Jurgen Schmandt, PhD

Dr. Jurgen Schmandt was professor emeritus at the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs, at the University of Texas, Austin, and a HARC Distinguished Fellow. From 1986 to 2002, he was director of the Mitchell Center for Sustainable Development at HARC. Before coming to Texas, he worked at the University of Bonn, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Harvard University, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. His areas of expertise included science and technology policy, environmental policy, and water management in semi-arid regions.

Dr. Schmandt was often referred to as a force to be reckoned with by his family, students, and colleagues, and was indeed a driving force behind the success of a number of initiatives throughout his lifetime.

In 2010, he published a book on HARC’s founder entitled George P. Mitchell and the Idea of Sustainability, Texas A&M Press. His other authored and edited works include:

• The Impact of Global Warming on Texas, 2nd edition, University of Texas Press, 2011, co-edited with Gerald North and Judith Clarkson
• Schmandt, J. and Ward, H. (Eds), Sustainable Development: Managing the Transition, Cambridge University Press, 2000
• Schmandt, J. and J. Clarkson (Eds), The Regions and Global Warming: Impacts and Response Strategies, Oxford University Press, 1992
• Schmandt, J., J. Clarkson and H. Roderick, Acid Rain and Friendly Neighbors: the Policy Dispute between Canada and the United States, 2nd edition, Duke University Press, 1988
• Schmandt, J, E. Smerdon and J. Clarkson, State Water Policies, Praeger, 1988

In 2000, Dr. Schmandt and others (J., Aguilar, I., Mathis. M., et al.) completed a major study entitled Water and Sustainable Development in the Binational Lower Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin. Using the methodology developed for the Rio Grande study, Dr. Schmandt organized an international assessment of rivers in arid lands.

Dr. Schmandt founded two non-governmental organizations: the Rio Grande/Río Bravo Coalition and the Paso del Norte Water Task Force. He was also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

HARC will continue to celebrate the life and service of Dr. Jurgen Schmandt. His obituary can be found here.

He will be deeply missed.