Two U of M associate professors whose roles during the summer 2011 Mississippi River flooding helped protect citizens have been honored with First Responder Awards from the state of Tennessee.

Drs. Brian Waldron and Arleen Hill were honored with First Responder Awards for their efforts during the 2011 Mississippi River floods. They are pictured with Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons (left) and Tenn. Gov. Bill Haslam's Chief of Staff Mark Cate (right).

Dr. Arleen Hill, associate professor of earth sciences, and Dr. Brian Waldron, associate professor of civil engineering and director of the Center for Partnerships in GIS, were recognized during a special ceremony in Nashville that has been held each year since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

“It has been more than a decade since the 9/11 attacks on the United States. However, we will always remember the public servants like you, who were willing to risk their lives and rescue as many people as possible. The lessons learned on that day have changed the way you all train for emergencies or disasters, for the better,” Mark Cate, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam’s Chief of Staff, said to the honorees.