Post by UC Irvine

Congratulations to Amir AghaKouchak, who was announced today as the U.S. National Champion for the 2026 Frontiers Planet Prize! The Chancellor’s Professor of civil and environmental engineering is one of 25 exceptional scientists recognized for presenting evidence-based solutions urgently needed to safeguard planetary health. Representing the U.S. in the prize's "future of water security" category, he joins an internationally recognized cohort of researchers whose work offers practical, scalable solutions to the world's most urgent environmental challenges. “This recognition reflects the collective work of many people, including students, postdocs, and collaborators, whom I have had the honor of working with. Together, we study climate extremes and develop tools to better anticipate risk, protect water systems and infrastructure, and support timely action. We cannot prevent hazards from occurring, but through better science we can help prevent them from becoming human disasters," says AghaKouchak.  Read the full announcement: https://lnkd.in/gxj4vnXw Image description: 1. Photo 1: Amir stands in a suit in front of a whiteboard with a UC Irvine graphic announcing him as a 2026 Frontiers Planet Prize national champion. 2. Photo 2: Amir and his team pose together on outdoor stairs with a UC Irvine graphic about scientists honored for climate crisis solutions. 3. Photo 3: Amir and his team stand in front of a Center for Hydrometeorology & Remote Sensing sign with a UC Irvine graphic about preventing hazards from becoming human disasters. UCI Samueli School of Engineering