It is with deep regret that we have to
announce the death of Prof Dr Samir Aly El-Swaify, the advisor of our
association for the term of 2017-2019 and 2020-2022, age 84, who passed away at
Honolulu, Hawaii on April 27, 2022, following complications from heart surgery.
Prof. Dr. Samir A. El-Swaify was well known
to all concerned with soil and water conservation around the world. He
dedicated all his life to the study, research and promotion of the conservation
and sustainable use the natural resources soil and water, through different
activities at global level. He was the main promoter and founding member of the
two main World Organizations on Soil and Water Conservation, ISCO
(International Soil Conservation Organization) and WASWAC (World Association on
Soil and Water Conservation). Both organizatios were created during the
International Conference on Soil Erosion and Conservation that he organized in
Honolulu, Hawaii (USA) in 1983. He was also Chairman (1986-1990) of the
recently created Subcomission C on Soil Conservation and Environment of ISSS
(now Comission 3.2 on Soil and Water Conservation of IUSS).
Following the foundation of ISCO he became
the Coordinator of the ISCO-Board of Directors, promoting and collaborating in
the organization of 20 International Conferences in
different countries in every continent, the last one in New Delhi (India) in
2019. Many of those Conferences have been held in cooperation with WASWAC, ESSC
(European Society for Soil Conservation) and the Comission on Soil and Water
Conservation of IUSS.
For his research, teaching,
organizing activities and strong commitment to the sustainable use of global
natural resources soil and water, while meeting essential human needs, he will
long be remembered. We have lost not only a good scientist, but also a human
colleage who always looked for understanding and cooperation among the diferent
people, institutions and organizations dealing with soil and water
conservation.
Prof Samir A. El-Swaify was
born on July 14, 1937 in Port Said, Egypt. After
graduating from the University of Alexandria with a BS in Soil Sciences, he
went to USA on an Egyptian government scholarship to attend the University of
California, Davis. There he gained his Ph.D. in Soil and Water Sciences. Following
a year of postdoctoral work at UC Riverside, Samir received an offer to
commence his prestigious, 40 year career at the University of Hawaii as a
Professor; including time Chairing the Departments of Agronomy and Soil
Science, and Natural Resources and Environmental Management. After retiring in
December of 2005, Samir continued his service to the University as a Professor
Emeritus in Soil and Water Conservation.
He is survived by : his wife Charlene; his
children, Ayman (Jeri El-Swaify), Hala (Glenn Tompkins) and Salwa (Dennis
Kasabian); his grandchildren, Gabriel (Dyanna El-Swaify), Micah (Marissa
Tompkins), Victoria El-Swaify, Jared (Jamie Tompkins), Colin (Alexandria
Tompkins), Nathan Tompkins, Iman (Gunnar Cox) and Aram Kasabian (Aliya
Kasabian); his siblings, Salwa Swaify, Gamal Swaify and Yassar Swaify; and
also, Abigail Tompkins, Madison Tompkins, Maia El-Swaify, Rebecca Tompkins,
Levi Tompkins and Aleigha Tompkins.
Prof Samir A. El-Swaify has made great
contribution both for the science and the association, we will deeply miss him.