Justin C. Thompson

Justin C. Thompson is a Research Assistant Professor at the Bureau of Economic Geology within the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin. His work focuses on the critical intersection of hydrology, policy, and economics, with specialized expertise in water resource management and planning. Dr. Thompson holds multiple advanced degrees from UT Austin including a Ph.D. in Geosciences (2021), an M.S. in Energy and Earth Resources (2018), and an M.A. in Global Policy Studies (2018).

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin (2021)
• M.S. in Energy and Earth Resources, University of Texas at Austin (2018)
• M.A. in Global Policy Studies, University of Texas at Austin (2018)
• B.B.A. in International Business, Texas Tech University (2007)

Dr. Thompson's research centers on water resource management and planning, hydrogeology and groundwater engineering, and numerical modeling and optimization. His dissertation focused on relating groundwater management in Texas to hydro-economic impacts of pumping. His work brings a distinctive interdisciplinary perspective informed by prior experience as an international project finance professional, manager of a Texas wastewater utility, paralegal, and volunteer implementing water solutions in East Africa. He is proficient in Mandarin Chinese, enhancing his capacity for international water resource collaboration.

Analysis of his publication record reveals a concentrated research trajectory on groundwater recoverability in Texas, particularly examining the concept of 'maximum economically recoverable storage.' His work employs hydro-economic frameworks to quantify well performance thresholds and groundwater yields, with specific applications to the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer. He has developed computational tools including the Well Performance Model (WPM) and Groundwater Recoverability Model (GRM) to analyze socioeconomic impacts of water storage changes. His research consistently bridges technical hydrogeological analysis with economic considerations and policy implications for sustainable water management.

Dr. Thompson has presented his research at prestigious venues including the University of California, Davis Water Resources Engineering seminar series, Texas Water Development Board, American Ground Water Trust conferences, and the AGU Fall Meeting. His scholarly contributions appear in the Texas Water Journal and GeoGulf Transactions, with datasets published through the Texas Data Repository.

Professionally, Dr. Thompson currently serves as Research Associate at the Bureau of Economic Geology (2023-present), following his Postdoctoral Fellowship (2022-2023) and Graduate Research Assistant role (2018-2021) at the same institution. His unique combination of geoscience expertise, policy analysis, and economic understanding positions him to address complex water resource challenges facing Texas and similar regions globally.