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Alumni

Our Global Alumni

Our accomplished alumni are making worldwide impact as professors, researchers, industry leaders, and innovators in environmental biotechnology and sustainability.

Post-Doctoral Researchers

Previous Post-docs

Dr. Chayanon Sawatdeenarunat
Assistant Professor
Asian Development College for Community Economy and Technology (adiCET)
Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, Thailand
Joined Khanal Lab in 2014, completed Ph.D. in 2017, then post-doc. Research in anaerobic digestion and bioenergy.
Dr. Surendra K.C.
Research Assistant Professor
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Post-doc 2017–2019. Research focus includes anaerobic digestion, biochar, and black soldier flies (BSF).
Dr. Anil K Patel
Associate Professor
National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
Post-doc Jan–Sep 2017. Research in fermentation and bioprocess technology.
Dr. Karthik Rajendran
Associate Professor
SRM University, Andhra Pradesh, India
Post-doc Mar–Jun 2016. Research in techno-economic analysis of anaerobic digestion processes.
Dr. Balendu Shekhar Giri
Faculty Member
University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, India
Post-doc Mar 2015–Feb 2016. Research in biochar and H₂S removal. Previously post-doc at IIT-Guwahati.
Dr. Devin Takara
Senior Engineer
US Navy, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, USA
Joined lab in 2008, Ph.D. 2012 ("Green processing of Napier grass for biofuel"). Post-doc/Junior Researcher 2012–2014.
Dr. Saoharit Nitayavardhana
Assistant Professor
Department of Environmental Engineering
Chiang Mai University, Thailand
Joined lab in 2008, Ph.D. 2012 (fungal biomass production for animal feed). Post-doc 2013–2014.
Dr. Pradeep Munasinghe
Research Engineer
WhiteDogLabs Inc., New Castle, DE, USA
Joined lab in 2008, Ph.D. 2012 (mass transfer in hollow fiber membrane for syngas fermentation). Post-doc 2012–2013.
Dr. Zhen Hu
Professor, Vice Dean
School of Environmental Science and Engineering
Shandong University, Qingdao, China
Post-doc Apr 2011–Aug 2013. Research in nitrogen transformation in aquaponics.
Dr. Devappa Rakshit
Senior Scientist
Biorefining Research Institute
Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Post-doc Aug 2011–Jan 2013.
Graduate Alumni

Previous Ph.D. Students

Dr. Chayanon Sawatdeenarunat
Assistant Professor
Asian Development College for Community Economy and Technology (adiCET)
Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, Thailand
Ph.D. 2017. Research in anaerobic digestion and bioenergy systems.
Dr. Surendra K.C.
Research Assistant Professor
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Joined as Master's student in 2010, Ph.D. 2017. Research on AD, biochar, and black soldier flies.
Dr. Duc Nguyen
Postdoctoral Research Associate
The Lyell Centre
Heriot-Watt University, UK
Ph.D. student from 2014. Worked on micro-aeration in AD processes for stable performance at high loading rates.
Dr. Sumeth Wongkiew
Lecturer
Department of Environmental Engineering
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Ph.D. student from 2014. Research focused on nitrogen transformations in aquaponic systems.
Dr. Fernanda Oliveira
Research Engineer
Anheuser-Busch InBev, USA
Ph.D. 2019. Research focused on the removal of hydrogen sulfide using biochar.
Dr. Wachiranon Chuenchart
Research Engineer
Quasar Energy Group, Wooster, Ohio, USA
Ph.D. from 2019. Research on anaerobic digestion and machine learning applications.
Dr. Saoharit Nitayavardhana
Assistant Professor
Department of Environmental Engineering
Chiang Mai University, Thailand
Ph.D. 2012. Research on fungal biomass production for animal feed with concomitant water reclamation.
Dr. Pradeep Munasinghe
Research Engineer
WhiteDogLabs Inc., New Castle, DE, USA
Ph.D. 2012. Research in mass transfer for syngas fermentation to biofuel.
Dr. Devin Takara
Senior Engineer
US Navy, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, USA
Ph.D. 2012. Dissertation: "Green processing of Napier grass for generation of biofuel and biobased product."
Graduate Alumni

Previous Master's Students

Renisha Karki
Ph.D. Student
University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA
M.S. 2021. Research in anaerobic co-digestion.
Dr. Shilva Shrestha
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Environmental Health and Engineering
Johns Hopkins University, USA
M.S. 2015 (AD of lignocellulosic biomass using rumen contents). Earned Ph.D. at University of Michigan.
Dr. Misheel Batsaikhan
Consulting Engineer
AECOM, Honolulu, HI, USA
M.S. 2017. Research on cultivation of protein-rich fungal biomass from agro-industrial residues.
Edward Drielak
Environmental Compliance Engineer
US Navy, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA
M.S. 2015. Thesis on dilute acid pretreatment of Napier grass.
Matthew Wong
Biological Engineer
Healthcare Information Technology, Wuhan, China
M.S. 2013. Thesis on mass transfer evaluation of fungal fermentation.
Majdouline Leroy
Engineer
US Navy, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, HI, USA
M.S. 2012. Thesis on ultrastructural changes associated with pretreatments on Napier grass.
Nora Robertson
Engineer
Tissue Genesis, Honolulu, HI, USA
M.S. Plan-B 2013. Topic: Life cycle analysis of Napier grass for biofuel production.
Ernest J. Williams
Environmental Engineer
Washington, D.C., USA
M.S. Plan-B 2016. Topic: Sewage sludge generation and treatment in Hawaii.
Aaron King
R&D Engineer
Pacific Biodiesel, LLC, Hawaii, USA
M.S. Plan-B 2014. Topic: Oleaginous fungi as a source of triacylglycerides for biodiesel production.
Sumil Thapa
Process Engineer
Oceanit Laboratories, Honolulu, HI, USA
M.S. Plan-B 2013. Topic: Anaerobic digestion of food waste.
Elijah Crow
Entrepreneur
USA
M.S. Plan-B 2014–2019. Worked on fungal-algal symbiosis for biofuel and bio-product generation.
International Collaborators

Previous Visiting Scholars

Baihang Zhao
Visiting Scholar · Jul 2019 – Aug 2020
Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China
Hua Thai Nhan
Visiting Scholar · Jul – Oct 2019
Borlaug Norman Fellow
College of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Can Tho University, Vietnam
Research specialized on system and microbial analysis of aquaponics.
Yiping Guo
Visiting Scholar · 2018 – 2019
Associate Professor & Research Director
School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, China
Chettaphong Phuttaro
Visiting Scholar · Sep 2016 – Jul 2017
Royal Golden Jubilee Scholar
Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
Saruda Sitthikitpunya
Visiting Scholar · May – Oct 2016
Royal Golden Jubilee Scholar
Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Jarupat Kanjanarong
Visiting Scholar · Aug 2014 – May 2015
Royal Golden Jubilee Scholar
Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
Juan Camilo Acevedo
Visiting Scholar · Sep – Dec 2014
Ph.D. Student
Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, Colombia
Iowa State University

Previous Students at Iowa State University

Alumni from Dr. Khanal's research group at Iowa State University.

Dr. Bishnu Karki
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Biology and Microbiology
South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
Ph.D. — Ultrasonic application in soy processing to enhance protein yield and sugar release.
Dr. Melissa Montalbo-Lomboy
Associate Teaching Professor
Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering
Rowan University, USA
Ph.D. — Ultrasonic pretreatment of corn to enhance ethanol yield.
Dr. Prachand Shrestha
Senior Scientist
Novonesis (formerly Novozymes), Franklinton, NC, USA
Ph.D. — Fungal conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol.
Dr. Sindhuja Sankaran
Associate Professor
Biological Systems Engineering
Washington State University, WA, USA
M.S. — Ozone as a selective disinfectant for nonaseptic fungal cultivation on corn-processing wastewater.
Dr. Mary Rasmussen
Ph.D. & M.S. Graduate
Iowa State University
Ph.D. — Fungal treatment of thin stillage from dry corn milling ethanol plant and recovery of protein as animal feed.
Dr. Micky Vincent
Lecturer
Dept. of Biotechnology
University of Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
Ph.D. — Sequential saccharification and fermentation of corn stover using wood-rot fungi for fuel ethanol.
Dr. Nagapadma Jasti
Ph.D. Graduate
Iowa State University
Ph.D. — Attached growth fungal process for protein recovery from corn processing residues.
Undergraduate & High School

Undergraduate and High School Students

Students who conducted research in the Khanal Lab at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

  1. Lisa Lowe — Senior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Spring 2023)
  2. Sarah Hamada — Senior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Spring 2023)
  3. Bikal Kunwar — Undergraduate, Environmental Engineering, Kathmandu University, Nepal (Spring 2023)
  4. Alandra DeAndrea — Senior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Spring 2020) · UROP Grant $5,000
  5. Kacie Niimoto — Senior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Summer 2017) · Grant $5,000
  6. Kacie Niimoto, Marissa Kuwabara, Sara Lin & Gowoon Jung — Senior Design, "Small-Scale Water Treatment for Ala Wai Canal" (Fall 2017–Spring 2018) · UROP Grant $10,000
  7. Sreelakshmi Kutty — Sophomore, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UH Mānoa (Fall 2016) · UROP Grant $5,000
  8. Nutnicha Jarasjanyawat & Araya Schroder — High School, Wells International School, Bangkok, Thailand (Jun–Jul 2017)
  9. Brent Wakuzawa — Senior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Spring 2016–Spring 2017) · UROP Grant $5,000
  10. Charlene Leodones & Aliyah Abanes — High School, St. Andrew's Priory, Honolulu, HI (Sep 2016)
  11. Anavat Siamwala & Thoranin Hlowjitsieng — High School, Wells International School, Bangkok, Thailand (Jun–Jul 2016)
  12. Noeloikeau Charlot & Zackery Morrison — Senior Design, "Modular Hydroponic System" (Fall 2015–Spring 2016)
  13. Sean Reseigh — Senior, TPSS, UH Mānoa (Spring 2016) · UROP Grant $5,000
  14. Addy Oppegaard — Middle School, Mid Pacific Institute, Honolulu, HI (Nov 2015–May 2016)
  15. Noeloikeau Charlot — Junior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Spring 2015)
  16. Sreelakshmi Kutty & Ariana Kim — High School, St. Andrew's Priory, Honolulu, HI (Nov 2011–May 2016)
  17. Kimberly Tatsuyama — Junior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Spring 2015)
  18. Sheldon Arakawa — Junior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Summer 2014–Spring 2015)
  19. Samira Fatemi — Senior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Summer 2014–2015) — now Ph.D. student, Purdue University
  20. Laura Martinez — Junior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Aug–Dec 2013)
  21. Raquel Auwae — Senior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Aug–Dec 2013)
  22. Joyce Lin — Senior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Oct 2012–May 2013)
  23. Victoria Lansdown — High School, St. Andrew's Priory, Honolulu, HI (Jan 2011–Sep 2012)
  24. Nora Robertson — Senior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Jun–Aug 2011)
  25. Edward Drielak — Senior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (Jun–Aug 2011)
  26. Jessica Schmidt — Senior, Biological Engineering, Cornell University, NY (Jun–Aug 2010)
  27. Travis Nakagawa — Senior, Biological Engineering, UH Mānoa (May–Aug 2009)
  28. Christopher N. Vassallo — Senior, Dept. of Biology, UH Mānoa (Jan–May 2009)
  29. Sarah Tamashiro & Lindsay Fujimoto — High School, St. Andrew's Priory, Honolulu, HI (2009 & 2010)
  30. Elise Minkin — High School, Punahou School, Honolulu, HI (May 2009–Aug 2010)