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Lab Director

Debabrata Sahoo

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Dr. Sahoo, a professional engineer and a certified professional hydrologist-water quality, is the director and principal investigator of the SA-SE Lab at Clemson University. He joined Clemson in 2020 after earning his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in 2008 and working at Woolpert, Inc., in Columbia, SC, from 2008 to 2020 as a senior engineer/subject-matter expert, where he addressed practical, regulatory-driven stormwater and water-quality challenges faced by local governments, cities, counties and municipalities. He earned his M.S. from the University of Arkansas and his B.S. in India. His industry experience informs his approach to integrating applied engineering with academic research, with a focus on developing collaborative, community-driven solutions to real-world, ecology-centered water resources challenges.

Postdoctoral Researchers

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Dr. Ibrahim Busari

Dr. Ibrahim Busari joined the lab in 2025 as a postdoctoral researcher and research scientist. His work focuses on developing computational and decision-support tools to assess, understand, quantify, and predict harmful algal blooms, including cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs). He is currently on leave.

Current Graduate Students

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Jack Cuneo

Jack is an M.S. student in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences. He has been working with Dr. Sahoo since 2024, beginning during his undergraduate studies in Biosystems Engineering at Clemson University. He first joined the lab as an honors undergraduate student and research assistant. His research initially focused on temperature dynamics in bioretention cells and has since expanded to studying soil water repellency in these systems.

Jyoti Neupane

Jyoti is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Agricultural Sciences. She joined the lab in 2025, where she applies multiscale, sensor-based approaches—including in situ sensor measurements, drone observations, and satellite data—to assess and quantify microcystin and harmful algal blooms (HABs) in lentic systems ranging from small water bodies to larger lakes.

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Morolake Fatunmbi

Mo is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences. She joined the lab in 2025 after completing her M.S. under Dr. Sahoo. Her research focuses on understanding the drivers of microcystin production in small lentic systems such as ponds, while also engaging and communicating with relevant stakeholders throughout her work.

Gafar Lanre Agunbiade

Gafar is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Agricultural Sciences. He joined the lab in 2024. He researches the application of silvopasture systems to improve water quality in South Carolina, using sensor-based measurements and computational modeling to evaluate and predict the system performance.

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Abdulgafar Tunde Badrudeen

Abdul is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Agricultural Sciences. Abdul joined the lab in 2024. He researches digital water systems and high-frequency sensor-based monitoring in lower-order creeks. His work includes developing entropy-assisted data-correction algorithms and advancing real-time digital twin modeling to better understand and simulate watershed processes.

Kaleigh Sims

Kaleigh is a Ph.D. student in Policy Studies. She joined the lab in 2023 and works part-time on water quality policy research in South Carolina.

Past Members

Doctoral

  1. Ibrahim Busari, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Ph.D., 2024 “Leveraging High-Frequency Water Quality Data and Machine Learning for Monitoring Harmful Algal Bloom”. Currently working as a postdoctoral scientist/computational ecologist at the SA-SE lab, Clemson University.

Masters

  1. Morolake Fatunmbi, Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, M.S., 2024 “Influence of Pond Age on Phosphorus Water Column-Sediment Interactions in Coastal Stormwater Ponds”. Currently working as a Ph.D. student at the SA-SE lab, Clemson University.
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  2. Emily Jordan, Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, M.S., 2023 “Nutrient Dynamics in Restored and Unrestored Urban Streams: A Study in the Southern Piedmont Ecoregion of South Carolina”. Currently working as an environmental scientist at AECOM.
     

  3. George Strickland, Applied Economics and Statistics Department, M.S., 2023 “An Assessment of Information and Agriculture as a Factor of Agricultural Development and Sustainability in South Carolina.” Currently research director, South Carolina Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

Undergraduates Researchers

  1. Daniela Font. Biosystems Engineering, Clemson University. Summer 2025 Margaret A. Davidson Resilience Scholar. “Education and engagement with the coastal communities on harmful algal blooms in stormwater ponds”.
     

  2. Alyson Curl. Biosystems Engineering, Clemson University. Fall 2024-Spring 2025. Honors Thesis Research Student. “Exploring the use of temperature sensors for application in bioretention cells.”
     

  3. Jack Cuneo. Biosystems Engineering, Clemson University. Fall 2024-Spring 2025. Honors Thesis Research Student. “Exploring the use of temperature sensors for application in bioretention cells.”
     

  4. Kemberly Nertulus. Summer STEPS REU intern, Washington University, MO. Summer 2024. “The role phosphorus plays in public health.”
     

  5. Madrid, Natalia. Summer STEPS REU intern, University of Florida, FL. Summer 2024 “Analysis of phosphorus dynamics in restored streams”.
     

  6. Alyson Curl. Biosystems Engineering, Clemson University, SC. Summer 2024. “Exploring the use of temperature sensors for application in bioretention cells”. Summer 2024.

High School Student Researchers

  1. Mono Hogg, Governor’s School of Science and Mathematics, Summer Program for Research Interns (SPRI), Clemson University, 2022. “Understanding water quality in a stormwater pond.”

Part time

  1. Tharun Kumar Vaspari: An MS student in the Department of Computer Science. Tharun assisted in testing a WebApp for HAB genera detection, performed test documentation, flow chart, designed and maintained the team’s website.

Before Clemson

  1. S. Green, R. Cron, M. Moore, A. Snef, Capstone Project, Biosystems Engineering, Clemson University, SC. Fall 2019. “Improved composting/vegetation recycling center site operations design.” Fall 2019. (Co-advised with Dr. C. Darnault).
     

  2. J. Jones, A. Bostwick, R. Calvert, W. Paraszczuk, Capstone Project, Biosystems Engineering, Clemson University, SC. “Modeling Joe Park LID Design using IDEAL, Greenville, SC.” Fall 2018. (Co-advised with Dr. C. Darnault). 
     

  3. E. Matlock, Woolpert-OSU Undergraduate Scholars, Biosystem Engineering, Oklahoma State University, OK. 2009-2010. “Effectiveness of grass buffer strips for E. coli removal from runoff.” (Co-advised with Dr. D. Storm).​
     

  4. K. Stunkel, Woolpert-OSU Undergraduate Scholars, Biosystem Engineering, Oklahoma State University, OK. 2008-2009 “Constructed wetlands design to meet Oklahoma’s phosphorus standard on the Illinois River.” (Co-advised with Dr. D. Storm).

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