Thushara Gunda Email & Phone Number

Assess risk and evaluate solutions for resilient management of complex systems across water, energy, and security domains.

Albuquerque, New Mexico Area

Greater Nashville Area, Tn

- Studied the intersection of water and food security of rice production systems in Sri Lanka, specifically historical and future patterns of agricultural drought as well as effectiveness of climate change adaptation strategies - Mentored undergraduate student through the research design and implementation process- Managed concurrent projects with collaborators across multiple institutions- Actively developed outreach methods to communication research findings to diverse audiences; awarded grand prize at Vanderbilt’s 3 minute thesis competition - Recipient of multiple awards, including the NSF Graduate Fellowship and Vanderbilt Dissertation Enhancement Grant - Founded Civil & Environmental Engineering Council, which hosts service and academic events for the graduate students of the department

Austin, Tx

- Conducted site visits and generated corresponding Environmental Site Assessments and Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans- Collected, recorded, and processed groundwater and air samples to determine concentrations of chemical constituents of concern- Researched a range of industry- and market-accepted values for energy and cost savings to evaluate impacts of energy efficient measures specific to hospitals- Served as the Document Manager and the Admin Record Coordinator for the Lake Texoma Environmental Impact Statement under the NEPA process

- Conducted research regarding the feasibility of a collaborative (i.e., synergistic) business solutions approach to water conservation- Worked on a “how-to” manual for by-product synergy collaboration between private enterprises.

- Assisted the Environmental Compliance Manager with the implementation of the environmental management system and climate change program- Developed the countywide baseline greenhouse gas emissions inventory- Served as the technical liaison to the Local Climate Action Planning Process- Generated various reports concerning energy consumption, EPA landfill greenhouse gas rule, budget projections, and BMPs.

- Studied mercury transport and recycling in the Shenandoah Mountains for my senior thesis- Launched a field campaign and processed samples in a CVAFS- Received $7,500 in research grants- Presented findings at: 1) the 2009 U21 Undergraduate Research Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, 2) the AGU Fall 2009 Meeting, and 3) the 2010 Envirodays Research Conference (recipient of Overall Best Undergraduate Presentation at Envirodays)

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Environmental Engineering

Activities and Societies: Civil & Environmental Engineering Council- Coordinating updates to graduate student handbook and related content.

Master Of Science (M.S.), Environmental Engineering

B.Sc.; B.A., Environmental Sciences; Environmental Thought & Practice

Activities and Societies: Presidential Committee on Sustainability ('09-'10), Student Council Policy Evaluations Task Force Leader.

Hs Diploma, Chemistry, Math