Dr. Rafael M. Almeida | Principal Investigator

Assistant Professor in the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University

Born 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

Siena Stassi | M.S. Student

Siena has recently finished her undergraduate degree in Environmental Science at Stephen F Austin State University in the East Texas Piney woods. Her research there focused on microplastics in aquatic systems and soil carbon sequestration in East Texas pine stands. At UTRGV she’s pursuing a M.S. in Agriculture, Environmental Science & Sustainability, and her research focuses on greenhouse gas emissions from uniquely managed distributaries in the Rio Grande Delta.

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.

Deisy Garcia | M.S. Student

Deisy received her B.S. from UT Rio Grande Valley, majoring in Environmental Science and minoring in Chemistry. She is currently pursuing a M.S. in Agriculture, Environmental & Sustainability Sciences at UT Rio Grande Valley. Deisy’s research is part of a DOE-funded effort that investigates interactions between solar energy development and globally declining pollinators.

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 human-made aquatic ecosystems.

Former lab members:

  • Dr. Marcelo Gomes da Silva. Associate Research Scientist, UTRGV. 2024

  • Alexuss Jauregui. Program Coordinator, UTRGV. 2024

  • Ifeoluwa Babarinde. Master’s Student, Agricultural, Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, UTRGV. Thesis defended in November 2024

  • Areefin Chowdhury. Master’s Student, Applied Statistics, UTRGV. Thesis defended in July 2024

  • John Rodriguez. Undergraduate Intern, Environmental Science, UTRGV. 2022-2024

  • Gabriela Salinas. Undergraduate Intern, Electrical Engineering, UTRGV. 2022