, in the end, bring together all of the information he had at his disposal.”
Zipper leads the HydroEcology of the Anthropocene Lab (HEAL) at KGS. The goal of HEAL is to understand how local, regional and global change will affect the water resources of Kansas and the Great Plains region now and in the future. Zipper is also an assistant professor in the Department of Geology at the University of Kansas.
“In my work with Sam, I have been impressed by the breadth and depth of his knowledge, his energy level and his commitment to making contributions that have a strong societal relevance,” said Jim Butler, KGS senior scientist. “This is a well-deserved recognition of the quality of Sam’s work. It is also great recognition of the quality of the work that is done at the KGS and continues our tradition of national recognition of the strength of KGS hydrologists.”
Zipper was recognized Dec. 16 at AGU25 in New Orleans.
