Biography

Soni M. Pradhanang is a Professor of Water Resources and Water Quality at the University of Rhode Island Department of Geosciences. She strongly believes in interdisciplinary approaches, and her research ambitiously spans the development of decision support systems for water resource management, from local field scales to broader watershed and regional scales. Her work mainly focuses on the generation, transformation, and transport of sediments and nutrients within watersheds, especially in the context of land use and climate change. By integrating monitoring and modeling techniques, Professor Pradhanang seeks to unravel the complexities of water and nutrient movement across varied terrains, soil types, and land use practices. Her research interests also include evaluating the reliability and predictability of water infrastructure, assessing the vulnerabilities of these systems, and developing management practices that ensure the protection of ecosystems that supply our water. Professor Pradhanang’s international work includes climate change vulnerability assessments in water resources in South Asia, where she primarily focuses on water management and climate change issues. Her lab, the Pradhanang Lab, is a dynamic research group that explores various topics, including contaminants in drinking water, pollutant fluxes modeling, and the impacts of climate change on watershed biogeochemistry. Through her dedication to understanding and improving water resource management, Professor Pradhanang contributes significantly to the field, ensuring that future generations have access to essential water resources in a sustainable and environmentally conscious manner. Her work advances scientific knowledge and is a foundation for policy development and practical solutions to pressing environmental challenges.