Prospective Students

I am building an interdisciplinary research group focused on groundwater resilience, unconventional state-variables, and data-informed water management decision making, particularly in drought-prone, arid regions. Our group works at the intersection of hydrogeology, environmental modeling, machine learning, and socio-economic analysis to support groundwater use. If you are interested in joining as a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher, please see the sections below. I especially welcome applicants with broad scientific backgrounds and with interdisciplinary interests.

Prospective Ph.D. Students

I am recruiting one or two Ph.D. students to begin preferably in Fall 2026, depending on mutual availability, research interest and goals. Strong applicants should have a degree (B.S. or M.S.) in Civil or Environmental Engineering, Hydrology, Geology, Earth Sciences, or a related field, and a demonstrated interest in groundwater science and modeling.

Relevant research areas include:

  • Numerical groundwater and vadose zone modeling (e.g., MODFLOW, HYDRUS)
  • Groundwater–surface water interactions and coupled hydrologic systems
  • Managed aquifer recharge (MAR)
  • DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) and environmental tracers for recharge estimation
  • AEM (Airborne Electromagnetics) and hydrogeophysical data assimilation
  • Saltwater intrusion modeling and coastal aquifer management
  • Decision Support Systems
  • Hydro-economics and policy-relevant groundwater governance frameworks
  • Machine learning for model-data integration

Preferred qualifications:

  • Programming skills (e.g., Python, R, MATLAB)
  • Experience with fieldwork or spatial datasets
  • Interest in stakeholder engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration

If you are interested in working with me, please email me directly for further information on these topics, before submitting an application to the UCLA Ph.D. program. Include the subject line “Prospective Ph.D. Student – [YOUR NAME]”, attaching your CV and a 1-2 page(s) research interest statement/cover letter in a single PDF file.

For Fall 2026, the UCLA CEE Ph.D. admissions portal opens in September 2025, with a deadline of December 15, 2025. You may revise the relevant information for a complete application through the portal, following this link https://www.cee.ucla.edu/graduate-admissions/.

Prospective Master’s Students

I may supervise M.S. students starting as early as Fall 2025, though most positions will begin in Spring 2026. Suitable applicants will have a background in engineering, hydrology, environmental science, or a related discipline and a strong interest in applied groundwater topics. If you are interested in working with me, you are encouraged to reach out!

Possible M.S. research areas include:

  • Groundwater recharge and MAR performance assessment
  • Coupled surface–subsurface modeling
  • Decision support tools for water management
  • Salt water intrusion and contaminant transport modeling
  • Environmental tracer and AEM/DTS integration for aquifer characterization
  • Machine learning applications

Prior research or programming experience is preferred but not required. If you are interested in working with me, please email me directly before submitting an application to the M.S. program in CEE at UCLA. Include your CV and a brief note describing your research interests.

Postdoctoral Scholars

I am open to hiring and/or hosting a postdoctoral researcher with expertise in one or more of the following: high-resolution groundwater modeling, vadose zone hydrology, inverse modeling, machine learning, hydrogeophysics (e.g., AEM), or hydro-economic analysis.

Candidates should have:

  • A Ph.D. in Civil/Environmental Engineering, Hydrology, Geosciences, or a related field
  • A publication record in relevant areas
  • Proficiency in scientific programming (Python, R, MATLAB, etc.)
  • Strong communication skills, and interest in mentoring and interdisciplinary collaboration

Interested applicants should email me with the subject line “Prospective Postdoc – YOUR NAME”, and include a CV, a 2 pages research statement outlining past work and future interests, and links to any relevant publications.

I value collaboration, curiosity, and scientific relevance. If your interests overlap with the research vision of our group, even if you’re unsure about the fit, feel free to reach out! 🚀 If there is good alignment, we can explore ways to collaborate at any study level, whether in person or remotely, including opportunities for research internships regardless of affiliation.