Hari Kandel

With the birth of his first child, his wife beginning her Ph.D., and he nearing completion of his, Hari Kandel had much to celebrate. But his world was shattered when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck his homeland of Nepal in April. His father died shortly after, in the aftermath.

With resolve, Hari finished his work on the hydrological impacts of land-use in South Florida and completed his degree at FIU just a month later. In that same time, he helped raise $10,000 with the Help Nepal Network FIU Nepalese Student Association. His efforts were inspired by a love for his family and dedication to his native country. To him, Nepal has always been a land of beauty full of topographic diversity, a reality that helped drive him towards a career in the earth sciences.

While at FIU, he produced three research papers and presented at more than 10 conferences, both local and international. After graduation, in the fall, Hari will begin working as a hydrogeology lecturer at the State University of New York Oneonta.