Current Members

Ganga Hettiarachchi, PhD

Group Leader

Professor of Soil & Environmental Chemistry

 

Kasuni Gamage, PhD

Research Associate
Benefits of soil wetting bacteria and biochar on soil moisture and nutrient dynamics

Office: 2737, Throckmorton PSC

Kasuni was born and raised in the southern part of Sri Lanka. She obtained her BS in Agricultural Technology and Management (2014) and MS in Environmental Soil Science (2017) from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and she completed her PhD in Soil and Environmental Chemistry in December 2023 from the Department of Agronomy in Kansas State University. Her PhD dissertation is titled “Sustainable phosphorus management: Reuse of recovered phosphorous in agriculture and Impact of agricultural management practices on phosphorus speciation”. Currently, she is working as a research associate on studying the impacts of soil wetting bacteria and biochar on nutrient transformation and the rhizobiome to optimize plant water use efficiency under deficit irrigation by conducting laboratory, greenhouse, and field research activities related to the Microbial Innovations for Climate-resilient Agriculture (MICRA) project. Kasuni likes to travel and spend time with her family.

 

Chandima Wekumbura, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Environmental Restoration: Sustainable remediation approaches for war-impacted soils in Ukraine

Office: 2739, Throckmorton PSC

Chandima was born and grew up in a central part of Sri Lanka. She obtained her BS in Agricultural Sciences from Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, and her MS and M.Phil degree in Crop Science (2015) at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She joined the Soil and Environmental Chemistry group in the Department of Agronomy at Kansas State University in May 2019 and completed her PhD in May 2024. She initially engaged in a HUD-funded project in El Paso, TX, where her dissertation titled as “Understanding Mechanisms of Changes in Lead Bioaccessibility in Amended Alkaline Soils through Integration of Multiple Techniques and Evaluating Methods for House Dust Collection and Assessing Dust Lead Bioaccessibility”. Currently, she is working as a fellow (postdoc) in an interdisciplinary team at Kansas State University, focusing on assisting Ukraine by improving agricultural production in areas affected by the conflict with Russia. Her work specifically addresses in situ soil remediation in war-impacted soils in Ukraine. This project is partnership with Chemonics International, Inc. and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). She likes spend time with her family and reading books.

 

Eduardo Gutierrez Brito

PhD Student
Mitigation of Urban Soil Contaminants, Trace Elements as Lead and Cadmium

Office: 2737, Throckmorton PSC

Eduardo is originally from Ecuador. He obtained his BS in Agronomic Engineering from Universidad de Cuenca, Ecuador (2014) and MS in Agricultural Science at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (2018). He received the Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship and worked in Hettiarachchi lab in 2019. During that period Eduardo studied the fractionation of cadmium and their binding with soil organic matter and the sequential extraction of cadmium in soils from different cocoa production areas of Ecuador. Currently, he is doing his PhD and working on two research projects. In one, he focuses on predicting soil chemical and physical properties by sensor data, a project funded by the National Science Foundation. Simultaneously he is also working on a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funded project that focuses on reducing the bioaccessibility of lead in urban residential soils using soil amendments, helping to mitigate childhood lead positioning in Kansas City, MO. In this project, Eduardo focuses on understanding how soil contaminants and their mitigation strategies impact soil health, especially soil microbial communities and nutrient cycling. Eduardo likes hiking, cycling, reading, and meditation.

 

Nishadi Dodampe Mudiyanselage

PhD Student
Investigating lead exposure in homes and characterizing the exposure risk from lead in household dust and the Kansas Agricultural Watershed Project

Office: 2739, Throckmorton PSC

Nishadi was born and raised in the central part of Sri Lanka. She obtained her Bachelor of Science honors degree in Biochemistry in 2019 from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Nishadi joined K-State in the spring of 2022 to pursue her Master’s degree in Agronomy, focusing on Soil and Environmental Chemistry. She has completed her master's thesis on the “Potential use of reclaimed struvite as a phosphorus fertilizer source and the effects of low molecular weight organic acids in the rhizosphere on its performance in three contrasting soils”. She started her PhD in Summer 2024. Her current PhD projects involve investigating lead exposure in homes and characterizing the exposure risk from lead in household dust and the Kansas Agricultural Watershed Project. Nishadi is involved in the Graduate School at K-State, serving as a graduate student ambassador. Additionally, she was the vice president of the International Coordinating Council K-State (2022/2023), the Secretary of the Agronomy Graduate Student Association K-State (2023), and President of the Sri Lankan Students' Association (2023/2024).

 

Amila D.E. Mudiyanselage

PhD Student
Mitigating Human Health Effects of Soil Contaminants in Urban Brownfields and Residential Yards and investigating reclaimed and manufactured struvite to enhance phosphorus use efficiency

Office: 2741, Throckmorton PSC

Amila is from Sri Lanka. He obtained his BS in Agricultural Technology and Management (2014) from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He worked as a Teaching/ Research Assistant in the Department of Soil science, Faculty of Agriculture, the University of Peradeniya from 2015 to 2017. Amila obtained his MS in Horticulture and Natural Resources (2021) from Kansas State University, USA. Currently, he is working on mitigating the human health effects of soil contaminants in urban brownfields and residential yards and investigating reclaimed and manufactured struvite to enhance phosphorus use efficiency. Amila enjoys playing cricket, traveling, and photography.

 

Jack Murphy

MS Student
Lead Isotope Source Tracking and Remediation of Soil Lead Contamination

Office: 2741, Throckmorton PSC

Jack grew up in Maryland and has lived almost his whole life in the DMV area. He obtained his BS in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. He came to Kansas state in the fall of 2023 to obtain a MS to work on research involving source tracing lead isotopes in urban areas, and potentially the creation of new amendments for lead contaminated soils. He enjoys board games, working out, reading, and, of course, studying soil.

 

Lakma Hewa Fonsekage

MS Student

Evaluation of Environmental Sustainability of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture

Office: 3406 F, Throckmorton PSC

Lakma was born and grew up in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. She obtained her BS in Agriculture (2019) from Eastern University of Sri Lanka and her MS in Crop Science (2024) from the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. In the Summer of 2024, Lakma came to Kansas State University to pursue another MS and work as a Graduate Research Assistant. She is currently involved in the GRIP project, focusing on understanding the contributions that urban and peri-urban agriculture sites have on environmental sustainability. Lakma enjoys traveling, gardening, and values spending time with her family and friends.

Rebecca Johnson

MS Student

In situ remediation methods to reduce bioavailable lead in residential soils in Kansas City, Kansas

Office: 3406 G, Throckmorton PSC

Rebecca is from Southwest Kansas. She graduated from Iowa State University in 2023 with a BS in Agronomy and International Agriculture. Rebecca started pursuing an MS at K-state in January 2025. She is part of the group researching in situ remediation methods to reduce bioavailable lead in residential soils in Kansas City, Kansas. Rebecca enjoys skiing, traveling, baking, and being outdoors.

Anuj Poudel

PhD Student

Nutrient dynamics and fertilizer product transformations in soil

Office: 3406 C, Throckmorton PSC

Anuj was born and raised in Nepal. He earned his BS in Agriculture (2018) and MS in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry (2021) from Banaras Hindu University, India. Anuj joined Kansas State University for his PhD as a Graduate Research Assistant in the spring of 2025. His research focuses on integrating soil chemistry to understand the nutrient dynamics and fertilizer product transformation in soil, trying to contribute towards more sustainable agricultural practices. Beyond academics, Anuj enjoys making new friends, listening to music, traveling, and cherishing time with his family. His passion for soil and the principle of learning by doing continues to inspire his academic and professional journey.

Janani Madanayaka

MS Student

Restoration of war-impacted Agricultural soils

Office: 3406 G, Throckmorton PSC

Janani was born and grew up in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. In 2023, she obtained her Bachelor of Science honors degree in Environmental Conservation and Management from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. In Spring 2025, Janani came to Kansas State University to pursue an MS and work as a Graduate Research Assistant. Her research focuses on restoring war-impacted agricultural soils. Janani enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends.

 

Rebecca Maxon

Lab Assistant

Office: 3406 F, Throckmorton PSC

Rebecca was born and raised in the California Central Valley. She received her BS in Animal Science at K-State in 2021. Rebecca hopes to attend graduate school at K-State in the future for monogastric nutrition. She loves spending time with her family and friends and reading.