The Texas Water Resources Institute’s (TWRI) water team has gained three new team members this summer.
The newest face at the institute is Umar Javed, who joined the team in August. As a postdoctoral research associate at TWRI, Javed conducts research on watershed-based protection planning, water quality assessment and the integration of modeling tools with stakeholder-driven policies across Texas. His work focuses on linking the impacts of watershed-based planning, plan implementation activities and physical changes in watersheds to instream water quality trends.
Javed specializes in hydrology, soil physics, soil biochemistry, management practices, climate change impacts, hydrogeology and watershed management. With strong skills in numerical modeling, statistical analysis and modeling using R, remote sensing data products and ArcGIS, he advances both scientific understanding and applied solutions for water resources. He is also an active member of scientific societies/organizations including American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) and American Geophysical Union (AGU).
Javed earned his doctorate in agricultural and biosystems engineering from South Dakota State University in 2025, where he developed a novel approach to improve hydrologic modeling by refining Curve Number estimations and evaluating the impacts of tillage practices on soil health and water resilience. His work combined field-based data collection, laboratory procedures, remotely sensed data products, statistical modeling and geospatial analysis, bridging science and practice to support sustainable land management.
Additionally, he brings around five years of international research experience from Pakistan, where he led projects on hydrogeology for groundwater exploration and aquifer characterization, watershed management practices and irrigation optimization in resource-limited contexts. This global perspective strengthens his ability to address complex water challenges across diverse socio-environmental landscapes, complementing TWRI’s mission to provide science-based, stakeholder-informed water solutions for Texas.
Samantha Colunga began as a program specialist at TWRI in July and works to advance the Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan (WPP) in South Texas. This WPP involves an integrated network of partners to improve on issues related to water quality (particularly non-point source pollution), water quantity, flooding, drainage, soil health and wildlife habitat. Colunga is also working to foster new partnerships with various organizations, whether in agriculture, forestry, municipal services or resource conservation.
Prior to joining the institute, Colunga was a soil scientist with the USDA-NRCS in northwest Kansas, where she assisted with wetland determinations and playa restoration projects for groundwater recharge. Samantha was also a research assistant in the Soil Ecology Lab at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), where she wrote manuscripts on soil carbon and soil health for publication, as well as assisted with climate-smart agriculture projects.
Colunga received a bachelor’s degree in environmental science in 2021 and earned a master’s degree in agricultural, environmental, and sustainability sciences in 2024 from UTRGV. Her master’s thesis consisted of two projects focusing on soil carbon sequestration under conservation tillage and reforested croplands. Samantha’s research background covers soil carbon sequestration, semi-arid climates, sandy soils, conservation agriculture, soil health and reforestation.
Kenneth Ferrell joined the team in June as a program specialist, and he conducts water quality monitoring and assists with spatial data needs using geographic information systems (GIS) tools.
Ferrell holds a master’s in geography from Arizona State University, where he also worked as a graduate research assistant.
