Mahdi S. Hantush was a prominent Hydrologist known for his analytical work on leaky aquifers and well hydraulics. He is the founder of the Hydrology Program at New Mexico Tech.

Academic

Mahdi Hantush earned his first degree as a civil engineer in his native Iraq. He then moved to the United States where he obtained an MSc. in Irrigation Engineering at UC Berkeley in 1947. He followed this up with a doctorate in civil engineering at the University of Utah

University of Utah

The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...

 under C.E. Jacob.
In 1954 Hantush received a call to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology where he developed one of the first graduate programs in Groundwater Hydrology and headed it for over a decade. His program attracted students from all over the world.

Professional

As a civil engineer Hantush began his professional career as an irrigation engineer in Iraq. This work provided him with practical experience and an appreciation for the problems involved in the development and management of water resources.

Honors and Awards

• O.E. Meinzer Award
  Meinzer Award
  The O.E. Meinzer Award is the annual award of the Hydrogeology Division of the Geological Society of America. It is named after Oscar Edward Meinzer who has been called the "father of modern groundwater hydrology"...
  
  ,1968
• New Mexico Tech has honored his memory by creating the "Mahdi Hantush Memorial Fellowship"