Sarah Null

Professor, Watershed Sciences, USU

Research Faculty, Ecology Center, USU

Sarah’s expertise is in environmental water management, physical geography, monitoring rivers and aquatic habitats to support modeling, and potential climate adaptations for water management.  Improving environmental objectives in systems models and validating models with innovative field monitoring leads to improved decision-making for water systems and river restoration for sustainable water management in an uncertain future.

Ratha Sor

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ratha has a Ph.D. in Ecology and Environmental Management and is quantifying tradeoffs between alternative hydropower operations at Lower Sesan 2 Dam and aquatic / riparian ecosystems in the Lower Mekong Basin. He brings expertise in water quality assessment, fisheries, and ecological restoration and management. He is based out of Cambodia's Chea Sim University of Kamchaymear and joined the lab in 2020.

Ali Farshid

Ph.D. Student - Watershed Sciences

Ali's research focuses on stormwater management in Salt Lake Valley. Ali works full time as an Engineer at Salt Lake City Public Utilities while completing his dissertation. Ali joined the lab in 2019.

• Full-time Civil Engineer at Salt Lake Public Utilities

Greg Goodrum

Ph.D. Student - Watershed Sciences

Greg is improving environmental objectives for dual optimization water management modeling. Greg is applying his work by analyzing environmental impacts of proposed dams in the Bear River (UT, WY, ID). Greg joined the lab in 2018 and previously worked for the National Park Service.

• American Fisheries Society Travel Award, 2022

Gabriela Sancho-Juárez 

Ph.D. Student - Watershed Sciences

Gabriela is studying linkages between sustainable ecosystems and agriculture with drought intensification. She is evaluating the potential of water banking to provide water for Utah's Great Salt Lake. Gabriela joined the lab in fall, 2022.

• Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center Natural Resources Workforce Development Fellow, 2023-2024

• USU Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Fellow, 2022-2026

Saddy Pineda 

Ph.D. Student - Watershed Sciences

Saddy is using drones, rainfall-runoff models, and climate predictions to better understand how climate variability will affect agriculture and ecosystems in Utah. His models will also evaluate the potential of water banking to lease conserved water for Great Salt Lake. He joined the lab in spring 2023.

• Fulbright Fellow, 2023-2025

• NSF NRT Climate Adaptation Science Fellow, 2023-2024

Kimsan Chann

Staff Researcher

Kimsan is leading water quality and macroinvertebrate field sampling in the Cambodian Lower Mekong River region. He also conducts research on the effects of climate change and potential climate adaptations for Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake. He is funded by the Wonders of the Mekong project. 

Eryn Turney

Research Engineer / Hydrologist

Eryn is working with USU and the Utah Division of Water Rights to perform a Great Salt lake Basin measurement and telemetry gap analysis. This work will improve river and diversion gaging needs throughout the Great Salt Lake Basin.

Christina Morrisett - Ph.D. in Watershed Sciences, 2023

“Multi-objective water management in Idaho's Henry's Fork watershed: leveraging reservoir operation and groundwater pathways to benefit aquatic habitat”. Scientist, Henry's Fork Foundation.  Ashton, ID. 

• American Fisheries Society Climate Ambassador, 2022-2023

• Legacy of Utah State Award, 2022

• Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center Natural Resources Workforce Development Fellow, 2019-2020

• NSF NRT Climate Adaptation Science Fellow, 2019-2020

• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention, 2018

Eryn Turney - M.S. in Ecology, 2023

“Comparing commonly used aquatic habitat modeling methods for native fishes". Hydrologist/Engineer. Utah State University Dept. of Watershed Sciences.

Romdoul Khoeun - M.S. in Water and Environmental Engineering, 2022 (Institute of Technology of Cambodia)

“Highly altered hydrologic flows before and after dam development". Engineer, Inros Lackner. Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Kimsan Chann - M.S. in Water and Environmental Engineering, 2022 (Institute of Technology of Cambodia)

“Surface runoff alteration leads to frequent and prolonged drought in the most dammed rivers of the 3S River Basin". Researcher, Wonders of the Mekong. Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Liana Prudencio - Ph.D. in Watershed Sciences, 2020

“Water, Fish, and Fire: Interdisciplinary Research on Ecosystem Services and Climate Adaptation”. Researcher, Office of Water (Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Washington, DC. 

• NSF NRT Climate Adaptation Science Fellow

Greg Goodrum - MS in Watershed Sciences, 2020

"Improving aquatic habitat representation in Utah using large spatial scale environmental datasets". PhD student, Utah State University.

Sapana Lohani - Postdoctoral Scholar, 2018 - 2020

"Deforestation in Cambodia's Mekong River Basin". Lead Geospatial Data Scientist, Institute for Integrative Conservation, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VI.

Johnathan (J.) Neenan - MS in Watershed Sciences, 2019

"Evaluation of stream bank restoration to improve water quality in a semi arid stream", Water Rights Adjudication Specialist, Utah Department of Natural Resources. Ogden, UT. 

Thomas Balkcom - MS Plan B in Watershed Sciences, 2019

"Modeling lake temperature response to climate change in the Alaskan Arctic".

Michaela Teich - Postdoctoral Scholar, 2016-2018

Michaela studied the evolution of seasonal snowpack in forest ecosystems and linked them to snowmelt and water supply.  Researcher, Austrian Research and Training Centre for Forests, Innsbruck, Austria.

• Advanced Postdoc Mobility Fellowship. Swiss National Science Foundation (2017-2018) 

Maggi Kraft - MS in Watershed Sciences, 2017

"Optimizing Barrier Removal to Restore Connectivity in Utah's Weber Basin", PhD student, Boise State University.

Jessica Wood - MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2017

"Stream Temperature Monitoring and Modeling to Inform Restoration: A Study of Thermal Variability in the Western US", Stream Restoration Engineer, Alta Science & Engineering.  Moscow, ID. 

Nathaniel Mouzon -  MS in Aquatic Ecology, 2016

"Effects of Environmental Water Rights Purchases on Dissolved Oxygen, Stream Temperature, and Fish Habitat", Environmental Scientist, St. Johns River Water Management District, Palatka, FL.

James White -  MS in Watershed Sciences, 2015

"Great Salt Lake past and present: elevation and salinity changes to Utah's Great Salt Lake from railroad causeway modification", Hydrologist, USGS, Portland, OR.

Logan Elmore - MS in Watershed Sciences, 2015

"Effects of Environmental Water Transfers on Stream Temperatures", Water Quality and Environmental Compliance Specialist, Tennessee American Water, Chattanooga, TN.