iUTAH Team - Graduate Research Assistant
KSHITIJ (KAY) PARAJULI
Utah State University
Research Topic
ADVANCING METHODS TO QUANTIFY ACTUAL EVAPOTRANSPIRATION IN MONTANE ECOSYSTEMS
iUTAH Research Focus Area
RFA1
Faculty Advisor
Scott Jones, David Tarboton
Abstract
Quantification of evapotranspiration (ET) is crucial for understanding the water balance and efficient water resources planning, however there is less knowledge for actual ET (ETA) in natural ecosystems as compared to agricultural settings. The major focus of this study was to improve ETA estimation in montane ecosystems, where heterogeneity can be substantial due to diverse vegetation and non-uniform soils, many of which contain considerable stone content.
Biography
Kay is a doctoral student at Utah State University (USU) majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). Kay earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from Kantipur Engineering College, Tribhuvan University, Nepal and became employed as a Civil Engineer for Mailun Khola Hydropower Company upon graduation in 2009. He has also served as Civil engineer at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, Government of Nepal and Nepal Electricity Authority. In 2011, Kay was awarded an AIT-Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs full scholarship to pursue a Masters of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand. Kay received his ME degree in Water Engineering and Management in 2013 and was awarded the HODAKA Prize for the outstanding performance in the department of Water Engineering and Management in addition to receiving Nepal Vidya Bhushan award for Academic Excellence awarded by the president of Nepal. He has also worked as Visiting Scientist at APEC Climate Center, Busan, South Korea during his M.Eng. and as Research Associate at AIT after completing his M.Eng.
