The Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability (INRS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has named Mike Demissie, head of the Center for Watershed Science at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), as new director of the Survey.

The ISWS is one of four surveys housed in the newly formed Institute, which provides evidence-based data, information, and public services that foster the enduring quality of Illinois' natural resources.

As new director of ISWS, Demissie said he will be responsible "for leading outstanding groups of scientists and engineers involved in state-of-the-art research that helps the state and nation to plan and manage water and atmospheric resources."

Demissie joined ISWS in 1976, and has served in both research and administrative capacities. His long-term research at the Survey has focused on problem-solving of issues related to watershed processes and stream and river restoration.

During his tenure at ISWS, Demissie led numerous research projects, including watershed monitoring and land use evaluation of Lake Decatur and Vermilion River watersheds and an investigation on the impacts of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1993.

Demissie is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a Diplomate of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers. He earned a master's degree and a doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The Illinois State Water Survey is the primary research agency for water and atmospheric resources in Illinois.