Marina Mautner

Marina Mautner is a scientist with the Water Program in Davis, Calif., participating in a broad set of projects in California, Latin America and globally. A groundwater and policy expert, Marina first joined SEI as a graduate student intern in March 2020.

At SEI, Marina combines tools from engineering and social science disciplines to analyse hydrogeologic and policy conditions at the basin and regional scale, focusing on environmental sustainability in vulnerable communities both locally and globally. With a broad background in computer programming, environmental studies and civil engineering, she develops tools to model and visualize the multi-faceted impacts of future uncertainties and water resource planning interventions on socio-hydrologic systems.

She recently completed her Ph.D. at the University of California (UC), Davis in hydrologic sciences where she was a Ford Predoctoral Fellow and Global Education for All Fellow. Her dissertation research integrated groundwater modeling with multi-objective decision analysis to evaluate spatially distributed aquifer recharge policies for the Mexico City Metropolitan Area. Marina holds a B.A. in environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz, a B.S. in civil and environmental engineering from UC Berkeley, and a M.Sc. in water resources engineering from UC Davis.

Marina has worked as an engineer with RMC Water & Environment and carried out research at the Engineering Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico as a Fulbright-Garcia Robles Student Researcher. Her projects have included the optimization of domestic rainwater catchment systems, automated water metering, and wetland design for wastewater treatment.