I am a Ph.D. student in Hydrology at the Joint Doctoral Program at San Diego State University & University of California, Santa Barbara.
I am interested in soil moisture, measured both from in-situ sensors and remotely sensed from satellite platforms.
The research questions I am tackling are:
– How does soil moisture controls hydrological and land-atmosphere processes at multiple spatio-temporal scales?
– How to represent the processes in modeling?
– How to leverage the research outcomes for flood and drought management under climate and land-use changes?
Email
raraki8159(at)sdsu.edu
Education
Ph.D. student in Hydrology (2021 – Present)
Joint Doctoral Program of University of California, Santa Barbara and San Diego State University
Advisor: Dr. Hilary McMillan
M.Sc., Watershed Science (2019 – 2021, 4.0/4.0)
Department of Geography, San Diego State University
Advisor: Dr. Hilary McMillan
Committee: Dr. Hilary McMillan, Dr. Trent Biggs, Dr. Alicia Kinoshita
B.Eng., Civil Engineering (2015 – 2019, 3.74/4.0)
Undergraduate International Course Program in Civil Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University
Featured in Student Voice
Advisor: Dr. Takahiro Sayama at Disaster Prevention Research Institute
Exchange Program (non-degree seeking, 2017)
Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto
Employment
Graduate Assistant (Aug 2019 – Present)
Department of Geography at San Diego State University
Laboratory Assistant (Jun – Aug 2020 & Jun- Aug 2021)
CW3E at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego
Teaching Assistant of the class “Experiments in Hydraulics” (Apr 2019 – Jul 2019)
Faculty of Engineering at Kyoto University
Awards and Honors
Research Excellence
The Best Presentation Award, the Japan Society of Civil Engineers Kansai Chapter Scientific Conference, 2019.5
Academic Excellence
The Excellent Student Award for students graduating with top 20% in the Civil Engineering at Kyoto University, 2019
Scholarship and Fellowships
Japan Student Service Organization Study Abroad Scholarship, 2019-2023
San Diego State University Geography General Scholarship Award, 2021
San Diego State University McFarland Geography Scholarship, 2020
San Diego State University Master’s Research Scholarship, 2020
American Association of Japanese University Women Scholarship, 2020
Daishin Corporation Study Abroad Scholarship, 2019
Kyoto University Yoshida Kishichiro Fellowship for top students in the International Program of Civil Engineering, 2017
Gyomusuper Japan Dream Foundation Study Abroad Scholarship, 2017
Japan Student Service Organization for Short-term Study Abroad Scholarship, 2017
Services
Founder of graduate students’ seminar group Blue Gold Graduates at SDSU, 2019 – Present
Mentor of students participating in an exchange program at Kyoto University, 2018-2020
Mentor of newly-admitted students to International Course at Kyoto University, 2016-2019
Public Relations of international students’ community at Kyoto University, 2016-2017