People

I moved to the United States from the Philippines to pursue graduate studies and to expand my horizon. As a college student, I loved every facet of the geosciences and my passion for it grew with my deepening appreciation for nature, increasing awareness of environmental issues, and thirst for exploration. For my undergraduate capstone project, I mapped and studied ophiolites and their capping sedimentary sequence in the southern island of Mindanao in the Philippines. For my master’s thesis, I studied how the hydraulic properties of the streambed of a small creek in rural Nebraska affected surface water-groundwater interactions and streamflow depletion during groundwater extraction. My PhD dissertation primarily used computational simulations to investigate the mechanics of flow and transport through the terrestrial-aquatic interface referred to as hyporheic zones. As a graduate student, I taught introductory geology labs, an upper-level structural geology lab, and highly specialized hydrology classes including assisting with mathematical modeling exercises in graduate classes. I decided to specialize in hydrology because it simultaneously satisfied my curiosity and my yearning to do research that matters directly for people, particularly those with less access to life-sustaining water. I had also gotten enthralled by caves and karst landscapes and watersports near the end of college. Rocks + water + society = hydrogeology. It was a natural choice, and I have not looked back since.

My wife and I started raising a family early. Our son was born as we finished our MS studies. Five years later as a newly minted PhD and professor, our daughter was born. Time outside of work is mostly spent with the family. Whenever I can, I try to enjoy the rolling hills of Austin on my road or mountain bike or on hikes. I also give my mind a break from science and work through cooking. I have picked up scuba diving again and started applying my underwater skills in the study of coastal groundwater discharge and its connections with coastal ecology and biogeochemistry.

My goal is to train and uplift future leaders in hydrology and to answer the many open basic and applied scientific questions as long and as much as I can. Members of our team strive to push their personal boundaries and of hydrologic knowledge.

For information on the 2025 GSA Hydrogeology Division Birdsall-Dreiss and LaMoreaux International Distinguished Lectures, please read this.

William Nguyen

My research interests converge on questions about groundwater-surface water interactions, nutrient cycling, and contaminant fate and transport across the land-ocean continuum. I am currently developing reactive flow and transport models on the formation of iron-oxide and permeable natural reactive barriers (PNRB) and their dynamic interactions with arsenic and other bioreactive elements along the Meghna River in Bangladesh. The insight from these simulations will help in the protection and management of drinking water supplies in the region and in other similar places. See Will’s website

Neelarun Mukherjee

Water hidden beneath the Earth’s surface comprises around 31% of the planet’s freshwater.  My primary research interest lies in modeling transport and flows in the subsurface. My goal is to address the growing drinking water crisis due to groundwater contamination around the world by developing robust models to explain complex transport phenomena in the subsurface, primarily in the vadose and the critical zones considering the effects of increasing human interference is one of my broad research interests. I am currently focused on the complex transport processes that take place in the thawing Arctic permafrost due to global warming and how they affect the overall water cycle in the Arctic region. Not only is this important for the water cycle, the Arctic permafrost stores a huge amount of greenhouse gases like CH4, CO2, NOx which will get released as the Earth warms up and thus, will affect the global climate. I am interested in computational modeling and understanding the complex subsurface transport physics taking place in the dynamic Arctic subsurface. Other than research, I  am interested in street photography and Formula1. See Neelarun’s website

Cameron deFabry

Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water for millions globally. The compaction of aquitards from groundwater pumping has been linked to the release of arsenic into surrounding aquifers in many areas in Southern Asia and the Western United States.  My goal is to relate subsidence from groundwater pumping to the deformation within aquifer/aquitard systems in fluvio-deltaic environments. I utilize the remote sensing, Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), approach to quantify surface subsidence. I am developing models that use InSAR observations as well as groundwater records to determine aquifer properties. I will develop further models that will predict aquitard compaction in response to groundwater pumping so as to estimate the risk of arsenic mobilization. The resulting simulations will allow for better aquifer management which could protect the fresh water resources that millions rely on for their daily life.

Ebony Williams

After spending some time using remote sensing techniques to provide research that helped local and federal governments make decisions regarding hydrologic environmental issues, I knew I wanted to pursue a Master’s in Hydrology. I am currently interested in applying remote sensing techniques to study groundwater flow and contaminant transport processes. Aside from research I find all things space related really cool, so I enjoy watching documentaries or reading books about black holes, exoplanets, star formation, etc. I am a “foodie” so venturing out to new restaurants or food trucks is a joy of mine. See Ebony’s LinkedIn website

Zijian Qin

I got my bachelor and master’s degrees in China, previously focusing on LNAPL (light non-aqueous phase liquid) remediation using multiphase extraction and environmental behaviors of microplastics in porous media. Now, I study and work under both Prof. Bayani Cardenas’ and Ann Chen’s supervision. I love to explore new stuff (not only research related stuff but also many aspects of my life) and get close to nature which are part of the reasons why I choose to come to the US to do my PhD. During my free time, I like outdoor activities in general, going to the gym, watching movies and cooking (a new hobby I guess, I love food btw.)

Grace Castle

After receiving my bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, I worked at Sandia National Laboratories for two years before coming to graduate school. I am interested in using reactive transport modeling to understand contaminant behavior in groundwater and surface water. Because of my engineering background, I enjoy the math and physics built into understanding how water moves in the environment. I am also interested in isotope geochemistry and hope to incorporate stable isotopes into my research. In my free time, I like to run, read, and craft (crochet or cross stitch).

Amber Nguyen

Ever since I was little, I loved the environment and outdoors. Now understanding the importance of water on our lives and planet, I decided I wanted to investigate a field related to water systems. With what I learn in my studies, I strive to help mitigate arising environmental issues. Currently, I am researching the connection between submarine groundwater discharge, coral reefs and volcanic activity through analysis of spatial data. In my free time, I enjoy skateboarding, indoor gardening, art and making music.