Yashar Makhtoumi is a postdoctoral research associate at the Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment. His research focuses on the impacts of land use/land cover change on the hydrologic cycle, water quality, and soil biogeochemistry. Yashar joined the Gibbs Land Use and Environment Lab in January 2023. He works with Dr. Tyler Lark to better understand the connection between agricultural conservation practices and river/lake water quality. He also studies field-level irrigation mapping to improve our understanding of agricultural water use across the US.

Prior to joining the Gibbs Lab, Yashar obtained his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Florida State University in December 2022. During his Ph.D., he contributed to USDA research on characterizing changes in water balance variables in the hydrologic cycle, suspended sediment in rivers, soil erosion from agricultural lands, Nitrogen and Phosphorus cycle under warming climate and land use/land cover changes such as urbanization and farming/grazing.

In his free time, he enjoys traveling and anything related to soccer.