Welcome Reception 6:00-7:30 p.m., November 1
Symposium participants are invited to attend the reception and to meet with the symposium keynote speakers. Light food and refreshments will be served.

Awards Luncheon 12:00 p.m., November 3
Featured Speaker: The Honorable L. Preston Bryant, Jr., Secretary of Natural Resources (invited)

William R. Walker Graduate Fellow Award
Luncheon 12:00 p.m., October 11
The Water Center established the William R. Walker Graduate Research Fellow Award in 1999 to honor the many contributions and accomplishments of Professor William R. Walker, who served as the first director of the Water Center from 1965 to 1992. The recipient of the 2006 William R. Walker Fellow Award is Ms. Rachel Lauer, doctoral candidate, Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech.

William (Bill) R. Walker, originally a civil engineer, earned a law degree in 1952. He joined the civil engineering department at Virginia Tech in 1964 after working for several years as both an engineer and attorney. During his academic career, he served on numerous state and national committees. His many awards and honors include the "Friend of UCOWR" from the Universities Council on Water Resources, the "Julian Hinds Award" from the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the "Service to the Profession Award" from the American Society of Professional Engineers. In 1982, Professor Walker and supporters worked with members of the Virginia General Assembly to have the Water Center authorized as a state-supported agency. The state authorization and consequent state funding leveraged federal resources that enabled the Water Center to facilitate funding of hundreds of research projects and student assistantships at Virginia's colleges and universities, publication of research reports, and development of an excellent information transfer program.

Water Resources Leadership Award
The Water Center established the Virginia Water Resources Leadership Award in 2005, in conjunction with the Water Center's 40th anniversary, to honor individuals who have provided significant long-term leadership in supporting the water resources research, education, and regulatory programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Recipients of the 2006 Virginia Water Resources Leadership Award are Professor Emeritus Clifford W. Randall and The Honorable Joseph Maroon, director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.