Pooja Preetha

Pooja Preetha is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil & Mechanical Engineering and Construction Management at Alabama A&M University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (2019), an MS from IIT Madras (2013), and a BEng from College of Engineering Trivandrum (2011). Her research focuses on spatiotemporally dynamic modeling of water quality, groundwater nutrient transport, and climate-land use change impacts on river basins. She integrates remote sensing, hydrologic models, and GIS for environmental assessments.

Key research areas include vulnerability analysis of water systems to climate variability, land cover change effects, and flood vulnerability assessment in mixed landscapes. Teaching interests span fluid mechanics, hydraulic engineering, hydrogeology, and environmental engineering. She serves as a reviewer for journals like Hydrogeology Journal, Water Resources Management, and NSF panels. Professional affiliations include the American Geophysical Union and ASCE.

Her publications emphasize SWAT modeling, remote sensing applications, and environmental health linkages. Recent work explores groundwater recharge via coupled SWAT-FEM models, flood zonation using HEC-RAS, and nitrate dynamics in agricultural regions. She actively develops pedotransfer functions and calibration methods for hydrological models in mixed landscapes.

Teaching responsibilities include introductory civil engineering courses and specialized hydrology modules. She leads initiatives to enhance STEM education through interdisciplinary approaches, combining traditional engineering principles with modern geospatial technologies. Current projects address climate adaptation strategies in water resource management.