Johan Bouma [Wageningen University]

The IUSS is extremely proud to announce that the 2018 winner of the of the Dokuchaev Award is Johan Bouma of Wageningen University.

Bouma studied soil science at Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Next he was postdoc at the Soils Dept. University of Wisconsin, working on soil disposal of septic tank effluent and, in 1973, tenured Associate Professor. In 1975 he moved to the Netherlands Soil Survey Institute (Stiboka) acting after 1983 as deputy director. In 1986 followed the appointment as professor of soil inventarisation and land evaluation at Wageningen University.

Bouma published some 460 articles, including 280 in internationally reviewed journals. He contributed chapters to 58 books, including 14 of which he was the main editor. His h (irsch) factor is 72. He supervised 40 PhD students, working closely with agronomists and hydrologists in interdisciplinary projects.

Bouma is fellow of the SSSA (1985) and received its President’s award in 2014. He is Honorary member of the IUSS (2006) and of the Dutch Soil Science Society (2010); He was the first soil scientist to be elected member to the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters ( 1989). He is Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau (2001). In 2017 he received the Alexander von Humboldt medal from the European Geosciences Union for his work in developing countries. In 2018 he was awarded the IUSS Dokuchaev Basic Soil Science Award.