Faculty Members
Staff Researchers
Research Associate
since 2022
abbey.johnson@ag.tamu.edu RM 123, AgriLife Research and Extension Center at El Paso
Abbey Johnson is a research associate with Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center in El Paso. Abbey earned her BS in Marine and Freshwater Biology from UT Austin and her MS in Biology from Texas Christian University. For the last two years, she has been in Duluth, Minnesota conducting aquatic toxicology research as a fellow with the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Within the lab, Abbey is currently helping with the development of the Nutrient Management Data Explorer – an integrated database of case studies that will provide information on nutrient reductions and receiving water responses for the improvement of water systems across the US. Her various research interests all stem from her desire to identify and reduce negative impacts on the environment and their ecosystems.
After living in frigid Minnesota, she’s happy to be back in Texas enjoying the warmth and is looking forward to exploring El Paso.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
since 2022
lbokati@asu.edu WCPH Room 410, ASU Tempe, AZ
Laxman's interests lie in the field of decision-making under uncertainty, and its applications to machine learning, geosciences, and education. In particular, he is interested in developing and applying theoretical models that can help to explain seemingly odd behaviors and patterns that may occur when making decisions based on incomplete or uncertain information.
He is also interested in using data analysis and machine learning techniques to find patterns or support decision-making in various contexts. Overall, my research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of decision-making under uncertainty and to develop methods and approaches that can help to improve decision-making in a range of practical applications.
Research Technician
from 2021to 2019.0
cynthia.sanchez@ag.tamu.edu RM 123, AgriLife Research and Extension Center at El Paso
Cynthia was born in El Paso, TX and raised in Fabens, TX. In 2019 she graduated from El Paso Community Collage with an Associate of Arts. She got her Environmental Science degree with a concertation in Biology from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2021.
She is helping us work with old aerial imagery from North West Texas to understand how communities react with changing groundwater levels and several other projects. Before working he she took on an internship at Chamizal National Memorial park and enjoyed learning about the city’s history and culture.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
from 2022to 2022.0
esmaiil.m@ag.tamu.edu RM 110, AgriLife Research and Extension Center at El Paso
Esmaiil is originally from Iran. He earned a master’s degree in Irrigation and Drainage Engineering from the University of Tehran and then went on to pursued two PhDs at New Mexico State University in Plant and Environmental Sciences and Civil Engineering.
His research has focused on contaminant transport modeling, water conservation, climate change impacts, and monitoring evapotranspiration using advanced techniques. As a postdoc, he is modeling the process of carbon dioxide emissions from heavily irrigated pecan orchards and how water balance affects carbon dioxide emissions. He is also in charge of the upkeep of our in-situ agriculture sensing network.
Associate Research Scientist
from 2020to 2021.0
helene.mcmillan@ag.tamu.edu RM 120, AgriLife Research and Extension Center at El Paso
Helene McMillan is an associate research scientist for the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at El Paso. Helene is working to develop a comprehensive water budget for the Hueco Bolson aquifer between the Republic of Mexico and the state of Texas. Living in Juarez, the project is of both professional and personal interest to her. She also works on developing a Bayesian Belief Network model for parts of the Ogallala aquifer in Texas. Her interests are in studying the underlying factors for grower decisions and how they-impact/are-impacted by groundwater availability. Further, she is interested in mechanisms of water-soil-interaction, groundwater recharge, and groundwater salinity issues.
Helene holds a Ph.D. in environmental science, pedology, and soil physics, from a joint program of the Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research and the University of Potsdam, Germany. She has been fascinated and working on groundwater issues in (semi-) arid regions around the world, including the Lake Chad Region, and is a true water ambassador.
Research Technician
from 2019to 2021.0
natalie.campbell@ag.tamu.edu RM 121, AgriLife Research and Extension Center at El Paso
Natalie helped us start the image alignment for the Ogallala project. She also maintained our sensor network.
Nidhi is Software Application Developer working from Raritan, New Jersey. Currently, She is working on the OCCVIZ project which is a web-based water resource analysis portal.
She is originally from New Delhi, India. She was working with IBM as a quality analyst before moving to the US. Nidhi has worked as a quality analyst for mobile applications (iOS, Android) and web-based application agile processes. She did her undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Kurukshetra University. She is ISTQB & ITIL certified.
She has a keen interest in reading novels, camping.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
from 2020to 2019.0
santosh.palmate@ag.tamu.edu RM 109, AgriLife Research and Extension Center at El Paso
Santosh works on agroecosystem modeling including system dynamics modeling for salinity management. Besides modeling, he is also involved with aerial and field hyperspectral imaging. He is a very important cog in the research group and has his hands in developing research articles, developing proposals, and supervising other personnel.
He obtained a Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee. He has experience in hydrological modeling, landuse and climate change impact assessment, best management practices evaluation, and wetland conservation planning. Before joining the postdoc position, he worked at Wetlands International South Asia, New Delhi, and IIT Roorkee.
Software Application Developer
from 2021to 2021.0
sebastian.gonzalez@ag.tamu.edu somewhere in El Paso, TX
Sebastian is a student at UTEP working towards the Master’s in Software Engineering with cyber-security concentration. He has worked at a research center at UTEP for three years as a Full Stack Web Developer and helped to build applications from scratch for EPMPO and TXDOT. He is also the Webmaster for the Transportation Leadership Council (TLC) at UTEP and with TLC, he has volunteered for more than 50 hours at local elementary schools and high schools. He is working with Texas A&M in as a Software Applications Developer using the most advanced web-frameworks and API’s.
Research Technician
from 2019to 2021.0
yohtaro.kobayashi@ag.tamu.edu RM 122, AgriLife Research and Extension Center at El Paso
Yohtaro's interests lie in water processes and water resources. He grew up here in El Paso as all his education so far has been in El Paso. He attended the University of Texas at El Paso for a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and for a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering.
During his undergraduate, he attended some classes that piqued his interest in research. Since then he has worked on several research projects including developing a Bayesian belief network to assist decision-makers in managing irrigation salinity on a farm and measuring the change in shadows by recording images under an orchard canopy.
After graduating from UTEP, he has worked full time at the Texas A&M Agrilife El Paso. Here he has working on processing hyperspectral images, using a hyperspectral camera to determine if carbon dioxide can be sensed in NIR region, understanding land-use change in Texas counties, and developing Python scripts. He will be joining Virginia Tech in Fall 2021 for doctoral work in Biological Systems Engineering.
Student Researchers
I come from the southern district of India, Kerala. I'm studying MS in Computer Science at ASU. Before this, I was working at Nokia R&D developing Self Organizing Networks. I am dependable and creative with a strong work ethic and an analytical eye, but I also bring a fun-loving and enthusiastic attitude. I am passionate about the design of software architecture and decision-making models. I love reading, volleyball, and beaches.
I am currently an undergraduate student at Arizona State University studying Civil Engineering. I am from Sacramento, California and am involved in the American Society of Civil Engineers at ASU. I am helping on the Nutrient Management Data Explorer project. I enjoy traveling, going to sporting events, and spending time with friends.
I am currently a Junior at Arizona State University Barrett, The Honors College studying Environmental Engineering. I am originally from Chandler, Arizona and I am currently helping with the Nutrient Management Data Explorer project. In my spare time, I enjoy watching movies/shows, trying new food, and spending time with friends.
Koushik is an Undergraduate Student majoring in Environmental Engineering, also part of the Barrett School at ASU. He is an international student from a small city--Nellore--in Andhra Pradesh, India. He has a passion for inquiry and a commitment to advancing knowledge. He is interested in making meaningful contributions to the field of agriculture. He also loves Cars and traveling.
Meet Kshitij Dahal, a researcher from Nepal interested in remote sensing and machine learning to improve water management and prepare for hydroclimatic extremes. He has completed bachelor's in civil engineering from Tribhuvan University, Nepal and currently working as PhD student at Arizona State University. Kshitij develops low cost models based on remote sensing to help vulnerable communities make better decisions and policies.
Mahdis is a PhD student in Sustainable Engineering and Built Environment (SSEBE). She earned her bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Shiraz University, followed by a master of science in civil-environmental engineering from the University of Tehran. Her primary areas of interest encompass topics such as watershed modeling and data assimilation in water resources using remote sensing data.
She is known for her meticulous nature, she abides by the motto 'slow but precise' in her work. In her spare time, she enjoys shopping, walking, and surfing the internet.
I'm a mechanical engineering graduate student at Arizona State University who has a passion for designing and analyzing models. In addition to my academic pursuits, I have a love for the outdoors and enjoy participating in sports such as cricket and basketball. I believe a healthy body leads to a healthy mind, so I workout regularly to keep me fit. I also enjoy hiking mountains and consider myself an adventurer at heart. Traveling for wanderlust is another interest of mine.
I'm a Master of Computer Science with a concentration in Big Data Systems at Arizona State University (2022-2024). I’m an enthusiast with strong computer skills and a desire to explore, innovate and improve the current technology landscape. As a driven individual, I seek to use my skills and knowledge to make meaningful contributions to the field of technology and drive positive change in society. Interests: Analysts and Computation. Hobbies: Traveling, Cooking, and Sci-fi movies.
Raquel is a PhD researcher at Arizona State University. Raquel will be working on a NASA-funded project related to understanding how Earth Observations can impact Decision Making in water management. Her site of study is the US-Mexico border, specifically the El Paso - Ciudad Juarez region.
Raquel was born and raised in Mexico and completed a BS in Biology and a MS in Biochemistry (really Bioinformatics) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). After spending a couple of years exploring Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics and even Clinical Trials Research, Raquel decided to go back to her roots and do what she is most passionate about, which is water sustainability and social good.
Besides academic activities, Raquel also enjoys swimming and hiking and totally loves dogs! Back in Mexico, she has rescued around 15 stray dogs so far.
Salil joined us as a Sophomore pursuing my bachelor’s in Computer Science at ASU, Barrett. He has been coding since he was 10 years old and have experience in both classical and quantum machine learning as well as positive unlabeled learning. Some of his hobbies are eating, cooking, travelling, and spending time with friends and family.
Saman is a Ph.D. student in Hydrosystems Engineering at Arizona State University. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from K. N. Toosi University of Technology and a Master's degree in Civil Engineering with a focus on Water & Wastewater from Tehran University.
Saman's research interests cover a wide range of topics including Remote Sensing, Uncertainty Assessment, Data Fusion, Data Assimilation, Groundwater Modeling, and Surface Water Quality. Beyond his academic pursuits, he's a big soccer fan and enjoys working out, diving into philosophical books and watching thought-provoking movies.
Shanfer is a software engineer who has a keen interest in Data Mining and Natural Language Processing. He is currently working as a Graduate Research Assistant at Arizona State University, pursuing his master's in Computer Science. He earned his bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Calicut, India. Shanfer is developing a visualization dashboard for watersheds that helps locate and present information on watersheds available in the USA.
Undergraduate Student/Work Study
from 2020 to 2021.0 andres.estrada@ag.tamu.edu RM 123, AgriLife Research and Extension Center at El Paso
Andreas is an undergraduate Electrical Engineering student from UTEP. He is working on multiple projects with other members. Primarily he helps us maintain the fleet of aerial platforms and imagers. He is also our go-to person for 3D printing.
Undergraduate Student/Work Study
from 2021 to 2021.0 aracely.garcia@ag.tamu.edu RM 121, AgriLife Research and Extension Center at El Paso
Aracely is an undergraduate student at UTEP majoring in Geophysics. She is helping with projects that use hyperspectral imaging.
Undergraduate Student/Work Study
from 2019 to 2020.0 ddcruz@miners.utep.edu RM 119, AgriLife Research and Extension Center at El Paso
Damian is a Mechanical Engineering student at UTEP. He is also a UTEP Rugby team member. He works on everything from getting us ready for the UAV flights to maintaining the equipment. He is also our 3D printing expert.
Visiting Scholar
from 2020 to 2021.0 dcheu@ucsd.edu At University of California, San Diego
Daven is an Environmental Systems (Earth Sciences) student at UCSD. He was born in Singapore and raised in El Paso, Texas. He worked on multiple projects, including UAS and GIS. His primary work was in identifying Best Management Practices around various US cities in GIS and collecting imagery in order to train a neural network capable of identifying them. He also assisted in research and handling UAS in the field.
PhD Student/Visiting Scholar
from 2020 to 2021.0 habibur.howlider@gmail.com at UTEP
Habibur is originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh. He did his undergraduate work in Agriculture Engineering at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka. His MS is in Environmental Toxicology from Texas Southern University, Houston.
Currently pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in the Dept. of Environmental Science and Engineering. He is working on research related to crop monitoring through aerial and field Hyperspectral/Multispectral Imaging. He is also a visiting scholar at our lab and helps with UAV Hyperspectral imagery processing for Cotton and Pecan fields in the El Paso region.
Undergraduate Student/Work Study
from 2022 to 2022.0 isabel.uribe@ag.tamu.edu RM 122, AgriLife Research and Extension Center at El Paso
Isabel is a student researchers. She helps us to collect data and perform other research functions including data analysis and reviews. She is an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at El Paso, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences with Biomedical Concentration. She is also a proud member of of the American Society of Microbiology at UTEP.
She love going to the movies, traveling, and spending time with my family.
Undergraduate Student/Student Worker
from 2019 to 2022.0 jorge.garcia@ag.tamu.edu RM 119, AgriLife Research and Extension Center at El Paso
Jorge is an undergraduate student pursuing Mechanical Engineering degree from UTEP. He is working on multiple projects with other members. Primarily he helps us fly and maintain the fleet of aerial platforms and imagers. He is an FAA Part 107 certified pilot.
Undergraduate Student/Work Study
from 2021 to 2022.0 josue.guerrero@ag.tamu.edu RM 122, AgriLife Research and Extension Center at El Paso
Josue is an undergraduate electrical engineering student at UTEP. He is helping us maintain felid equipment and UAVs.
am a techie or a computer literate who likes to work on challenging projects and to provide befitting solutions to the tech-problems, and especially likes to complete the task assigned on time. Recently I became more active on social media, especially since the lockdown to keep in touch with friends and family. Besides this, I like to watch movies, go camping with friends, and play football and cricket. Other hobbies include Photography (I can click wonder If you simply hand over the camera to me), Star-gazing, and Astrophotography.
Wissam Atwah is doing his doctoral work at the University of Texas at El Paso. Fingers crossed he will gradate in 2021. His research focuses on the application of remote sensing and machine learning on Land Use Land Cover Change and sustainability problems. Also, he worked with our group on using Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) and Satellite-based remote sensing for environmental monitoring and modeling. He obtained a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Tennessee State University.
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