Achyut Adhikari

BS (1999):  Biology and Environment, Tribhuwan University, Nepal
MS (2001): Ecology, Natural Resource Management, Tribhuwan University, Nepal
MS (2006): Resource Economics, Research and Project Planning in Natural Resources, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany

Achyut spent 5 Years working as a Research Associate, Programme officer and Wetlands Biologist with NGO, INGO’s working on Natural Resource Management (UNDP, IUCN, and LI-BIRD, PROPUBLIC). In January 2008, he began pursuing a PhD degree in Geoscience at UNLV with a research focus on assessment and monitoring of Wetlands for Water Quality and water resource management in the Las Vegas Watershed.

Amina Lodhi

My work at DRI began November of 2007 after earning my bachelors from UC Irvine. I graduated with a major in Environmental Analysis and Design and a minor in Biology. Currently, I do phosphorus analysis for sites such as Walker Lake, Walker River, Las Vegas Wash and Devils Hole. I am also involved with building an ecological model for the Walker Basin Project. In the near future I hope to earn a masters from UNLV and to continue with research in academia.

Carolyn Link

Carolyn's research interests include aquatic ecology and chemistry. As an undergraduate student at Northern Arizona University, Carolyn worked in an aquatic ecology lab studying the Colorado River within the Grand Canyon, and also researched U-series disequilibria using ICPMS. After finishing her B.S. in Environmental Chemistry while abroad at the University of Hull, England, Carolyn began working in aquatic animal husbandry and life support monitoring. As part of beginning a master's program in Water Resource Management, she currently studies the ecology of the Quagga Mussel in Lake Mead.

Knut Mehler

M.S. (2008): Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena, Germany
B.S. (2005): Geography, Geology, and Ecology – University of Jena, Germany

Mahesh Bhattarai

I joined University of Nevada Reno in 2008 as a Ph.D. student in Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences. I’ve Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering and Master of Science Degree in Environmental Engineering. After earning master degree in 1997 from Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois I worked as a lecturer in Tribhuvan University, Nepal and also as a professional engineer. During those eleven years I worked in dozens of researches and projects related to water quality and wastewater engineering. Currently I’m working under the supervision of Dr. Kumud Acharya on Impact of Climate Change on Lake Mead Water Quality. This research intends to assess the sediment load and consequent nutrient, carbon and selenium loads from Las Vegas Watershed to Las Vegas Wash and to the Lake Mead due to precipitation extremes. Sediment loads will be assessed using the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment Tool (AGWA), which uses SWAT and KINEROS2. Research also aims to establish a threshold precipitation extreme with respect to erodibility.

Past Students