Cal State LA Professor Barry J. Hibbs has been selected to receive the 2026 Karl and Ruth Terzaghi Outstanding Mentor Award from the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists (AEG).
The prestigious international award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in mentoring environmental and engineering geologists throughout their careers. Recipients are honored for longstanding mentorship of students and junior colleagues. The award will be presented during a banquet at AEG’s Annual Meeting in Chattanooga, Tenn., this September.
“Receiving the Terzaghi Mentor Award is one of the highlights of my career. The legacy of engineering geology and hydrogeology isn’t only in the science, but also in the mentoring service to students and junior professionals,” said Hibbs, a hydrogeology professor in the university’s Department of Geography, Geology, and Environment. “Mentorship is about passing the torch, and helping mentees realize they are capable of achieving valuable, productive, and satisfying careers in our field.”
A Thousand Oaks resident, Hibbs has served on the Cal State LA faculty since 1998 and is widely recognized for his contributions to hydrogeology in arid and semi-arid environments throughout the southwestern United States and U.S.-Mexico borderlands.
Over more than three decades in academia and applied hydrogeologic practice, he has built a mentoring record centered on student research, field training, publication, and professional development.
Through grants from agencies including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Park Service, and state water resource programs, he has secured approximately $4.5 million in external funding as principal investigator and has contributed to an additional $5.5 million in funding as co-principal investigator.
More than half of this funding directly supported student stipends, research assistantships, travel, and fieldwork opportunities. Nearly 100 undergraduate and graduate students have participated in paid research experiences under his mentorship.
Hibbs has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, as well as more than 225 published conference abstracts. Approximately 60% of his journal articles and more than 75% of his abstracts include student co-authors. Students working with Hibbs gain experience in hydrogeologic mapping, groundwater sampling, geochemistry, isotope hydrology, data interpretation, quality assurance and quality control procedures, and scientific writing.
Former students mentored by Hibbs now work in environmental hydrogeology, engineering geology, and groundwater consulting throughout Southern California, including positions in major consulting firms, municipal water agencies, and state and federal environmental programs. Colleagues and former students consistently credit Hibbs’ mentorship, accessibility, and professional guidance as instrumental in launching their careers.
In 2023, he received the Keith E. Anderson Award from the National Ground Water Association, one of the organization’s highest national honors recognizing outstanding contributions to groundwater science and education. He received the Outstanding Professor Award from Cal State LA in 2014 and the university’s Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award in 2018. In 2012, he was elected a fellow of the Geological Society of America, an honor recognizing outstanding contributions to research, hydrology, and mentoring in the geosciences.
The Terzaghi Mentor Award represents one of AEG’s highest honors and recognizes Hibbs’ lasting impact on generations of environmental and engineering geologists through his dedication to student research, professional mentorship, and workforce development across the Southwest and Los Angeles Basin.
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