Pundt went on to Harvard University where he earned his Ph.D. with Distinction from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in June 1969; his dissertation was supervised by Professors James S. Ackerman and Eduard F. Sekler.
He was the founder of the Committee on Architectural Heritage, a University of Illinois student/faculty organization that fought for the preservation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Frederick Robie House.
Pundt’s published scholarship addressed nineteenth century Prussian architect, Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841).
Through his involvement with the Committee on Architectural Heritage, he was the instigator of an exhibition and associated catalogue, Frank Lloyd Wright: Vision and Legacy (1967).
After German reunification, he lectured and consulted on preservation projects such as the Palace and Gardens of Sanssouci in Potsdam, the Bauhaus in Dessau, and the reconstruction of historic Dresden.
Pundt was the recipient of multiple awards including: Karl Friedrich Schinkel Medal (Bauakademie, Berlin, 1981), Victor Steinbrueck Chair (University of Washington College of Architecture & Urban Planning, 1983), Lionel Pries Teaching Award (voted by students in the UW College of Architecture & Urban Planning (now College of Built Environments), 1985), University of Washington Distinguished Teaching Award (1992), and Order of Merit, First Class, of the Federal Republic of Germany (1992).
In June 1996, Pundt retired after more than 35 years as a university faculty member, but continued to teach on a reduced schedule.