People
Dr. Michael (M.P.) Hayes
Roy A. and Karen Pickren Professorship in Extension Water Resources
Assistant Professor Ag & Industrial Water Quality
School of Plant, Environmental & Soil Sciences
LSU AgCenter & Louisiana Sea Grant
Expertise: Water Quality, Instrumental Analysis, Nutrient Cycling
Email: mhayes@agcenter.lsu.edu
Graduate Students
Ph.D. Students
3) Shristi Upadhyaya (Anticipated Graduation Fall 2028) - Ph.D. Dissertation Title: In Progress
2) Enamul Moni (Anticipated Graduation Spring 2027) - Ph.D. Dissertation Title: In Progress
1) Mysha Ahmed (Anticipated Graduation Fall 2026) - Ph.D. Dissertation Title: In Progress
Masters Students
2) Shristi Upadhyaya (Fall 2025) - Master's Thesis Title: Valorizing Seafood Waste Streams Using Black Soldier Fly Larvae: Implications for Sustainable Agriculture
1) Mason Marcantel (Fall 2025) - Master's Thesis Title: Establishing a Framework for Sustainable Practices in Water Quality Through the Integration of Technology and Remote Sensing
Mysha Ahmed
Ph.D. Candidate: Started January 2024
M.S. in Agricultural Chemistry, Bangladesh Agricultural University
B.S. in Agrilculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University
Research Focus: Runoff Management Utilizing Biosorbent Materials
Md. Enamul Moni
Ph.D. Candidate: Started January 2025
M.S. in Soil Science, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
B.S. in Agrilculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University
Research Focus: Flourescent Dissolved Organic Matter in Environmental Systems
Shristi Upadhyaya
Ph.D. Candidate: Started Janurary 2026
M.S. in Soil Science, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
B. S. in Agrilculture, Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal
Research Focus: Chemical Charactertization of Insect Frass for Value-Added Fertilizer
Undergraduates
5) Keana Howard. 2026-2029 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP). Determining the Impact of PFAS to Natural Systems using Fluorescent DOM Tracers
4) Keana Howard. 2025-2026 A. Wilbert’s Sons Undergraduate Research Internships
in Agriculture and Natural Resources Management. Evaluating the Release of Caffeine and Dissolved Organic Matter to the Environment
from Composted Coffee Grounds
3) Maddie Woodson . 2025-2026 Honors Capstone Project. Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College. Fluorescence Characterization of Louisiana Tributaries to Determine Fate of Dissolved Organic Matter
2) Ruth Nolan. 2025-2026 Undergraduate Research Grant Funding. College of Agriculture Undergraduate Research Program. Chemical Characterization of Crawfish Boil Water for Environmentally-Friendly Treatment and Disposal.
1) Nick Wagner. 2024-2025 Undergraduate Research Grant Funding. LSU Discover Program. Developing the Framework for Agricultural Energy Optimization at Crawfish Farms using Water Quality Sensing.
Coming Soon...
2) Jalayne Allison (Summer 2025) - Investigating Nutrient Dynamics in Urban Watersheds Using Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter (fDOM) Characterization
1) Karrie Cheng (Summer 2024) - Wastewater Effluent and Solid Waste Regional Survey for Aquaculture Processors
Keana Howard
B.S. in Environmental Management Systems and Anthropology
Project: Evaluating the Release of Caffeine and Dissolved Organic Matter to the
Environment from Composted Coffee Grounds
Ruth Nolen
B.S in Chemistry and Soil Systems
Project: Chemical Characterization of Crawfish Boil Water for Environmentally-Friendly Treatment and Disposal.
Devony Ross
B.S. in Agricultural Economics
Project: Pollution Prevention Food and Agricultural Rural Manufacturing (P2-FARM) Experiential Learning Visits
Nick Wagner
B.S. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Project: Developing the Framework for Agricultural Energy Optimization at Crawfish Farms using Water Quality Sensing
Maddie Woodson
B.S. in Environmental Management Systems
Project: Fluorescence Characterization of Louisiana Tributaries to Determine Fate of Dissolved Organic Matter