Aggie earns national outstanding dissertation award
Dr. Deep Shah received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Universities Council on Water Resources for his work applying satellite remote sensing to monitor global reservoirs.
Dr. Deep Mahipal Shah, who earned his Ph.D. from the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University, has been honored with the Outstanding Dissertation Award by the Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR). This esteemed national accolade recognizes Shah’s contributions to research in global reservoir management and water security.
Deep Shah presented the 2026 UCOWR Outstanding Dissertation Award.
The award is highly competitive, with member institutions across the country nominating their best research in two main categories: water policy and socioeconomics, and natural science and engineering. Shah was chosen as the winner in the natural science and engineering category. His recent win marks a significant milestone for the university, as it is the first time a Texas A&M researcher has won in this specific category.
A global perspective on water security
As droughts intensify worldwide and water resources become increasingly contested, Shah’s work demonstrates how satellites orbiting hundreds of miles above Earth are becoming essential tools for understanding, and potentially safeguarding, the planet’s surface water supply.
Shah’s dissertation focuses on using satellite remote sensing to monitor global reservoirs, particularly in regions where data is scarce or unavailable due to geopolitical or monitoring constraints. By leveraging satellite imagery, his work provides a transparent framework for understanding reservoir-based droughts — water shortages that directly affect drinking water supplies, agriculture, hydropower generation and food security.
“The goal of my research was to generate open-access, freely available and operational data on reservoir dynamics at a global scale and use that data to better understand water shortages and drought risks,” Shah said. “Our research can help improve long-term water resource planning and management by identifying reservoirs that are at high risk of shortages and highlighting where we should avoid overreliance on reservoirs to sustain their long-term benefits and protect future water supplies.”
Shah’s research distinguishes between natural versus human drivers of reservoir droughts. His findings revealed that while climate plays a dominant role, human activities may exacerbate the water shortages in reservoirs.
Continuing a legacy of excellence
This honor follows Shah’s earlier recognition as the recipient of the Texas A&M University Distinguished Dissertation Award and the Distinguished Student Award for Excellence in Research from the Association of Former Students at Texas A&M University in 2025.
“I am truly happy and honored to have first been selected for the best dissertation award at Texas A&M, and now to represent the university on a national stage,” Shah said.
Shah completed his Ph.D. in August 2024 under the supervision of Dr. Huilin Gao. He recently began a new position as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he hopes to apply his expertise to water challenges in the Colorado River Basin — one of the most stressed river systems in North America.
