Journal: Science of the Total Environment
Bio
Dr. Faisal Bin Ashraf is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Water Resource Science and Engineering Group, which is part of the Environmental Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). His research interests generally focus on water resources management, particularly in assessing environmental flows, the water-energy-ecosystem nexus, and sustainable water resource management. At ORNL, his research centers on building a comprehensive data-to-decision framework for river basins to support hydropower stakeholders. He is also involved in projects that assess the energy potential at non-powered dams and quantify greenhouse gas emissions from hydropower reservoirs in the United States.
Before joining ORNL, Faisal Bin Ashraf completed his Master's and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Oulu, Finland. His previous work involved investigating sustainable water-energy nexus methodologies for fossil-free transitions, quantifying the impacts of hydropower on freshwater ecosystems, coupling water-energy systems, and modeling the cascading effects of compound flooding events.
He has held various positions, including Research Fellow, Senior Environmental Consultant, and Postdoctoral Researcher, in Finland and Sweden. Additionally, he served as a soil conservation expert at the Integrated Watershed Management Program in India, where he is originally from. Faisal has six years of research experience in water resources engineering, all as part of international collaborations.
Professional Experience
Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute, Stockholm, Sweden (July 2022 - August 2023)
Senior Environmental Consultant at Earthster, Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland (March 2022 - July 2022)
Postdoctoral Researcher at the Water, Energy, and Environmental Engineering Research Unit, University of Oulu, Finland (May 2020 - February 2023)
Project Researcher at the Water, Energy, and Environmental Engineering Research Unit, University of Oulu, Finland (April 2016 - May 2020)
Research Assistant at the Water, Energy, and Environmental Engineering Research Unit, University of Oulu, Finland (August 2015 - March 2016)
Awards
2017, 2019: Awarded the Nessling Foundation PhD Research Project Grant (€98,000)
2019: Awarded the Maa-ja Vesi Teknikaan Tuki (MVTT) Grant (€12,000)
2019: Awarded the University of Oulu Scholarship Foundation Grant (€5,000)
2018: Awarded the University of Oulu Scholarship Foundation Grant (€5,000)
2018: Awarded the Olvi Foundation Grant (€3,000)
2018: Awarded the Olvi Foundation Grant (€7,000)
Education
University of Oulu, Finland
Ph.D. in Civil Engineering - Water Resources Engineering and Management
University of Oulu, Finland
M.Sc. (Tech) in Environmental Engineering - Water Resource Engineering
University of Kashmir, India
B.E in Civil Engineering