Michael Emerson Campana

1948 - 2024

Michael Emerson Campana

May 13, 1948 - August 25, 2024

Dr. Michael Campana, OSU emeritus Professor of Geography, passed away on August 25th, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

He was born on May 13, 1948, in New York City, and grew up on Long Island. Grandson of Italian immigrants on one side and an old North Carolina family on the other, he spent many teenage summers as a caddy at Maplewood Caddy Camp and Clauson's Resort in New England. Those experiences were very impactful. He made life-long friends, learning how to work with all kinds of people and how to be a good team player. His mother and father were both school teachers, as was his older sister. He graduated from Chaminade High School in Long Island and earned his bachelor's degree from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA.

He received a doctorate in hydrology from the University of Arizona and spent several years as a research scientist at the Desert Research Institute, at the University of Nevada. He came to OSU in 2009 to direct the Institute for Water and Watersheds after a long and successful career at the University of New Mexico's Water Resources Program. He has done extensive research on water resources internationally and on transboundary water resource issues, water allocation and availability, and other areas. Michael served on a number of federal research committees and associations and participated in many other national and international water research and management initiatives.

He received numerous awards and honors in his lifetime, including the International Service Award from the U.S. Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists for outstanding international contributions in hydrogeology in 2015, and the President's Award for Excellence from the AWRA in 2019.

Michael coined the term "hydrophilanthropy" to describe his philanthropic efforts to improve water resources in developing countries, work that is dedicated to the memory of his sister, Ann Campana Judge, who was killed in the September 11, 2001, attacks. He and his wife Mary Frances have sponsored a scholarship at the OSU Foundation that assisted numerous students in the Water Resources Graduate Program, including several students in the Water Cooperation and Diplomacy degree program who would not have been able to participate in the program and earn their degrees without the Campana scholarship. The Ann Campana Judge Foundation has sponsored several water resource development projects in rural Honduras, creating sustainable water management structures, built by the local people. These projects have brought water to villages that had had to carry their water from distant sources, generally the work of women and children. Now the children have time to go to school instead of hauling water.

Michael's students often continued connections with him after graduation. Upon hearing of his death, many reached out with reminiscences. A former student for whom he was a PhD advisor in Water Resources Engineering at OSU wrote, "He was a role model in the water community and made a significant contribution. I will always be grateful for the opportunity he gave me and his guidance." Another former student wrote, "I still remember him telling us not to be dilettantes in our careers." For a number of years Michael took students with him in the summer to work on village water projects in Honduras.

Michael is remembered by many beloved friends and colleagues. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Mary Frances, and his sister, Ellen Weaver.

There is currently no memorial gathering planned.