BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to welcome Sushant Mehan as a new Water Resource Engineer Specialist.
In his role, Mehan will examine land use and climatic impacts on water quantity and quality to help ensure all South Dakotans have access to clean, safe water for personal, agricultural, recreational and utility services. He will be based on the SDSU campus in Brookings.
“Water, essential for the sustenance of life, is at the heart of my excitement in this role. The prospect of actively collaborating with and dedicating myself to the preservation and effective management of water resources is what truly energizes me about this position,” Mehan said. “It’s a meaningful and rewarding endeavor, knowing that my efforts directly impact access to this vital resource for various purposes, ultimately benefiting communities and the environment alike.”
Mehan received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural engineering from Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana, India, and his doctorate from the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue University in Indiana.
With a strong background in data-driven water resource analysis, Mehan’s previous research experiences include a fellowship at Colorado State University where he worked in partnership with the Water Management and Systems Research unit of the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service.
He has also conducted research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and The Ohio State University, and as a graduate research assistant at SDSU. In the private sector, he has worked as an agricultural engineer at Formation Environmental LLC in California and contributed as a lecturer at the Northwest Institute of Engineering and Technology in Punjab, India.
“Sushant has expertise in remote sensing and spatial modeling, which will allow us to understand land use, best management practices and climatic impacts on improving water quantity and quality at the watershed scale,” said Sandy Smart, professor and Agriculture and Natural Resources Senior Program Leader. “This new approach will increase the efficiency and target conservation practices to where it is needed most. We are very fortunate to have Dr. Mehan join the water resources team at SDSU Extension.”
For more information, contact Sushant Mehan, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Water Resource Engineer Specialist, at 605-688-5487 or Sushant.Mehan@sdstate.edu.
