This award is presented to an ASU faculty member whose innovative efforts and service to ASU and/or the community have made an impact and enhanced the world.

Rhett Larson, the Richard Morrison Professor of Water Law at ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, is this year’s recipient of the Faculty Service Achievement Award. 

• Senior research fellow with the Kyl Center for Water Policy at ASU’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy.
• Appointed to the Arizona Water Infrastructure Finance Authority’s Water Conservation Grant Committee, reviewing and approving grant applications to support water conservation projects throughout the state.
• Chief legal counsel to the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association, advising an organization representing ten of Arizona’s largest cities in water law and policy.

Larson’s research examines the impact of technological advancements on water rights, particularly in shared water sources between countries, and the sustainability impact of recognizing water as a human right. His research and teaching interests are in property law, administrative law and environmental and natural resource law, specifically domestic and international water law and policy. As a scholar, he has made significant contributions in his field while educating students, policymakers and the public about issues related to water law and sustainability.

Larson focuses on dispute resolution and improving processes in water rights adjudications within Arizona and the Colorado River Basin through his work at the Kyl Center for Water Policy. He was appointed by Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs to the Arizona-Mexico Commission Board of Directors, where he collaborates with experts across various disciplines to strengthen Arizona’s relationship with Mexico and enhance the quality of life for Arizona residents. 

A skilled communicator, Larson frequently appears in interviews on local and national media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, the Arizona Republic and PBS NewsHour. He is known for his ability to simplify complex information regarding water law, making it accessible to a broad audience.

Larson is a gifted instructor and frequently includes students in his work. Recently, a student of his received a co-authorship opportunity for work on a National Science Foundation grant that focused on strengthening water security in border communities.

His passion for water law has led him to international roles in addition to his work in-state. Larson is the principal investigator on a USAID-funded applied research project to improve water supplies for refugee host communities in Lebanon and Jordan. He has been a Visiting Fellow and Advisor to the Daksha Fellowship Water Law Initiative at Sai University in Chennai, India; a Lady Davis Fellow and visiting professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; a visiting professor and Fulbright Scholar at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador; and a PLuS Alliance Visiting Fellow with the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

Larson is the author of "Just Add Water: Solving the World’s Problems Using its Most Precious Resource" (Oxford University Press, 2020) and has practiced environmental and natural resource law with firms in Arizona, specializing in water rights, water quality and real estate transactions.