Prof. Andreas Hartmann was appointed Managing Director of the Institute of Groundwater Management at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences in the 2021/22 winter semester. To satisfy our curiosity, he answered a few short questions for us. In the following interview, Prof. Hartmann offers some insight into his work in research and teaching.

• What do you always have on your desk?

I have a lot of stuff in my office. Since 2013, I always have my Banksy coasters, one for water and one for coffee. These were presents from my former colleagues in Bristol, which they gave to me at the end of my time there. I was at the University of Bristol in England for my post-doc and Banksy, so the rumors say, is from there too. And I also have a figurine of Lucky Luke, which has always brought me a lot of luck.

• Where did you last teach, research and live?

I was in Freiburg for a long time, where I was most recently head of a junior professorship. This was third-party funded by the DFG's Emmy Noether Programme. For my post-doc, along with Bristol, I was also at the McGill University in Montréal, Canada. After that, I didn’t apply in the U.S. as planned, I applied to my old university in Freiburg as an assistant. Homesickness may have been one of the reasons for my decision, because I like Freiburg a lot and have many friends there.

• What was your PhD topic?

It was about the modeling of water resources in various places, taking uncertainties and water quality data into account. The title was “Modeling karst hydrology and hydrochemistry at different scales and in different climates considering uncertainty”. It focused on karst springs in various locations in Europe and I managed to visit five of the six springs and do research on site. The locations included Israel, Switzerland, Spain and Austria. I wasn’t able to visit Palestine due to entry restrictions at that time. The contact I had with colleagues on site was very beneficial and  a lot of fun. I managed to develop a small network and satisfy my wanderlust as a research traveler – a win-win situation, in other words.

• What was the best experience during your studies?

The best experience from my studies...I can’t possibly peg it down to one moment. I really enjoyed field days during my studies. My degree program only had about 15 students, so we got to know each other quickly. The practical aspects of the course helped us become close too. We’re still in touch today and exchange ideas. The field days also piqued my enthusiasm for research, even if nowadays I mostly sit in front of a computer as a modeler.

• What was the worst experience during your studies?

That was while I was writing my Diplom thesis. I was at the source of the Jordan River in northern Israel and was sick. I lived in a kibbutz by the Sea of Galilee near Yardenit, a baptismal site on the Jordan River. While I was sick, I still carried on collecting samples from the source of the Jordan River and  I unintentionally deleted two months worth of data. I didn’t set up a backup in advance. And I thought, “This can’t be the thanks I get for being sick and sacrificing myself for science,” but I managed to complete my Diplom thesis without the data.

• When did you know that you wanted to be a professor?

It took a long time for that moment to come. I’ve always followed the statistics on how likely it is that PhD graduates will be appointed to a chair. I always thought of an appointment to a chair as an option, but I didn’t work towards it obsessively. Then, as I was successful in the Emmy Noether Program, my hopes grew for a professorship. In the end it worked out and I’m very happy to have this opportunity.

• What are the focal areas of your research?

Just like before, my topic is still the modeling of karst hydrology and their uses for drinking water supply. My research has developed from a local and regional, to an international and then global scale. The goal is always to estimate and predict water resources. Water quality parameters are also an important aspect. I also want to build on the existing research here at the Institute and I already have a great team of scientists. The analysis of stable isotopes will remain a focus area here.

• What is your vision for the chair aside from research?

I actually have less of a vision than and more of an aspiration. I’ve heard that my predecessor gave very good lectures. I would like to try and reach this level, but, with recent developments in mind, also try and integrate more online resources into my teaching. I think now is the time to proactively incorporate these. I can envision on-site teaching in conjunction with online resources, such as video conferences with other universities. Overall, my goal is to increase the participation of students in teaching, whether this takes place remotely or on site. I have also resolved to actively reach out to the Faculty Student Council after my partial parental leave so that I can get to know the needs and wants of the student body and integrate these into my teaching. 

• What was a pleasant surprise to you on the TUD campus?

I actually feel very much at home in the (new chemistry) building where the Institute is situated. It’s modern, there’s a lot of space, there’s greenery outside my window and I can get from building to building on the campus quickly, as everything is within walking distance.

• How well do you know Dresden?

Not yet as well as I would like to. One reason for this is the pandemic, as I couldn’t visit all the museums and places that I’d hoped to. I'm sure it's also due to my little daughter, since you're not quite as mobile with a toddler. Gastronomically, I have managed to try out a few things, but I am very sorry that I didn’t get to experience the 2021 Christmas markets in Dresden. That really is such a shame. As my family does not own a car in Dresden, we are somewhat limited in our freedom of movement. But I’m looking forward to the warmer weather when we can discover the Elbe cycle route, for example.

• What are your favourits?

We really liked the beer garden by the Blaues Wunder bridge. My colleagues recommended it and now I can recommend it too. We also like the restaurants close to the Kreuzkirche church, for example, I recommend “La Osteria”. The pizza was excellent and the setting was very child friendly.

Thank you to Prof. Hartmann for the insights. We can look forward to his inaugural lecture, which is scheduled for the 2022 summer semester.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Andreas Hartmann

Tel. +49 351 463-42551
Neubau Chemie, Room E60
Bergstraße 66
01069 Dresden