Background

Third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Vanderbilt University, mentored by Dr. John C. Ayers. My expertise is in aquatic biogeochemistry, where I focus on

• Deploying high-resolution field monitoring (YSI EXO Sonde for DO, pH, temperature; underwater PAR sensors) and conduct benchtop geochemical assays (IRMS for δ¹³C-DIC; Picarro ring-down spectroscopy for δ¹⁸O; ICP-MS/OES; IC; colorimetric phosphate analyses) to capture diel and seasonal biogeochemical dynamics.

• Modeling stream and lake metabolism (GPP, ER, NEP) in R and apply multivariate statistics to link metabolic rates with environmental drivers.

• Characterizing phosphorus speciation and dynamics, assess trace-metal cycling, and evaluate how artificial light at night (ALAN) alters photoperiod-driven processes in freshwater ecosystems.
  
  
  

Previous Experience & Achievements

• M.S. in Geosciences, Auburn University: Investigated coastal groundwater contamination, microplastic distributions, and hydrogeochemical evolution in aquifers.

• College of Arts and Science Fellow: Earth & Environmental Science, Vanderbilt University (2024)

• Gould Research Grant: Geological Society of America (2024)

• Dean’s Research Award Recipient: College of Science and Mathematics, Auburn University (2023)

• GAB Outstanding Master’s Student: Department of Geosciences, Auburn University (2023)

• People’s Choice Award: Tennessee Water Resources Symposium (TWRS 2025)

• GIS Intern: Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA, 2022)

• Teaching & Outreach: TA for undergraduate course at Vanderbilt; Instructor at Vanderbilt Peabody; summer research assistant at ADECA.

• Communications: Presenter at GSA, TWRS, AGU, and international conferences; author of peer-reviewed articles on microplastics, groundwater quality, and freshwater metabolism.

Research Interests

I’m passionate about interdisciplinary collaborations that advance sustainable management of surface and groundwater resources, focusing on geochemical and computational approaches. Let’s connect if you share an interest in aquatic biogeochemistry, environmental isotope applications, ALAN, phosphorus cycling, or ecosystem modeling. 

Latest

• June 05, 2025: My write-up titled 'How Artificial Light at Night May Be Changing Freshwater Ecosystems ' has been published in the GSA Today magazine. 

• June 01, 2025: Our paper titled 'Interpreting hydrogeochemical interactions and controlling processes in groundwater using advanced statistical techniques in the Southeast Asian megacity: Dhaka, Bangladesh' has been accepted to the journal Cleaner Water. 

• April 08, 2025: My Poster presentation titled 'Understanding the Natural Biogeochemical Cycles in an Oligotrophic Lake in Middle Tennessee' received the People's Choice Award at the Tennessee Water Resource Conference 2025. 

• Sep 28, 2024: Our paper titled 'Is the groundwater of Dhaka city, Bangladesh contaminated with naturally occurring potential toxic elements?' has been accepted to the Journal of Frontiers

• Sep 26, 2024: Our paper titled 'Spatiotemporal distribution and human health risks of potential toxic elements in the groundwater of the lower Tista Floodplain, Rangpur, Bangladesh' has been accepted to the Journal of Discover Water 

• Dec 02, 2024: Successfully defended my PhD Preliminary exam on 'Understanding the Carbon and Oxygen Dynamics in Freshwater Lakes: A study of Natural Biogeochemical Cycles and Artificial Light at Night' at Vanderbilt University.

• Sep 26, 2024: Our paper titled 'Pollution evaluation and health risks assessment of naturally occurring toxic metals in shallow groundwater: A study in southwestern tidal delta of Bangladesh' has been accepted to the Journal of Trace Elements and Minerals

• Sep 24, 2024: Presented my work on 'Understanding the Biogeochemical Dyanimics at the Stephens Lake using Isotopic Analysis' at the GSA Connects 2024.

• June 18, 2024: Selected as the Recipient of the 'Gould Research Grant' by the Council of the Geological Society of America.

• May 01, 2024: Started working as the 'Public Relation Officer' at the Vanderbilt University Graduate Student Council.

• May 01, 2024: Selected as the Summer Instructor at Vanderbilt Summer Academy (Program for Talented Youth) for the course ‘Water Quality & Public Health’.

• Aug 10, 2023: Started Ph.D. as a College of Arts and Science Fellow in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at Vanderbilt University.

• Jul 07, 2023: Our paper titled 'Risk assessment of microplastic pollution in an industrial region of Bangladesh' has been accepted to the Heliyon-Cell Press Journal of Elsevier.

• May 06, 2023: Completion of second master's degree from Auburn University with a CGPA of 4.0.

• Apr 26, 2023: Successfully defended my Master's Thesis on 'Geochemical Characterization of Groundwater and Mineralogical Assessment in Hatiya Island, Southeastern Coastal Region of Bangladesh' at Auburn University.

• Mar 29, 2023: Received the 'College of Science and Mathematics Dean’s Research Award 2023' in the Master's program of Auburn University for 2023.

• Mar 18, 2023: Received the 'GAB Outstanding Graduate Student Award 2023' in the Master's program of Auburn University for 2023.

• Mar 07, 2023: Our book chapter titled ‘Abundance and Distribution of MPs and NPs in Soil: A Global Scenario’ has been published in the book titled ‘Micro and Nanoplastics in Soil - Threats to Plant-Based Food' by Springer Nature Publications.

• Feb 26, 2023: Our paper titled 'Hydrochemical Characterization and Quality Assessment of Groundwater in Hatiya Island, Southeastern Coastal Region of Bangladesh' has been accepted to the Water Journal of MDPI. 

• Dec 10, 2022: Received the 'Bangladesh Sweden Trust Fund' from the Ministry of Finance, Government of Bangladesh.

• Nov 26, 2022: Our paper titled 'Assessment of microplastics as contaminants in a coal mining region' has been accepted to the Heliyon-Cell Press Journal of Elsevier.

• Oct 09, 2022: Presented my work on the Hydrochemical Characteristics and Quality Assessment Of Groundwater in Hatiya Island, Southern Coastal Region of Bangladesh at the GSA Connects 2022.

• Apr 29, 2022: Our paper titled 'Microplastic contamination in the sediments of Saint Martin’s Island, Bangladesh' has been accepted to the Regional Studies of Marine Science Journal of Elsevier.

• Mar 04, 2022: Succesfully proposed my thesis on Hydrochemical Characteristics and Quality Assessment Of Groundwater in Hatiya Island, Southern Coastal Region of Bangladesh to my committee members at Auburn University.

• Oct 09, 2021: Presented my work on the Assessment of Groundwater Quality and Arsenic Contamination in the Coastal Aquifers of Hatiya Island, Bangladesh at the GSA Connects 2021.

• Jul 01, 2021: Received the 'Geological Society of America (GSA) grant' for my master's thesis research.

• Apr 13, 2021: Our paper titled 'Characterization and Spatial Abundance of Microplastics in the Coastal Regions of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh: An Integration of Field, Laboratory, and GIS Techniques' has been accepted to Soil and Sediment Contamination: An International Journal of Taylor & Francis.

• Apr 02, 2021: Presented a talk on the 'Identification and Spatial Distribution of Microplastics in the Coastal Regions of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh' at the GSA Southeastern Section - 70th Annual Meeting - 2021.

• Feb 10, 2021: Our paper titled 'Soil Contamination Assessment by Trace Elements in Barapukuria Coal Mine Region, Bangladesh' has been accepted to the Environmental and Earth Sciences Research Journal of the International Information and Engineering Technology Association (IIETA).

• Mar 30, 2020: Successfully defended my Master's Thesis on 'Identification and Characterization of Microplastics in the Coastal Regions of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh' at the University of Dhaka.