Current Members
Ganga Hettiarachchi, PhD
Group Leader
Professor of Soil & Environmental Chemistry
Chandima Wekumbura, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
In situ soil remediation using organic and inorganic soil amendments to reduce urban soil lead bioaccessibility
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) at Kansas State University, a study based on bioavailability-based sustainable strategies for risk reduction of lead in soils. Her work specifically involved assessing the correlation between bioaccessible lead, measured by two common in vitro bioaccessibility extraction methods and lead extracted by two standard soil test methods. She likes to 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.
Lakma Hewa Fonsekage
PhD 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: 2737, 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
In situ remediation methods to reduce bioavailable lead in vacant lot sites in Kansas City, Kansas
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 to reduce bioavailable lead in vacant lot sites in Kansas City, Kansas. Janani enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends.
Nuwan Rangana
MS Student
Nutrient dynamics and fertilizer product transformations in soil
Office: 2741, Throckmorton PSC
Nuwan is originally from Sri Lanka. He obtained his bachelor's degree in Agricultural Technology and Management (2025) from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He worked as a temporary lecturer in Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya. He came to Kansas State University in the spring of 2026 to pursue his master's degree as a graduate research assistant. His research focuses on enhancing nitrogen use efficiency by co-addition of nitrogen-based recovered nutrient products with conventional fertilizers in soil. Nuwan enjoys playing cricket, watching films, and traveling.
Holly Lane
Developing Scholar
Holly is a first-year Undergraduate student at K-State with a double major in Biochemistry and Environmental Science. She joined this project through KSU’s Developing Scholars Program. Previously, Holly was a Kansas Governor’s Scholar and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Maize High School in 2025. In the future, Holly plans to continue her education and research career with the goal of becoming a college professor. Outside of school, Holly enjoys reading, hiking, and insects. Her passions include environmental justice and rescuing animals. Within this project, she is focused on partially substituting traditional Nitrogen fertilizers with the recovered nutrient product.
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.
Justus Huff
Lab Assistant
Justus was born in Central Kansas. He is a current second-year undergraduate student majoring in Environmental Science he is currently pursuing his GIS certificate within the program and hopes to land a job within the oil and gas industry in the near future he is not currently working on his own project, but is working as a lab assistant. Justus enjoys fishing, travelling, hiking and anything outdoors, as well as board games and trying new food.