معرفی
Salini Sasidharan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological & Ecological Engineering at Oregon State University (OSU), part of the College of Agricultural Sciences. She leads the Oregon Water Initiative and focuses on groundwater management, managed aquifer recharge (MAR), and sustainable water infrastructure. Her research addresses challenges in MAR system design, contaminant transport, and regulatory standards for groundwater sustainability. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Flinders University (Australia) and has held postdoctoral roles at the University of California, Riverside, and CSIRO Land and Water.
- Affiliations: OSU Main Campus, Department of Biological & Ecological Engineering
- Education:
- Ph.D., Environmental Science & Engineering, Flinders University (2016)
- M.Sc., Biotechnology, University of East London (2010)
- B.Sc., Biotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University (2008)
Her research interests span groundwater quantity/quality management, sustainable agriculture, and resilient water infrastructures. Key topics include drywell performance, MAR clogging prevention, pathogen migration in subsurface, and policy frameworks for groundwater governance. She has pioneered studies on drywells as MAR tools for urban flood mitigation and agricultural applications, supported by USDA-NIFA funding.
Recent work includes developing a compartmentalized conceptual model for the Lower Umatilla Basin aquifer using forensic hydrology, revealing structural barriers formed by channeled filled belts (CFBs). This advances groundwater flow understanding and informs sustainable management strategies. She also investigates colloid retention, pretreatment techniques for source water, and climate-resilient MAR designs.
Scientific contributions include over 30 peer-reviewed articles and conference presentations. Awards include the 2022 Early Career Award from the Soil Physics and Hydrology Division and the 2021 Outstanding Research Award from UCR. She actively mentors students and serves on committees such as the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area and the Soil Science Society of America.
Labs/Teams: Groundwater Lab at OSU, collaborating on MAR systems, vadose zone monitoring, and subsurface characterization. Her work integrates field experiments, numerical modeling (e.g., HYDRUS), and geophysical methods for data-driven solutions.
