Principal Investigator: Jeeban Panthi, PhD
Assistant Professor of Hydrogeology, Kansas State University Department of Geology
I am a groundwater hydrologist working at Kansas State University, where my research focuses on understanding and managing water resources in agricultural and climate-sensitive landscapes. My work integrates numerical modeling, field observations, and satellite remote sensing to investigate the complex interactions between surface water and groundwater systems. I am particularly interested in simulating flow and contaminant transport in the Ogallala Aquifer and other key water bodies across Kansas. My research aims to develop decision-support tools that address critical challenges such as groundwater depletion, nitrate contamination, and the impacts of land use and climate variability. By coupling process-based hydrologic models with high-resolution Earth observation data, I strive to improve predictions of water availability and quality at both local and regional scales. I collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to ensure that science informs sustainable water management, policy development, and agricultural resilience in the central United States and beyond.
Please read this article to know more about my Water Journey.
My research and publication sites
ResearchGate GitHub ORCiD Google Scholar
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Lab Members
Musabbir Turjo, Working towards MS in Water Resources Engineering
Musabbir Turjo is a MS candidate in Civil Engineering department at Kansas State University. He received his bachelor’s from the Department of Water Resources Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). He was involved in research work from his undergrad during which he developed several hydrological models for rivers in Bangladesh, worked with remote sensing and climate change impacts on hydro-meteorological variability across river basins. His research interests are a blend of numerical modeling, surface-groundwater interactions and remote sensing. He is deeply passionate about harnessing the power of data-driven methodologies to find sustainable and innovative solutions in the fields of water resource engineering which could be beneficial to the science community.
Joana Aba Adazewaa Biney (incoming MS student in Geology)
Joana is an incoming (Fall 2026) master’s student specializing in groundwater quality, contaminant transport modeling and sustainable water resource management. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Geological Engineering and possess solid foundational experience in geological mapping, sampling, data analysis and interpretation. Her research focuses on simulating groundwater and contaminants flow in Ogallala Aquifer in Kansas. She seeks to address groundwater contamination and depletion by understanding the source, behavior and transport of contaminant employing both field and laboratory based investigations in hydrogeology, geophysics and GIS applications to develop a predictive model that supports sustainable groundwater management decisions. She aspires to build a career in hydrogeology contributing to environmental consulting and scientific research to improve safe water systems and responsible water resource management in environmentally sensitive regions.
Colby Ifland (incoming MS student in Geology)
Colby is an incoming (Fall 2026) master’s student specializing in groundwater contamination. Colby graduated from K-State in 2026 with a Bachelor’s in Environmental Geology, a Bachelor’s in Geography, a NRES Secondary Major and a GIS Certificate. He also holds fundamental experience in field work, sampling, analysis, and interpretation. A lot of these foundational skills were acquired during Colby’s research as an undergraduate testing private wells in western Kansas. His research interests revolve around developing proximity tests for groundwater and integrating GIS software with groundwater data to achieve a better understanding of water resources and more informed public. Eventually he aims to operate his own company focused on environmental consulting and remediation while simultaneously improving people’s understanding of their everyday relationship with geology.
Govinda Khanal, Research Volunteer (Data Analytics)
Govinda Khanal is a research volunteer studying the spatial and temporal dynamics of groundwater pumping in Kansas. He is analyzing data from more than 10,000 pumping wells spanning over 50 years, focusing on trend analysis and key predictor variables that influence groundwater use. By integrating data analysis and mapping techniques, his work helps uncover long-term patterns of pumping and their links to climatic and environmental factors, supporting efforts toward sustainable groundwater management in the region.
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This could be you! Reach out to Dr. Panthi if your research interest matches with our groups interest.
Postdocs: We do not have funding for postdocs currently, however if you are interested in writing your own proposal to work with our team, reach out to Dr. Panthi.