Meet Our Fellows: Michael Pointl

My Name is Michael Pointl and I am PhD candidate at Graz University of Technology’s Institute of Urban Water Management, where I work on monitoring concepts and modelling approaches for smart water distribution systems. Gathering and analyzing high-resolution water demand data for my dissertation brought me to the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Arizona.

I have been living in Tucson since October and while I will be staying here for four more months, the spirit of the university and the culture of American Southwest have already made my time here the experience of a lifetime.

Faculty and graduate students in the department have made the U of A feel like a home away from home. Their unparalleled expertise in all areas of water research has been invaluable for my own work. Thanks to the efforts of my supervisor, Kevin Lansey, I was further able to collaborate with local utilities, gaining invaluable insights in water management strategies for regions plagued by drought.

I am extremely grateful to the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation for this unique opportunity and am looking forward to the rest of my time in the United States.