Current Members

LR
Lina Rodríguez
Ph.D. Student

Working on two NSF-funded projects: (1) "Informing River Corridor Transport Modeling by Harnessing Community Data and Physics-Aware Machine Learning," and (2) "Can treated wastewater mitigate water scarcity without compromising ecological sustainability of arid rivers?" Her research focuses on how biochemical processes in arid rivers respond to continuous exposure to treated effluent and their capacity to recover from disturbances.

Past Members

PT
Paige Tunby
Ph.D. · Graduated 2026

Her Ph.D. addressed the NSF-funded question: "How far downstream do wildfire disturbances propagate in fluvial networks?" In her MS, she worked on the development of rapid response teams for environmental research post-wildfire.

JD
Jancoba Dorley
Ph.D. · Graduated 2022

Worked on quantifying stoichiometric constraints on nutrient uptake processes (DOE) and metabolism in streams (NSF). BS in Petroleum Engineering from Penn State (2016) and MS in CEE (2018). Previous work included nutrient export modeling in the Clear Creek watershed and offshore gas hydrate seismic work.

AK
Asmita Kaphle
M.S. · Alumni

Worked on the NSF-funded wildfire disturbance propagation project, combining Eulerian and Lagrangian monitoring in a Rapid Response Team framework to investigate water quality changes (pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, DOM, nutrients) before and after wildfires.

AS
Aashish Sanjay (Khandelwal)
Ph.D. · Graduated 2023

Completed two MS degrees in Civil Engineering and Architecture (2020). His MS work focused on developing the SC-FLAWLeSS filtration system; his Ph.D. produced a revolutionary sensing technique for water quality monitoring. BS from Mumbai University.

JN
Justin Nichols
Ph.D. · Graduated 2023

His MS focused on quantifying nutrient uptake dynamics; his Ph.D. developed a framework to scale nutrient dynamics in fluvial networks. A Belen, NM native and U.S. Army veteran, Justin came to UNM driven by his firsthand experience with water access challenges across the world.

PR
Peter Regier
Post-doc · 2017–2020

Characterized dissolved organic carbon composition from Rio Grande headwaters to main stem. Published in Nature Communications, Science of the Total Environment, Frontiers in Water, L&O: Methods, and JGR: Biogeosciences. Now at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

ED
Eleonora Dallan
Exchange Ph.D. · 2019

Exchange student from the University of Padua, Italy (advised by Prof. Andrea Marion). Addressed the question: "Does the mass balance of resazurin and resorufin close at the microbial scale?" Published in JGR: Biogeosciences.

JF
James Sosa Fluke
M.S. · Fall 2018

Researched pathogen dynamics in rivers. Published in Frontiers in Water. Now working at the Bureau of Reclamation.

KB
Kelsey Bicknell
M.S. · Spring 2019

Studied food-energy-water resource dynamics in an agricultural network downstream of an urban center. Published in Frontiers in Water. Now at CDM Smith engineering firm in Albuquerque.

EW
Emily Wolf
M.S. · Fall 2018

Developed techniques to improve quantification of solutes in rivers. Published in Limnology & Oceanography: Methods. Now with the National Parks Conservation Association.

SA
Sumant Avasarala
Ph.D. · 2017

Studied transport and fate of U and metals in surface water–groundwater interactions (advised by Dr. Jose Cerrato). Published in Environmental Science & Technology. Went on to a postdoctoral fellowship at UC Riverside.

VG
Vanessa Garayburu
M.S. · 2017

Researched nutrient processing in streambed sediments across a river continuum. Published in Water Resources Research. Now at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

JM
Jacob Mortensen
M.S. · Alumni

Focused on closing nutrient loops in aridland basins. Published in Environmental Science & Technology. Went on to work with American Southwest Ichthyological Researchers, LLC.

CH
Cameron Herrington
M.S. · Alumni

Earned B.S. in Civil Engineering (cum laude) and M.S. in Civil Engineering (magna cum laude) at UNM. Now working with the Bureau of Reclamation in Albuquerque.

JG
Jacobo González-García
Undergraduate · Alumni

An undergraduate researcher in Computer Science who worked on the development of RIO-FINDER.