Michael H Young

Dr. Michael H. Young is a Research Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin. He holds dual roles at the Bureau of Economic Geology and the Jackson School, focusing on ecohydrology, groundwater recharge, and soil-water interactions. His career spans over 35 years in academia, federal agencies, and private industry, with expertise in vadose zone hydrology and environmental geosciences.

Education: Ph.D. in Soil and Water Science (1995, University of Arizona), M.S. in Geological Sciences (1986, Ohio University), B.A. in Geology (1983, Hartwick College).

Research interests include arid landscape hydrology, water/energy nexus, and soil physics. He has authored/co-authored nearly 100 peer-reviewed articles, served as Editor of Vadose Zone Journal, and chairs committees in professional societies. Awards include Fellowships from the Geological Society of America and Soil Science Society of America (2016), and the Walter Excellence Award (2017).

Advising: Supervised over 10 graduate students and postdocs, focusing on interdisciplinary topics like life cycle assessments of energy systems and induced seismicity. Active in teaching, including courses on geological research methods.

Labs/Teams: Leads projects in the Texas Soil Observation Network (TxSON) and collaborates with the Center for Injection and Seismicity Research (CISR). Engages in consortia like the Advanced Energy Consortium (AEC) and Mudrock Systems Research Laboratory (MSRL).