Josh Epstein, PhD

I received my MS degree in wildlife ecology and conservation in August 2016 from the University of Florida where I measured the functional diversity of freshwater fish communities across the southeastern United States. I received my PhD in forest resources and conservation in August 2021 from the University of Florida where I studied the hydrology and biodiversity of geographically isolated wetlands in three Florida wetlandscapes (Big Cypress National Preserve, Ordway-Swisher Biological Station, and Austin Cary Forest). My research focuses on understanding the environmental and spatial drivers of aquatic biodiversity, and more specifically, how the timing and duration of inundation and hydrologic connectivity influence species composition.

Katie Glodzik, PhD

I'm a geospatial scientist specialized in remote sensing, wetland ecology, and quantitative ecology. My current work focuses on creating decision support tools for forest management, centered specifically on increasing forest water yield and understanding carbon storage drivers in depressional wetlands. I did my PhD at UF in Interdisciplinary Ecology, focusing on saltwater intrusion and hydrologic change impacts to coastal wetlands. I have a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and I've worked as a GIS consultant and contractor for non-profit conservation groups and government. I love to cook, pickle things, learn history, spend time outside, and do various crafting.

Azade Deljouei, PhD

I earned my PhD in Forest Engineering from the University of Tehran in 2019, where my research focused on the roles of root cohesion, soil reinforcement, and the use of live plant materials in stabilizing soils, controlling erosion, and mitigating shallow landslides. During my doctoral studies, I had the opportunity to be a visiting scholar at the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland. I explored the interactions between plants and soil in Alpine Forest ecosystems. Before joining the University of Florida (UF), I served as a postdoctoral researcher at the Transilvania University of Braşov in Romania. I focused on the ecological impacts of forest roads on vegetation diversity and the importance of non-woody species in soil conservation along forest roadsides. Collaborating with Prof. Cohen, I became a part of the Ecohydrology Lab in 2022. Currently, at UF, my research delves into modeling Leaf Area Index and its influence on landscape water yield. Additionally, I am engaged in analyzing historical aerial imagery to assess land use and land cover changes in managed southeastern pine ecosystems, encompassing both wetlands and uplands in Northern Florida. In pursuit of a deeper understanding of the hydrological effects of forest harvesting and its subsequent impacts on landscape hydrological responses, I am investigating how different intensities of forest harvesting affect streamflow and wetland hydrological dynamics.

For further insights into my work, you can find me on Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Linkedin, ORCID, Scopus, and Web of Science. 

Seyed Mohammad Moein Sadeghi, PhD

Dr. Seyed Mohammad Moein Sadeghi is a Postdoctoral Research in the Ecohydrology Lab, under the supervision of Prof. Matthew J. Cohen. His research interests include precipitation partitioning (throughfall, stemflow, interception), reference evapotranspiration, and the impacts of silvicultural treatments and forestry management practices on hydrological and biogeochemical cycles at various scales (from stand to global scales). He has experience as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Transilvania University of Brasov (Romania) from 2021-2022 and Visiting Researcher at the TU Delft (Netherlands) from 2017-2018. Dr. Sadeghi received his Ph.D. (Forest Hydrology and Silviculture) from the University of Tehran (Iran) in 2018, where he modeled rainfall partitioning in typical plantation stands in a semiarid climate zone. Currently, he is working on Bradford Forest, Austin Cary Forest, and Ordway-Swisher Biological Station and his research focuses on modeling the impacts of silvicultural management on water yield.

For further insights into my work, you can find me on Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Linkedin, ORCID, Scopus, Web of Science, and Twitter.

Yuseung Shin (PhD student)

I'm interested in stream ecology as a way to represent diverse ecosystem functions of flowing waters and to reflect the environmental changes of a watershed. I earned my master's degree from the Seoul National University by studying carbon dynamics between soils and streams. Currently, my PhD works in the University of Florida focus on ecosystem-level stream metabolism, which refers to photosynthesis and respiration. My research aims to understand the temporal patterns of stream metabolism and how those patterns are driven by abiotic factors, such as light, flow, temperature, and nutrients. 

Sam Howley (PhD student) 

Sam is a Ph.D. student delving into carbon fluxes and transport in flatwood streams. She earned her B.S. in Environmental Science at the University of Florida, conducting research on stormwater pond nutrient dynamics. Following this, she contributed to an interdisciplinary project examining prescribed fire effects on savanna pine wetlands. During her master's, Sam joined the Ecohydrology Lab, where she investigated the impacts of flow reversals on spring ecology, focusing on metabolic gas concentrations and efflux. Her interests encompass biogeochemistry, hydrologic connectivity, and the human footprint on hydrological systems. Beyond her academic pursuits, Sam enjoys biking, music, and spending time with her feline companion, Grayson.

Paul Donsky (PhD student)

I grew up in Gainesville, FL and first fell in love with Florida's springs as a kid while tubing on the Ichetucknee River. In 2015, I began working for the nonprofit Florida Springs Institute studying the threats facing Florida's springs and rivers and realized I wanted to make protecting Florida's waters the focus of my career. I joined the lab in 2021 after I received my B.S. from Oregon State University. During my Master's, I showed how flooding and flow reversal events contribute to the proliferation of algae in the Springs of the Suwannee River. I decided to stay with the lab to complete my Ph.D., where I will further investigate the causes of spring ecosystem decline including the impacts of low dissolved oxygen on aquatic vegetation communities.  

Lindsey Cromwell (PhD Student)

I am currently a PhD student in SFFGS with a research focus on the spatial and temporal variability of solutes in Florida's iconic springs. Before joining the lab, I earned my BS in Geoscience from Indiana University of Pennsylvania studying the structural geology of Taiwan's Eastern Central Range, and my MS in Geology studying Arctic surface water - groundwater interactions using numerical models from West Virginia University. Along with my research at UF, I am involved with various projects through the Carbonate Critical Zone Research Coordination Network and Trajectories Towards Water Security (TRACER). When I'm not coding, I like to listen to music and go to the beach with my dogs Crash and Maverick. 

Sunita Shrestha (PhD Student)

I'm researching the nuances of water and carbon dynamics in Florida's wetlands as a PhD student at the University of Florida. I completed my B.Sc. in Environmental Science in 2016 and M.Sc. in 2019 from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. I'm passionate about environmental ecology and its conservation, with a particular focus on wetland ecology, biogeochemistry, and water quality and its purification.

Seyed Abolfazl Ebrahimi (PhD Student)

Abolfazl received his master's in civil and environmental engineering from Sharif University of Technology, the most prestigious University in Iran. He carried out his master's projects by focusing on the prediction and modeling of the water quality and water level of the dam Reservoir using hydrodynamic model and machine learning algorithms. Abolfazl's research during his Ph.D. delves into the spatiotemporal variability of water quality, exploring the intricate balance between spatial and temporal factors influencing stream solute concentrations. Through extensive data analysis across various geographical regions, Abolfazl aims to develop and enhance predictive models for water quality patterns. His work explores the interactions between landscape characteristics, hydrological processes, and solute variability, striving to optimize water quality monitoring programs. The research also addresses critical questions about the origins of solute variability, which is vital for effective water quality management and environmental stewardship.

Frankie Gorora (Research Technician)

Franklin Gorora joined the Ecohydrology Lab as a student research assistant in November 2022. After receiving his bachelor’s in Geography in 2018 from the University of Florida and several years in the public sector, he completed a graduate certificate in Ecological Restoration in 2023. In the Ecohydrology Lab, Franklin has assisted in as many projects as he can, including forest inventory, springs, stream, NADP and rainfall chemistry field work and laboratory analysis. He is interested in waterway cleanups, invasive species removal, environmental education, native gardening, environmental horticulture, and the applications they have for wetland study and restoration.

Cecilia Aragon (Research Technician)

I am a freshman majoring in Natural Resource Conservation, with the hope to dual degree in Anthropology. I am especially interested in interdisciplinary issues such as human-environment interactions, the anthropology of conservation, and the role of indigenous communities in conservation. The ecohydrology lab gives me the valuable opportunity to work in freshwater ecosystems and help quantitatively analyze unique, and often understudied, aspects of the watersheds in North Florida. My interest in conservation is broad and I hope to continue exploring various aspects of the field throughout my time at UF, such as fire management, terrestrial ecology, and much more.

Avery Bliss (Research Technician)