Sebastian Westermann

Dr. Sebastian Westermann holds the position of Research Professor and Head of the Research Focus on Perpetual Tasks and Mine Water Management at the Post-Mining Research Center of the Georg Agricola University of Applied Sciences since 2023. He also teaches the 'Mine Life Cycle' course in the Geotechnics and Raw Materials Engineering programs. Previously, he served as a Research Associate at the same institution from 2015 onwards, and earlier roles included Project Manager at Schmidt & Partner GmbH and research positions at the Universities of Münster and Clausthal.

His academic training includes a Master of Science in Geosciences from the Westfälische-Wilhelms University of Münster (2009) and a Doctorate in Engineering from Clausthal University of Technology (2020), where his dissertation on mine water rise modeling earned the Oskar Niemcyzk Prize. He has also received the Heitfeld Prize (2010) and a scholarship from the Hildegard and Karl-Heinrich Heitfeld Foundation during his studies.

Dr. Westermann’s research focuses on mine water management in post-mining areas, hydrogeological processes, and sustainable resource management. Key areas include mine water rebound mechanisms, hydraulic modeling, and transnational comparative studies of European coalfields. His interdisciplinary work bridges engineering, geology, and policy, addressing challenges such as groundwater protection, legacy site remediation, and subsidence mitigation.

• Publications span over 20 peer-reviewed articles and technical guides, including the Practical Guide to Mine Water (2023) and case studies on Ruhr region hydrology.
• Active member of professional organizations: Hydrogeology Section of the German Geological Society, Mine Water Working Group, German Mine Surveyors Association.
• Led the Berichte zum Nachbergbau series and contributed to international forums like the MineXChange conference (2020) and the Altbergbau-Kolloquium (2018–2023).