Team


Graduate Students

Patrick Wittbold – PhD

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Lohita is currently pursuing her Ph.D in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She received her Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and her Bachelor of Technology in Instrumentation and Control Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Trichy, India. Her research at UMass Amherst is focused on degradation technologies (photo and electrochemical) for treating contaminants of emerging concern (N- DBPs, PFAS) in drinking water systems. Lohita focused on detection and quantification of total petroleum hydrocarbons in soil during her masters at CMU. At the Indian Institute of Science, she worked on water quality analysis in piped networks. Lohita has been an instructor for the UMass College of Engineering First Year Seminar, designing and teaching the course “Introduction to Sustainable Engineering.” Lohita supports efforts to increase representation and inclusion in STEM and in her free time enjoys traveling and exploring different cuisines.

Lohita Rajesh – PhD

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Shane Hancox – PhD

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Camila Sancho – MS/PhD

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Katarzyna Wisnauckas – MS

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Phone Myint Paing – MS

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Undergraduate Students

Annabella Colavito – BS

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Hannah Steinbrecher – BS

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Madison Mullen – BS

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John Emerson – BS

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Postdoctoral Scholars

Hiroki Fukuda, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Associate
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Chester was postdog scholar at the California Institute of Technology in the Hoffmann Lab. His main responsibilities at Caltech included providing emotional support to many of the graduate students and postdocs in the Environmental Science and Engineering department. Chester will be working as an Adjunct Pawfessor at the University Massachusetts Amherst part time.

Chester McBeath

Adjunct Pawfessor


Primary Investigator

Sean T. McBeath, PhD

Assistant Professor
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Previous Members

Mohammad (Kiron) Shakhawat, PhD – Postdoctoral Research Associate, 2024 – 2025
Program Manager, Water Quality
at
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
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Alanna Mahar is a Master’s student in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Her research interests include detection, identification, and quantification of metal contaminants via in-situ, point-of-use sensors. She received her Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UMass Amherst in 2023. During her time as an undergraduate at UMass, Alanna completed several lab-based courses sparking an interest in analytical and instrumental chemistry. She also participated in undergraduate research in David Reckhow’s lab investigating the interactions between chlorine and natural organic matter, which lead to the formation of disinfection byproducts. In the summer of 2023, she participated in an NSF funded International Research Experience for Students (IRES) program which investigated water quality in towns with intermittent water supply in Machakos County, Kenya. In addition to her studies, Alanna enjoys hiking and reading.
Alanna Mahar – MS, 2023 – 2025
Environmental Engineer I
at
CDM Smith
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Faye Kuszewski is a first-year Master's student in the Environmental and Water Resources Engineering department. Her current research focuses on the use of Fe-TAML catalysts in electrochemical reactors to evaluate the degradation of pharmaceuticals. She completed her Bachelor's of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a Bachelor's of Arts in German studies with a concentration in STEM topics at UMass Amherst in 2023. During her undergraduate career, Faye was involved in research at the Water Energy and Technology Center, including topics such as the presence of E. Coli in intermittent water supply systems, best practices for the use of ISE biological nutrient sensors in aeration basins, and the investigation of the use of peracetic acid as a drinking water pre-treatment. Faye is from central Massachusetts and enjoys knitting, hiking, and reading in her spare time.
Faye Kuszewski – MS, 2023 – 2025
Chemical Engineer
at
GBA Group
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Joshua Fiorentino – Graduate Research Assistant, 2024
Engineer I
at
Wright-Pierce
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