I grew up in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I obtained my undergraduate degree in water resources engineering from the Department of Water Resources Engineering of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. After working as a Junior Engineer at the Institute of Water Modeling (IWM), a government trustee of the Ministry of Water Resources of Bangladesh, I decided to apply for graduate schools. I completed my MS and PhD in water resources engineering from the Department of Civil Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering of George Mason University in Virginia. My doctoral research focuses on understanding spatiotemporal patterns of extreme precipitation across spatial scales.

I come from Bangladesh, a nation in the largest deltaic plain, formed by the mighty Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin. The country’s economy, livelihood, end agriculture are largely affected by the unique characteristics of its interconnected networks of rivers and tributaries. While blessed with rich alluvial soil, the country is vulnerable to extreme hydroclimatic events such as floods, cyclones, and droughts. My motivation to study water resources engineering emerges from the desire to enhance community resilience in the face of the climate crisis. By examining hydroclimatic extremes and their variability, I aim to improve predictability and ultimately enhance vulnerable communities’ ability to withstand and adapt to these challenges. 

During my undergraduate studies, I developed a keen interested in the practical application of water modeling, particularly, in simulating interaction between river and floodplain. My focus was on investigating how encroachment on the banks of the river effect flood flows on natural channels and eventually the flow conveyance in downstream. From then, my research direction shifted significantly from river flow modeling to studying precipitation trends. As a junior engineer at IWM, I actively collaborated with my team to navigate the complexities of hydrological and hydrodynamic modeling components. This involved integrating field observations with these models to gain better understanding of surface water-groundwater resources. As I started my PhD, I spent some time to mapping atmospheric variables at a higher resolution over Northern Virginia using physical-based and machine learning approaches. This particular research eventually led me to specialize in analyzing changes in extreme precipitation at different spatial scales. To accomplish this, I leverage multi-source precipitation datasets obtained from remote sensing and earth system models, combining them with statistical modeling techniques. Specifically, I assessed trends in precipitation magnitude, frequency, and intensity in the Contiguous United States (CONUS) and High Mountain Asia (HMA) at seasonal and annual scales. My long-term goal is to develop tools such as flood forecasting and drought monitoring that will help better understanding shifts in hydrological regime and trends of high-impact events under a warming climate using observation, models, and data science.

I have been nurturing my indoor plants for over three years and it has become a source of solace and relaxation for me. Cooking is another passion of mine and I thoroughly enjoy exploring new cuisines and experimenting in my kitchen. Traveling to new and exciting destinations is something I always look forward to. When it comes to finding peace and tranquility, nothing compares to listening to music. It has been my go-to option for uplifting my spirits. I do love painting which I find therapeutic and I am putting my effort to try out new painting techniques. The next on my bucket list is to finally complete reading the books I have accumulated over time and have yet to finish.

Currently, I am listening to an audiobook titled The Death of Expertise by Tom Nichols and I highly recommend it!!