Drilling rig expert Fred McAninch of Indianapolis has been selected to present the William A. McEllhiney Distinguished Lecture Series in Water Well Technology for 2006.

The series is sponsored by the National Ground Water Research and Educational Foundation (NGWREF). It honors William A. McEllhiney - founding president of National Ground Water Association in 1948 and a ground water contractor and civil engineer. The 2005 through 2007 McEllhiney Lecture series are underwritten by Franklin Electric Co.

McAninch's 90-minute presentation is titled, “The Basic Drill Rig for Your Geology.” It explores the basics of drilling rigs in relation to the geology in which its drilling will take place. Routine maintenance, tooling and trucks, along with associated costs will be discussed. His presentation will debut at the 2005 Ground Water Expo in Cobb County, Ga., Dec. 13-16.

The McEllhiney Lecture is well suited to meetings and/or conventions of state and regional ground water contractor organizations, academic institutions, regulators, and other groups with a direct interest in water well design and construction.

Since 1991, McAninch has operated The Rig Doctor, servicing a wide range of rig needs - from providing simple parts for daily use to complete rig overhauls, restorations and remounts. For nearly a quarter-century, McAninch worked for George E. Failing Co. in a district office near Indianapolis. Starting as parts manager, he eventually was promoted to direct district sales and service for the Midwest. During his tenure there, he worked five years with the R&D Field Development Department.

Dr. Eileen Poeter, professor of geological engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, has been selected to present the 2006 Henry Darcy Distinguished Lecture Series in Ground Water Science.

This series honors Henry Darcy's 1856 discovery of the basic law governing ground water flow. Annually, a panel of scientists and engineers invite an outstanding ground water professional to share his or her work with peers and students through the lecture series.

Poeter's lecture is titled, “All Models Are Wrong: How Do We Know Which Are Useful?” Her presentation examines how the ground water profession today is searching for appropriate approaches to developing conceptual models, evaluating which are useful, and describing the uncertainty associated with their predictions.

As the Darcy lecturer, Poeter will spend the year traveling to colleges and universities throughout the world giving a presentation designed to educate and generate interest in ground water science.

Poeter also serves as director of the International Ground Water Modeling Center. In the early 1980s before entering academia, she worked for the consulting firm Golder Associates, and she has continued to consult during her academic career.

The free Darcy series has reached more than 50,000 ground water students, faculty members and professionals throughout the world since it was established in 1986. More than a dozen outstanding scientists and engineers have served as lecturers.

Requests for both the McEllhiney and Darcy Lectures for the 2006 calendar year will be accepted only by completing the online request form found on the National Ground Water Association's Web site at http://www.ngwa.org/forms/darcylectureform.html. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 15. Direct any questions to Michelle Islam at mislam@ngwa.org.