Dr. Rafael M. Almeida | Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor in the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana UniversityBorn and raised in southeastern Brazil, Rafael is an ecosystem scientist broadly trained as a freshwater ecologist. His research has advanced the burgeoning field of basin-scale hydropower planning, emphasizing the role of coordinated dam siting in reducing adverse ecological impacts of hydropower development. His work has evolved to encompass the sustainability of broader energy systems, including emerging technologies such as ‘aquavoltaics’ (deploying solar panels on water surfaces) and ‘agrivoltaics’ (integrating solar power and agriculture). Additionally, Almeida investigates greenhouse gas emissions from constructed aquatic ecosystems, ranging from large reservoirs to small ponds associated with the rapid expansion of aquaculture.
Rafael’s research has been featured in prominent journals, including Science, Nature, and Nature Sustainability, and his innovative work on hydropower sustainability has led him to receive the Society for Freshwater Science’s 2021 Hynes Award for New Investigators.
rafalmei@iu.edu | +1 (812) 855-3774
Office: MSBII Room 320, IU Bloomington
Freny Reji | M.S. Student
Freny is pursuing an M.S. in Data Science at IU and has a background in AI with a five-year integrated master’s degree from VIT India. She is working on the development of a web-based platform for monitoring floating PV systems. Her research integrates geospatial analysis and satellite data processing using Google Earth Engine to generate site-level environmental metrics and temporal visualizations. She focuses on building interactive tools that enable exploration of floating PV locations, waterbody characteristics, and satellite-derived indicators.
Maria Camila Garcia | Ph.D. Student
Camila is pursuing a Ph.D. in Mathematics and Statistics with Interdisciplinary Applications at UT Rio Grande Valley. She earned a B.S. in Mathematics from the National University of Colombia. Camila’s research is centered in developing predictive models for estimating greenhouse gas fluxes from constructed aquatic ecosystems.
Augusto Del Claro | Ph.D. Student
Augusto received a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from the Federal University of Uberlândia (Brazil). He’s pursuing a Ph.D. in Environmental Science at Indiana University since Fall 2024. Augusto’s research focuses primarily on environmental benefits and tradeoffs of floating solar power.
Aline Valerio | Postdoctoral Associate
Aline holds a Ph.D. in Remote Sensing from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research and is particularly interested in remote sensing applications that enhance the monitoring and conservation of aquatic ecosystems. Her current work focuses on using satellite imagery to quantify impacts of floating solar arrays on aquatic environments.
Sushobhan Bhattarai | M.S. Student
Suso holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Kathmandu University in Nepal and is pursuing a dual master’s degree in Environmental Science and Public Affairs at Indiana University, with concentration in energy and climate change solutions. Prior to joining IU, he worked as a research assistant at Energize Nepal, a program funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. His current research focuses on conducting cost-benefit analysis for floating solar PV and solar canopies in South Texas and is evaluating scenarios for integrating floating solar PV with hydropower in Nepal.
Former lab members:
Deisy Garcia, MS student, UT Rio Grande Valley, 2023-25
Siena Stassi. MS student, UT Rio Grande Valley. 2023-25
Dr. Marcelo Gomes da Silva. Associate Research Scientist, UT Rio Grande Valley. 2024
Alexuss Jauregui. Program Coordinator, UT Rio Grande Valley. 2024
Ifeoluwa Babarinde. MS student, UT Rio Grande Valley. 2022-2024
Areefin Chowdhury. MS student, UT Rio Grande Valley 2024
John Rodriguez. Undergraduate student, UT Rio Grande Valley. 2022-24
Gabriela Salinas. Undergraduate Intern, UT Rio Grande Valley. 2022