Prize winner Mikhail Tsypin (Section 4.5 Subsurface Process Modelling) successfully defended his dissertation on March 16, 2026 at the Technical University in Berlin, and now rightfully holds the title of Dr. Mikhail Tsypin. This achievement marks a significant milestone in his academic career and underscores his professional excellence, perseverance, and high level of expertise. We extend our heartfelt congratulations on this success.
Mikhail will continue to be based in Potsdam and maintain close contact with the section. He is currently working as a groundwater modeler at Aquasoil Ingenieure & Geologen GmbH in Berlin.

Title of the thesis: Climate-driven effects on regional groundwater dynamics and the thermal field : an example from Brandenburg (North Central Europe)
Excerpt from the summary of his dissertation:
Among the most direct impacts of climate change on aquifers are changes in temperature and groundwater recharge. Rising near-surface air temperature increases potential evapotranspiration (PET), while also increasing shallow groundwater temperature. Groundwater recharge likewise exhibits an intrinsic climate sensitivity, being dependent on the balance between precipitation and PET. It affects groundwater storage and governs advective heat transport in the subsurface. This illustrates the strong interconnection between energy and water fluxes in the subsurface and their sensitivity to climate variability. Socio-economic impacts of climate change include groundwater depletion and declining groundwater quality in large parts of the world, but also present opportunities for managed aquifer recharge and shallow geothermal heat utilization.