The 2023 Irrigation Association Excellence in Education Award was presented to Robert Dobson, CIC, CID, CLIA, of Rutgers University. This award recognizes an outstanding educator who teaches irrigation, water management or water conservation and has a commitment to not only elevating the level of education but also promoting the field of irrigation as a viable and sustainable career to students. In addition to Dobson, the IA also presented this 2023 award to Aavudai Anandhi, PhD, PE.
Irrigation & Lighting caught up with Dobson to ask what winning the award means to him.
Irrigation & Lighting: With your rich 50+ year career as an irrigation contractor and your remarkable journey as an educator teaching irrigation subjects at Rutgers, how does being honored with the Excellence in Education Award align with your original aspiration to be a teacher, and how has this recognition resonated with your experience in both fields?
Bob Dobson: I have always aspired to teach, whether in a classroom or with our company staff in the field. In college, before starting Middletown Sprinkler Company, I majored in math aspiring to be a math teacher. I feel blessed to have worked with many remarkable employees and students. I am honored and flattered to be the recipient of the IA’s Excellence in Education Award. This award, however, is more a reflection of Rutgers’ recognition of the importance of irrigation in turfgrass management; of Rutgers’ commitment, support and freedom to develop an irrigation curriculum that properly prepares students for careers in turfgrass management. It’s rewarding to visit a golf course and see a former student or attend the Irrigation Show and Education Week and spend time with a former employee and to hear how our time together had a meaningful impact on their work experience and career.
Irrigation & Lighting: Having served in various roles, including president of the Irrigation Association and chair of the IA Certification Board, how does this award represent your contributions in enriching the IA’s education and certification programs and your ongoing impact on the industry?
Bob Dobson: I served on the IA’s Certification Board for many years. This award does not represent my contribution to enriching IA’s education and certification programs. It represents the extraordinary people I had the honor to serve with and learn from on the board. The process of formulating exams and writing defensible questions is a learning experience unparalleled in our industry. I was appointed the first chairman of the New Jersey Landscape Contractor Licensing Board in 1991. My experience on the IA Certification Board was invaluable in guiding the implementation of the program and in establishing a licensing exam. More recently, in requiring continuing education credits for license renewal.
