People

He did his Ph.D. in Civil and Earth Resources Engineering from Kyoto University, Japan. Prior to joining JSU, he served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, and a Research Scientist at Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University. Originally from Nepal, his undergraduate (Civil Engineering) and MSc. (Water Resources Engineering) are from the Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. His expertise includes Hydrology, Climate Change, Hydraulics, Sediment Transport, Remote Sensing, Big Data Analytics, and Machine Learning. He enjoys playing with data of all types, from Citizen-Science data to Earth Observations. He also loves to cook, eat and travel.  

He is the Finalist of AIM for Climate Grand Challenge: Leveraging the Power of AI and Machine-Learning, AIM for Climate Summit, Washington D.C., May 08 - 10, 2023. [Proposed Idea: Earth Observations to Decision-making (EO2DM) for sustainable agriculture and water, employing Bayesian modeling]

He has been selected as a mentee for the MIST (Mentoring Institute for Sediment Transport Researchers) program for the academic year 2023-2024. [https://www.mist365.com/mentee-award-back]

Contact: rocky.talchabhadel@jsums.edu 

Sunil has successfully earned his Master's Degree in Hydropower Engineering from the prestigious Institute of Engineering at Tribhuvan University in Nepal. His research focuses on hydrologic modeling, hydrological remote sensing, as well as the design of hydropower and irrigation infrastructure.

Contact: sunil.bista@students.jsums.edu | saezakmi@gmail.com 

Saurav Bhattarai is a Phd student at Jackson State University where he graduated with a Masters in Civil and Environmental Engineering (Water Resources Engineering Track).  He serves as a Graduate Research Assistant, specializing in water resources engineering and hydro climatology. 

Saurav's research focuses on addressing global water resource management challenges and particularly the impacts of climate change (heatwaves, droughts, floods). He is skilled in spatial tools, programming, machine learning, and various modeling software. His academic excellence has been recognized through multiple scholarships, awards and travel grants.

An active researcher, Saurav has contributed to several publications on hydro-climatic extremes and heatwave impacts. He has presented his work at prestigious conferences, including the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. Saurav is a member of key professional organizations in his field, including AGU, ASCE, and EGU.

Saurav's professional experience includes an internship at the USACE ERDC (United States Army Corps of Engineers: Engineering Research and Development Center) in Vicksburg, Mississippi, which has further enhanced his practical skills in water resource engineering. 

Contact: saurav.bhattarai@students.jsums.edu | saurav.bhattarai.1999@gmail.com 

Subash holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the Institute of Engineering at Tribhuvan University, Nepal. With a strong foundation in water resources engineering and a keen aptitude for computer programming, he is committed to conducting interdisciplinary research to develop innovative solutions for water-related issues.

Contact: subash.poudel@students.jsums.edu  

Aashish completed his Bachelor degree in Geomatics Engineering from Institute of Engineering, Pashchimanchal Campus, Pokhara, Nepal. He is particularly interested in using advanced geospatial tools in tackling climate challenges and promoting disaster resilience. Currently, he is doing his research on the pressing issue of heat risks and heat related hazards. After completing his undergraduate he joined Geo3DModelling, where he got real world application of advanced geospatial tools and techniques like GNSS, LiDAR, and UAV. Beside this he was involved in various national and local level projects ranging from developmental works to disaster related works. Additionally,he has provided various trainings to students and government officials.

Contact: aashish.gautam@students.jsums.edu  | aashishgautam533@gmail.com 

Amisha graduated with a Bachelor in Civil Engineering from the Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Her prior work includes assessing the impacts of climate change and urbanization on pluvial flooding in Kathmandu using hydrologic and hydraulic modeling. She is passionate about addressing hydroclimatic extremes, flood risk management and the prediction of water and climate-based hazards. Through interdisciplinary research, she aims to enhance disaster resilience and mitigate risks for vulnerable communities. 

Contact: amisha.bhandari@students.jsums.edu  |

Sandhya recently graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the Institute of Engineering at Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Her focus areas include hydrology and water resources, with a growing interest in applying Machine Learning to analyze climate data and address water-related challenges. 

Contact: sandhya.khanal@students.jsums.edu  | khanalsandhya0@gmail.com  

Lloyd Ndlovu is a Phd candidate at Jackson State University where he graduated with a Masters in Civil and Environmental Engineering. His concentration and focus area is coastal engineering. He has been carrying out research as a Coastal Engineering Intern with the United States Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center at the Coastal Hydraulics Laboratory in Vicksburg as an augmented staff for Woolpert Inc. His focus areas include numerical modeling and coastal storm risk analysis. One fun fact, he likes singing but has a terrible voice. 

Contact: j00985578@students.jsums.edu 

Professor Adhikari has dedicated his career to hydrology and meteorology. After serving the Nepalese government (1988 to 1995), he joined Tribhuvan University (1996-2022), where he mentored students and conducted research. His international experiences further enriched his expertise. Currently affiliated with the College of Applied Sciences in Nepal, Dr. Adhikari participated in the President’s International Fellowship Initiative at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interests include climate change impacts on hydro-meteorological extremes, satellite data analysis, precipitation-runoff modeling, and flood estimation using tracer techniques.

Passionate about knowledge sharing, he actively collaborates with national and international institutions. Dr. Adhikari is committed to promoting sustainable agriculture through water balance studies, aiming to benefit society. Additionally, he is intrigued by the potential link between planetary positions and hydro-meteorological extremes. He plans to explore this connection using satellite observation data. His interest for learning and sharing knowledge continues to drive his engagement in teaching and research.

Contact: tirtharajadhikari63@gmail.com  

Prabhat Banjara is a recent graduate with a Master's degree in Water Resources Engineering from the Institute of Engineering at Tribhuvan University, Nepal. His passion lies in hydrologic modeling and the design of hydropower and irrigation infrastructure. He is committed to lifelong learning and is eager to contribute to innovative research in water resources management.

Contact: banjaraprabhat76@gmail.com 

A graduate student pursuing M.Sc. in Water Resources Engineering at the Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus. He has over four years of experience in the field of stormwater management and is currently conducting research on the application of Machine Learning technique in developing prediction model of groundwater using GRACE satellite data.

Contact: 079mswre006.ashish@pcampus.edu.np 

A graduate student pursuing M.Sc. in Water Resource Engineering at the Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, he is currently exploring use of Machine Learning techniques in predicting streamflow in Nepal. Prior to joining the graduate program, he worked for four years in Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project, Nepal.

Contact: 079mswre019.nischal@pcampus.edu.np 

With over five years of experience in various projects related to drainage studies and stormwater management, he is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Water Resource Management at the Institute of Engineering. His expertise lies in hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, as well as urban storm management. Currently, he is focusing on developing a gridded precipitation product for Nepal to address both temporal and spatial gaps in rainfall data across different regions.

Contact: 079mswre014.manoj@pcampus.edu.np   

After dedicating four years to the National  Reconstruction Programme for disaster risk reduction under the Baliyo ghar Program, funded by USAID, he is engaged in research focused on the applications of satellite precipitation products (SPPs) in regions with limited data availability, particularly for the design of hydropower schemes. His keen research interest lies in utilizing remote sensing for understanding precipitation-induced muti-hazards in disaster-prone areas with scarce data. He is eager to contribute to water resource management and disaster risk reduction through his research efforts.

Contact: subashdhakal58@gmail.com | 076mshpe020.subash@pcampus.edu.np  

With over three years of teaching experience at Lalitpur Engineering College, Mr. Sharma is a passionate hydrologist with a profound interest in modeling and design, specifically in the field of irrigation. His innovative research incorporates the use of satellite precipitation products (SPPs) in regions with limited data, revolutionizing irrigation system design. His research utilizing SPPs has opened up new avenues for hydrological applications in irrigation, offering vital insights into precipitation patterns and their effect on irrigation water requirements. His exceptional balance of teaching experience and innovative research makes him an invaluable asset in both academic and professional settings in the field of water resource management.

Contact: amrahsnitesh123@gmail.com | 076mswre008.nitesh@pcampus.edu.np 

With almost a decade of professional experience in the field of Civil Engineering (mostly in the field of hydropower sector), Mr. Dangol pursued his Master’s Degree in Hydropower Engineering in 2022 from Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuwan University in Nepal. His research work is focused on the applicability of satellite based precipitation products (SPPs) for designing the hydropower projects in the data scarce regions. After completion of his graduation, he is currently working as Research Associate in Center for Water Resources Studies (CWRS), Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University where he is involved in various researches related to the compound and cascading disaster risks, water security, and water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) nexus. His continuous willingness to learn new prospects of water resources and its nexus may contribute in the sustainable management of water resources for the future.

Contact: sabin.dangol.sd@gmail.com | 075mshpe016.sabin@pcampus.edu.np