Arthur Guillot-Legoff awarded the 2026 École des Ponts Thesis Prize

Every year, the École nationale des ponts et chaussées Thesis Prize recognises young PhD graduates whose work contributes to the scientific, economic and social standing of the School.

This year, the jury has decided to award the 2026 Prize, sponsored by the Fondation des Ponts, to Arthur Guillot-Legoff for his thesis entitled ‘Hydrodynamic and microbiological modelling of urban aquatic environments for the prevention of health risks associated with open-water swimming’, carried out at the LEESU and LHSV laboratories.

His thesis stands out for its ability to link hydrodynamic modelling, environmental metrology and the operational management of health risks. His work on the real-time detection of microbiological contamination in urban aquatic environments, using sensors that enable continuous, live monitoring of water quality – whereas traditional methods rely on one-off laboratory analyses taking up to 24 hours – covers a broad spectrum, ranging from the development of autonomous measurement systems to their integration with predictive models validated at sites in the Île-de-France region such as the Bassin de La Villette or the River Seine. The work is not limited to conceptual advances: it has been deployed in real-world conditions to ensure the safety of the swimming events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, demonstrating a pragmatic approach focused on societal impact.