Group Members

Hua Zhang

Associate Professor of Civil Engineering

Dr. Zhang received his BS and MS degrees from Hunan University in 2001 and 2004, respectively, and his PhD degree from University of Regina in 2011, all in environmental engineering. Before joining Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 2014, he was a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University. Dr. Zhang's research interests have involved a variety of topics in hydrology, water resources management, geospatial analysis, environmental systems analysis, and environmental impact assessment.

Mihretab Tedla

Postdoc

Dr. Tedla earned his PhD in Disaster Management from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Japan. Prior to that, he obtained dual MSc degrees: one in Water Resource Engineering from Sungkyunkwan University and another in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Addis Ababa University. His research focuses on integrating social, technical, and environmental dimensions of water resources management. Dr. Mihretab has extensive experience collaborating with governmental organizations on hydrological and environmental projects, as well as working with research institutions on climate change adaptation. In his free time, he enjoys participating in various sports activities.

Lapone Techapinyawat

PhD Candidate, GSCS

Lapone received a BSc in geology and MSc in geological engineering. He also has work experience in an industrial career as a seismic interpreter and sub-surface mapper in Thailand, and an academic career, as a teaching assistant at the University of Idaho. His research scope mainly emphasizes stormwater management in urban areas, where the land covers have a significant number of impervious surfaces that could alter the flow and infiltration patterns. He uses a UAV to obtain high-resolution images, integrating them with hydrological and spatial analysis.

Beruchya Dao-Bai

PhD Student, CMSS

Beruchya obtained a BA in Political Science with a minor in sustainability and an MS in Environmental Sciences & Policy with a track in geographic information systems (GIS), from the University of Notre Dame and Johns Hopkins University. In her career, she explored the environmental, economic, and social facets of sustainable development. Her particular interest in hydrology and ecosystem services led her to the WESA Lab at TAMU-CC. Beruchya's interdisciplinary research focuses on integrated water resources management, and related geospatial analyses with an emphasis on coastal regions.

Cat Corrales

PhD Student, CMSS

Cat obtained a BS in Environmental Spatial Analysis from the University of North Georgia and a MS in Geographic Information Science from California State University, Long Beach. Her research focuses on leveraging geospatial data to help inform equitable urban planning strategies. She is interested in remote sensing, data visualization, integrated water resource management and climate change adaptation. In her free time, Cat enjoys reading a good book or taking a walk with her dog.

Bishal Khatri

PhD Student, CS

Bishal has a background in Civil Engineering, including a Bachelor of Technology from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada in India and an M.Sc. in Water Resources and Environmental Management from Leibniz University Hannover in Germany. He also worked as a civil engineer in Nepal, focusing on water resources management and green energy including hydropower plants. His research interests include hydrology, hydraulics, urban water management, and the impact of climate change, with a growing focus on integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into these fields. He will work on a project at the WESA lab that uses Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) and physical sensors to detect and predict issues in urban wastewater systems, aiming to protect public health and the environment. Outside of work, he enjoy exploring new places, hiking, and staying active through sports.

Olivia Burnes

MS Student, CMSS

Olivia obtained a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in pre-professional Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Coastal Marine System Science. She has a background in biology, chemistry, air quality, and technical and professional writing. Olivia has always had a passion for wanting to help improve the environment because of her love for animals. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and dogs whenever she can.

Abigail Gonzalez

MS Student, GSSE

Abigail earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science with a focus in Atmospheric Science from the University of Houston. She has years of professional experience in land management and performing various environmental assessments. Abigail also worked for the National Park Service, where she utilized various GIS applications for shoreline surveying and salt marsh elevation monitoring. Her research at the WESA lab will focus on determining the elevation of stormwater outfalls in Corpus Christi, search for possible choke points that can cause flooding upstream of the outfalls, and use various modeling software to map the underground stormwater pipelines to better understand the utility network and possible unprecedented flooding consequences. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors with her dog, playing volleyball, painting, and antiquing.

Sandhya Dhakal

MS Student, GSSE

Sandhya earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Geomatics Engineering from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Before joining Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC), she worked as a Survey Officer for the Government of Nepal, where she specialized in spatial data management, land surveying, and GIS-based mapping for maintaining land administration of the country. Her research interests include remote sensing applications for environmental analysis and spatial data science. She is also passionate about data visualization and storytelling through maps, making complex spatial information accessible to diverse audiences. Beyond research, Sandhya enjoys hiking, gardening and photography.

Esteban Moreida

Undergraduate Student, Mechanical Engineering

Esteban is currently a junior at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Driven by a love of hands-on work he has chosen to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. From childhood tinkering to college labs, Esteban has always been interested in how mechanical systems work. When not in school, Esteban spends most of his time building model kits and practicing woodworking.