Dr. Keisuke Ikehata, Principal Investigator
Dr. Ikehata drinking highly purified wastewater at Groundwater Replenishment System, Orange County Water District
Dr. Keisuke Ikehata is an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering in the Ingram School of Engineering, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas. Dr. Ikehata received his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 2003. In July 2019, he joined Texas State University as one of four founding members of the new Civil Engineering Program. Prior to joining Texas State University, Dr. Ikehata worked for more than eight years as a technical specialist/R&D manager at a water resources engineering firm in Orange County, California and eight years in academia in California, Alberta, and Kansas. Dr. Ikehata is a registered professional engineer (Environmental Engineer) in Arizona (PE) and Alberta (PEng) for more than 8 years.
Dr. Ikehata is an expert in advanced water and wastewater treatment and sustainable water resources management, including water reuse, desalination, and stormwater management. He has led or been involved in more than 130 engineering, research, and R&D projects in the United States to develop, design, and evaluate novel sustainable solutions for emerging water resources challenges, as well as contaminated site remediation, agricultural and industrial water management in the past 20 years. Dr. Ikehata’s areas of expertise include: (1) advanced water and wastewater treatment technologies, (2) novel biological/biochemical/chemical treatment technology development, (3) water reuse and desalination, (4) water quality management, (5) industrial and agricultural water management, and (6) stormwater management and beneficial use. He published more than 220 technical publications, including peer reviewed journal articles, invited book chapters, conference papers, and technical articles.
Dr. Ikehata enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and skiing, as well as long distance running and swimming. He has completed four full marathons so far. In addition to purified recycled water and desalinated water, he loves coffee and donuts. Sometimes, you may find him at Dunkin’ Donuts in Jones Dining Center, Shipley Do-Nuts on Hopkins, Jo’s Cafe on Mary, or Mochas & Javas in San Marcos Center.
Ikehata Lab at the City of San Marcos Wastewater Treatment Plant (September 20, 2024)
Ikehata Lab Visited SAWS H2Oaks Center in Elmendorf, TX (July 10, 2023 with Dr. Saqib Shirazi @ SAWS)
Ikehata Lab Group Photo (September 1, 2022, Photo Credit: Danny Leontieff)
Diatom Photobioreactor at Orange County Water District Groundwater Replenishment System Advanced Water Purification Facility in Fountain Valley, CA (June 7, 2022)
Current Graduate Students
- Jacob A. Palmer (PhD in Materials Science, Engineering and Commercialization, Fall 2020-)
- 2020 AMTA/Reclamation Fellow
- Lokandera Acharya (PhD in Aquatic Resources and Integrative Biology, Fall 2021-)
- 2023 Graduate College Scholarship Recipient
- Khan Md. Rabbani Rasha (MS in Engineering, Fall 2023-)
- 1st Place, Student Research Poster Competition, 2024 WateReuse Texas Conference, September 9-11, 2024, Austin, TX
- Anjumand Ashraf (MS in Engineering, Fall 2024-)
- 2nd Place, Student Research Poster Competition, 2024 WateReuse Texas Conference, September 9-11, 2024, Austin, TX
- Duhyeon Nam (PhD in Water and Environmental Science, Visiting Student from Nagasaki University, Fall 2024)
Current Undergraduate Students
- Peyton H. Torkelson (BS in Chemistry, Fall 2023-)
- 1st Place, Student Research Poster Competition, 2024 WateReuse Texas Conference, September 9-11, 2024, Austin, TX
- Patrick Figueroa (BS in Civil Engineering, Summer 2024-)
- Joseph Vasquez (BS in Biochemistry, Summer 2024-)
- Chris Do (BS in Civil Engineering, Fall 2024-)
Current High School Student Volunteer
- None
Completed Graduate Students
- Emma M. Clow (MS in Aquatic Resources, Summer 2024)
- Thesis Title: The Use of Mixed Diatom Cultures and the Influence of Their Microbial Communities on the Treatment of Reverse Osmosis Concentrate
Emma Clow, MS, August 2nd, 2024 (Photo Credit: Danny Leontieff)
- Mr. Carlos A. Espindola, Jr. (MS in Engineering, Summer 2024)
- Thesis Title: Investigation of the Taste, Odor, and Appearance of Municipal Wastewater Effluent and Purified Water for Potable Reuse
- 2023-2024 Texas AWWA Scholarship Recipient
- 2023-2024 Capital Area Chapter-Texas AWWA Scholarship Recipient
- 2nd Place, Student Research Poster Competition, WateReuse Texas Conference 2023, September 20-21, 2023, Frisco, TX
- 2021 SURE Scholar
- Currently with Black & Veatch, Austin, TX as Process Engineer (Water)
Carlos A. Espindola, Jr., MS, August 2nd, 2024 (Photo Credit: Danny Leontieff)
- Mr. Daniel (Danny) A. Leontieff (MS in Engineering, Spring 2024)
- Thesis Title: Online Monitoring of Bacteria and Bromate Using Prototype Analyzers in a Pilot Direct Potable Reuse System
- 2022 NWRI Member Agency Fellow
- Currently with Jacobs Solutions, Austin, TX as Water Engineer
Danny Leontieff, MS, May 8th, 2024 (Photo Credit: Danny Leontieff – Carlos Espindola)
- Mr. Emon Roy (MS in Engineering, Fall 2022)
- Thesis Title: Lifecycle Cost Analysis of a New Reverse Osmosis Concentrate Management System Using Brackish Diatoms for Enhanced Freshwater Recovery
- Currently with Marketech International Corp., Phoenix, AZ as Water Treatment Engineer
Emon Roy, MS, December 17th, 2022 (Photo Credit: Danny Leontieff)
- Ms. Han Gao (MS in Engineering, Summer 2021)
- Thesis Title: Optimizing Photobiological Treatment of Reverse Osmosis Concentrate
- Currently with SCIMEE, Cheng Du, Sichuan, China
Han Gao, MS, July 6th, 2021 (Photo Credit: Preston Rolls)
- Mr. Imokhai T. Tenebe (MS in Engineering, Summer 2020), Primary Advisor: Dr. Jason Julian, Department of Geography
- Thesis Title: Multivariate Analyses of the Effects of Land Use Change on River Water Quality: Case Study of the Manawatu River Watershed, New Zealand
- Currently with the Dam Safety Program, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) as a General Engineering Specialist II
Completed Bachelor’s Student
- Mr. Mason S. Underwood (BS in Biology, Summer 2023)
- Involved in multiple projects funded by the US Bureau of Reclamation DWPR Program.
Mason Underwood, BS, August 4th, 2023 (Photo Credit: Danny Lentieff)
- Mr. Carlos A. Espindola (BS in Environmental Engineering Technology, Spring 2022)
- SURE Scholar, Summer 2021
- Involved in multiple projects funded by Texas State University REP, US Bureau of Reclamation DWPR and Pitch-to-Pilot Programs
- Currently, in the MS in Engineering Program, Texas State University
Carlos Espindola, BS, May 11th, 2022 (Photo Credit: Daniel Leontieff)
Other Past Students
- Saul Gonzalez (BS in Civil Engineering, Spring 2020-Spring 2024)
- 2020 College of Science & Engineering Undergraduate Research Fellow
- Rachel Mondy (BS in Civil Engineering, Summer 2022-Spring 2024)
- Kyle J. Grevsmuehl (BS in Civil Engineering, Summer 2023-Spring 2024)
- Colette Ingram (Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, Spring 2023-Summer 2023)
- Dustin A. Walker (BS in Civil Engineering, Fall 2022-Spring 2023)
- Kamaya D. Bonds (BS in Environmental Engineering Technology, Fall 2022-Spring 2023)
- 2022 ASPIRE Undergraduate Research Fellow
- Sara N. Roden (BS in Chemistry, Summer 2022)
- SURE Scholar, Summer 2021
- Elena M. Forrister (BS in Chemistry, Spring 2021)
- Dennis Davila (BS in Microbiology, Spring 2020-Fall 2020)
- Dustin M. Walker (BS in Civil Engineering, Summer 2020-Fall 2020)
- Paola A. Huynh (BS in Civil Engineering, Fall 2020)
- Cindy D. Rojas Annicchiarico (MS in Technology Management, Spring 2020-Fall 2020)
Positions Available
- Volunteer undergraduate research assistant (any time)
- Paid undergraduate research assistant (after 3+ months of volunteering or equivalent experience in our lab)
- One or two MS students (Fall 2025-), subject to funding availability
- One PhD student (Fall 2025-)
See this page for more information.