People

Dr. Vinayak Shedekar
Dr. Shedekar is an Assistant Professor of Agricultural Water Management in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE) at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. He also serves as the Director of the International Program for Water Management in Agriculture and the Overholt Drainage Education and Research Program in FABE. His current research is focused on agricultural water management, and involves monitoring and modeling of soil health, hydrology, and water quality from field- to watershed-scales. His team works at the intersection of soil health and agricultural water management for water quality and agricultural sustainability.
Visit Dr. Shedekar’s website
shedekar.1@osu.edu

Elizabeth Schwab
Elizabeth is a Research Associate 2 in the FABE Department working with Dr. Shedekar to coordinate activities of the Overholt Drainage Education and Research Program and International Program for Water Management in Agriculture, such as field days, research projects, and the annual Overholt Drainage School. Elizabeth’s research work spans the social and physical sciences and is broadly focused on agricultural land and water management. Elizabeth holds B.S. degrees in Agronomy and Environmental Science from Iowa State University and an M.S. in Environmental Science from The Ohio State University. Hobbies outside of work include engaging in outdoor recreation, reading, music, and various handicrafts.
schwab.175@osu.edu

Dr. Ahmed Awad
Ahmed is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the FABE Department. Dr. Awad received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Water and Soil Engineering from Yangzhou University, China. Broadly, his interest is in the fields of agricultural water management and farmlands and urban hydrology. He has authored and contributed research to several review articles and book chapters on the topics of on land and water management, and his current research focuses on irrigation and drainage water management and farmlands hydrology and water quality.

Toni Chinchar
Toni Chinchar is an M.S. student in the FABE department, working under Dr. Vinayak Shedekar. Before she joined the team, Toni graduated from Ohio State with a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering. During her time as an undergraduate student, Toni worked for the USDA-ARS lab and interned with the Ohio EPA, where she developed interests in agriculture and water management. Toni spends her free time engaging in multiple outdoor activities including rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, and taking her cat on walks. She also enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends and family.

Charles Dochoff
Charles Dochoff is an M.S. student in the FABE department. He completed his undergraduate degree in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He has interests in edge-of-field agricultural practices, such as phosphorus filters, saturated buffers, and bioreactors.

Jeremy Salvo
Jeremy Salvo is a second year M.S. student at Ohio State University’s School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR). Jeremy grew up in Tuscarawas County, OH. His research focuses on tile drainage and drainage water management. Specifically, how automated drainage water management (ADWM) may improve nutrient loss and crop yields compared to controlled tile drainage. Jeremy is a graduate student of Dr. Steven W. Lyon but works with the HSHW Team through this research project. In the summer of 2022, Jeremy completed his B.S. in geology at Kent State University. He is passionate about the environment and sustainability, hoping to contribute to a productive future with a focus on healthy ecosystems.

Ella Nichols
Ella Nichols is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Environmental Engineering.  She began working as an undergraduate research assistant for the department in the fall of 2022. Ella is from Powell, Ohio, which is just a short drive from Columbus Campus.

Therese Demesa
Therese Demesa is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering and is particularly interested in sustainable water usage and water resource management. She grew up in Central Ohio, graduating from New Albany High School. Therese has been with the team since April of 2022.

Harmanpreet Singh Grewal
Harmanpreet holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from Punjab Agricultural University, India. Currently, he is pursuing a master’s degree in Bioresource Engineering at McGill University in Canada. During his master’s, Harmanpreet trained at the Ohio State University for five months as part of a research exchange program. Harmanpreet’s research focuses on water resources management in agriculture. His master’s research involves water quality modelling using data from Ohio, with the goal to improve the existing models. He is particularly interested in water policy, management, and governance, and represents the province of Quebec at the Student and Young Professional Committee of the Canadian Water Network. Through his research on water quality modelling, and his active involvement in water policy, management, and governance, he strives to contribute to the development of sustainable practices and policies in agriculture.

Chris McNabb
Chris is a former M.S. student.

Jeff Nogaj
Jeff is a former undergraduate student.