Henry Lin

Hangsheng “Henry” Lin (1965–2019) passed away at the age of 54 on 26 Sept. 2019 in his home in State College, PA, after battling with lung cancer. Henry was an Associate Editor of Vadose Zone Journal from 2013 up to his death. Henry made invaluable contributions to Vadose Zone Journal over the years, as an author, guest editor, and associate editor. In recognition of his service to the profession, he was elected Fellow of the Soil Science Society and the American Society of Agronomy. In 2017, Henry received the Vadose Zone Journal Associate Editor Excellence Award.

Henry received his BS in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU) in 1985, his MS in Soil Science/Pedology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1988, and his PhD from Texas A&M University in 1995. He was Professor of Water Quality and Environmental Science in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at Pennsylvania State University in University Park.

Henry made outstanding scientific contributions, namely in investigating hydraulic properties of soils and the mechanisms of preferential flow at the pedon and catchment scale. In particular, he was one of the founding fathers of the field of hydropedology, linking pedology and hydrology by characterizing patterns and processes at various spatial and temporal scales. Henry aptly organized and hosted the First International Hydropedology Conference at Penn State. He published widely on this subject, including a definitive treatise on “Advances in Hydropedology” published in Advances in Agronomy in 2005, and an edited book Hydropedology: Synergistic Integration of Soil Science and Hydrology published by Academic Press in 2012. He was one of the first scientists recognizing the importance of long‐term monitoring of pedological and hydrological processes and was very active in establishing and promoting critical zone observatories. In 2011, Henry served as Guest Editor of a Special Section in Vadose Zone Journal on ``Interdisciplinary Sciences in a Global Network of Critical Zone Observatories." In 2016, he authored a widely cited update paper on “Critical Zone Research and Observatories: Current Status and Future Perspectives” in Vadose Zone Journal . And just in 2018, Henry was Guest Editor of the Special Section on “Frontiers in Hydropedology: Interdisciplinary Research from Soil Architecture to the Critical Zone” in Vadose Zone Journal , a special section that highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research to advance vadose zone science.

Henry had an exceptional ability to relate soil physics and hydrology to global issues and was a great ambassador for soil science and environmental protection. Many of us vividly remember, and will miss, his engaging presentations at scientific meetings.

With Henry we have lost a great colleague, collaborator, fellow scientist, mentor, and friend. We will be forever thankful for all his contributions.