Faculty
Zachary M. Easton, PhD -Professor, Department of Biological Systems Engineering CV
My research addresses both native and managed systems, considers processes at plot- to large river basin-scales, and is relatively evenly divided among field study/monitoring, modeling, and application of results to real world problems. I integrate hydrology, biogeochemistry, environmental data science, and decision support to address water quality challenges in agricultural and managed landscapes. We combine field monitoring, geospatial analysis, modeling, and data analytics to understand nutrient and sediment transport, evaluate conservation practices, quantify legacy nutrient impacts, and develop tools that support effective environmental management from field to watershed scales.
Dan Fuka, PhD – Senior Research Scientist – Department of Biological Systems Engineering CV
I am a research scientist and engineer with professional experience in complex problem solving and high performance computing. I recently transitioned from the commercial Research & Development world into academia, earning a PhD in Biological and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University. My doctoral work focused on different aspects of hydrological modeling, including ways of incorporating more process-based approaches into existing agricultural management models. My previous commercial research and development activities involved, among other things, weather forecasting, primarily for energy companies in the throughout United States.
Jeremy Hanson, Research Scientist, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Co-located at the Chesapeake Bay Program, Annapolis MD
Graduate Students
Siam Maksud – PhD Student in Biological Systems Engineering
Amir Arabameri – PhD Student in Biological Systems Engineering
Alumni
Sabrina Mehzabin, PhD 2026, Consulting Engineer Current
Binyam Afsaw, PhD 2025, Post Doc, University of Alabama Water Resources Center current
Elyce Buell, PhD 2022
Roja Kaveh, PhD 2022, Consulting Engineer Current
Parth Modi, MS 2021, PhD Candidate University Colorado Boulder current
Moges Wagena, PhD 2018, PostDoc 2019-2020, Consulting Engineer Current
Emily Bock, MS 2014, PhD 2017, PostDoc 2018-2019, Civil Engineer USDA NRCS current
Andrew Sommerlot, 2017 -PhD, Research Scientist USEPA Chesapeake Bay Program current
Brady Coleman, MS 2017, Engineer Arcadis current
Russell Umstead, MS 2016 – Engineer Afton Scientific current
Martin Davis, MS 2016 – Research Scientist MyAgro, Senegal current
James Wade, MS 2015 – Engineer Straughan Environmental current
Nick Smith, MS 2013 – Calculus Professor College of William and Mary current
Justin Haber – Undergraduate in Biological Systems Engineering
Casey Shrading – Undergraduate in Biological Systems Engineering
Colby Dechiara – Undergraduate in Biological Systems Engineering