Suat Irmak, professor and head of Penn State’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, received the Royce J. Tipton Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers at the 2026 World Environmental and Water Resources Congress in Mobile, Alabama, according to a May 5 announcement.
The award is one of the top honors given by the society and recognizes significant contributions to irrigation and drainage engineering management. This year, Irmak was recognized for his work in agricultural engineering, irrigation, drainage, water and soil resources through research, teaching, extension programs and knowledge transfer efforts that benefit communities.
Troy Ott, Peter and Ann Tombros Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State said: “Suat Irmak is an accomplished scientist and educator who is a leader in soil and water resources engineering. This prestigious award highlights his dedication to science and sharing knowledge through teaching and his large-scale, impactful research, extension and outreach programs.”
Irmak’s research focuses on implementing technology in agriculture that is economical, durable, accurate and easy to use. His projects have resulted in improvements such as water savings, reduced energy use in agriculture production operations as well as better environmental outcomes. Some results have been adopted by federal agencies including incentive programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Environmental Protection Agency.
Irmak has delivered presentations to Congress on topics such as future challenges for U.S. agriculture; technology implementation for crop water productivity; climate change impacts on agricultural productivity; and water resources. He said: “I am honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award from the impactful professional society ASCE, which has done so much for the engineering discipline as well as communities, the nation and the environment for many decades. I am specifically grateful that my peers have regarded me as a worthy scientist and engineer for this recognition. I am grateful and am proud to be part of the excellent ASCE community for 26 years.”
He was elected a fellow of ASCE’s Environmental & Water Resources Institute in 2021 due to significant accomplishments related to soil conservation practices under changing climate conditions.
According to the official website, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences operates as Penn State University’s land-grant college with facilities including barns, laboratories,and classrooms at University Park campus; it aims to advance agricultural research/education; delivers expertise statewide via Penn State Extension; contributes expertise addressing social/educational/physical needs; collaborates with industry on equity/inclusion initiatives.
