Key Qualifications

Dr. Oad's professional career has focused on promoting economic welfare through sustainable water resources development and management for irrigated agriculture. It has included teaching and research, policy planning, project design and implementation and institutional strengthening.

In addition to teaching and research at CSU, Dr. Oad has worked with several state and federal government agencies on issues related to water resources management in the Western United States. He led a comprehensive research effort on water rights to irrigation return flows, for the Colorado State Engineer's office (1989-96). Currently, Dr. Oad is working for the New Mexico State Engineer's Office on issues related to irrigation water use and its effect on fish and wildlife in the Rio Grande River.

Dr. Oad has extensive work experience in many developing countries, where he has worked as consultant for international agencies such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the USAID. He recently worked as a consultant for the Nile River Basin Initiative program of the World Bank, to develop projects for promoting more efficient use of water and ecosystem conservation (1999-2000). Dr. Oad lived and worked in Indonesia as the leader of a nine-member team that assisted the National Development Planning Board to formulate policies for sustainable development and management of irrigation water resources (1997-98). His other most recent assignments were in: (i). Central Asia (Tajikstan) with the World Bank's programs to support privatization of agricultural land and water resources and rehabilitate irrigation systems (1998-2000), and (ii) Egypt to support USAID's Water Resources Policy Reform program (1999-2001).