Deme Hirko l Water Engineer | Research Excellence Award

Dr. Deme Hirko l Water Engineer | Research Excellence Award

 Jimma University | Ethiopia

Dr. Deme Hirko is a motivated, results-oriented civil engineer with a PhD (defended November 2025, Stellenbosch University) and over 10 years of academic and research experience in water resources engineering, hydrology, and climate change modelling. His education spans a PhD in Civil Engineering, an MSc in Water Resources and Irrigation Engineering, and a BSc in Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering. Professionally, Dr. Deme Hirko has served as lecturer, teaching assistant, hydrology analyst, site engineer, and departmental coordinator. His research interests include climate-resilient water allocation, hydrological modelling, and AI applications. He possesses strong skills in machine learning, WEAP, Python, GIS, and HPC, has supervised numerous theses, received institutional recognition for leadership, and is committed to advancing sustainable, data-driven water management through postdoctoral research.

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Amirhossein Karamoozian | Civil Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Amirhossein Karamoozian | Civil Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Shenzhen University | China

Dr. Amirhossein Karamoozian is a researcher and lecturer at the International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), with a Ph.D. in Management Science and Engineering (Project Management). His research focuses on risk assessment, project management, sustainable construction, and decision-making methodologies, with applications in construction, renewable energy, and transportation projects. He has authored numerous high-impact SCI journal articles and holds multiple patents on construction project risk assessment and material selection. Dr. Karamoozian has received several awards, including best paper recognitions at IEEE symposiums and the UCAS Excellent International Graduate Student Award, reflecting his significant contributions to engineering management research.

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Featured Publications


Assessing urban outdoor thermal discomfort across scales and climates: Implications for sustainable urban management in Iran

– Sustainable Cities and Society, 2026-01Contributors: Aminreza Karamoozian; Abouzar Gholamalizadeh; Saman Nadizadeh Shorabeh; Amirhossein Karamoozian; Mohammad Karimi Firozjaei

COVID-19 automotive supply chain risks: A manufacturer-supplier development approach

– Journal of Industrial Information Integration, 2024-03Contributors: Aminreza Karamoozian; Chin An Tan; Desheng Wu; Amirhossein Karamoozian; Saied Pirasteh

An Integrated Approach for Instability Analysis of Lattice Brake System Using Contact Pressure Sensitivity

– IEEE Access, 2020Contributors: Aminreza Karamoozian; Haobin Jiang; Chin An Tan; Liangmo Wang; Yuanlong Wang

Probability Based Survey of Braking System: A Pareto-Optimal Approach

– IEEE Access, 2020Contributors: Aminreza Karamoozian; Haobin Jiang; Chin An Tan

Zhengzheng Cao | Liquid Nitrogen (LN2)-Assisted Fracturing | Young Scientist Award

Dr. Zhengzheng Cao | Liquid Nitrogen (LN2)-Assisted Fracturing | Young Scientist Award

 Henan Polytechnic University | China

Dr. Cao Zhengzheng is an Associate Professor and Master’s Supervisor in the fields of civil engineering and engineering mechanics, recognized as a university-level Young Backbone Teacher. He earned his Ph.D. in engineering-related disciplines and has developed a strong academic profile combining theoretical analysis with engineering applications. He has served as a Visiting Scholar at the Colorado School of Mines, USA, where he engaged in international collaboration on rock mechanics and geotechnical engineering research. Dr. Cao has led six national- and provincial-level research projects, including grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Henan Provincial Natural Science Foundation, reflecting his sustained research competitiveness. His primary research interests include rock mechanics, geotechnical engineering, mechanical behavior of geomaterials, and engineering mechanics, with a focus on failure mechanisms and stability analysis. He has published more than 20 SCI-indexed journal articles as first or corresponding author in leading journals such as Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, including multiple ESI highly cited and hot papers. His academic contributions have been recognized with three provincial and ministerial-level awards. In addition, he has published one scholarly monograph, holds eight authorized patents, and has guided numerous award-winning graduate and undergraduate students. Overall, Dr. Cao’s work significantly advances both fundamental understanding and practical applications in civil and geotechnical engineering. His academic impact is reflected by 1,250 citations, 82 documents, and an h-index of 22 (citations drawn from 846 documents).

Citation Metrics (Scopus)

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Citations
1,250

Documents
82

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22

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h-index


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Carlos Martins | Engineering | Research Excellence Award

Dr. Carlos Martins | Engineering | Research Excellence Award

 SerQ – Centro de Inovação e Competências da Floresta | Portugal

Dr. Carlos Eduardo de Jesus Martins is an Invited Assistant Professor at the University of Coimbra (Faculty of Sciences and Technology) and a Researcher at SerQ – Centro de Inovação e Competências da Floresta, with expertise in civil engineering and materials engineering focused on timber and wood-based products. He completed his Integrated Master in Civil Engineering in 2010 and earned a PhD in Civil Engineering (Structures) in 2019 at the University of Coimbra, with distinction. His academic and professional experience spans teaching in higher education, postdoctoral research, and leadership roles in national and international R&D projects, including serving as Principal Investigator. Dr. Martins’ research centers on timber structures, engineered wood products, timber–concrete composite systems, mechanical characterization of wood, non-destructive testing, numerical modelling, durability, life-cycle analysis, circular economy, and sustainable forest-based construction solutions. He has authored 31 peer-reviewed documents, accumulating 402 citations, with an h-index of 13, reflecting consistent scientific impact in the field. He has contributed to book sections, organized scientific events, supervised MSc dissertations, and collaborated extensively with multidisciplinary research teams. His work supports innovation in sustainable construction, structural performance, and the valorization of forest resources, contributing to resilient, low-carbon built environments.

Citation Metrics (Scopus)

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Citations
402

Documents
31

h-index
13

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Featured Publications

Using non-destructive testing to predict the mechanical properties of glued laminated poplar

Structures and Buildings, 2018
Carlos Martins
Experimental evidence for effective flexural-only stiffnesses to account for nonlinear flexural-slip behaviour of timber-concrete composite sections

Construction and Building Materials, 2017
Sebastian, W.M.; Bell, O.G.A.; Martins, C.; Dias, A.M.P.G.
DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.04.082
Non-destructive methodologies for assessment of the mechanical properties of new utility poles

BioResources, 2017
Martins, C.E.J.; Dias, A.M.P.G.; Marques, A.F.S.; Dias, A.M.A.
DOI: 10.15376/biores.12.2.2269-2283
Environmentally friendly high performance timber-concrete panel

Construction and Building Materials, 2016
Martins, C.; Dias, A.M.P.G.; Costa, R.; Santos, P.
DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.07.194
Glulam made by Poplar: delamination and shear strength tests

International Scientific Conference on Hardwood Processing, 2017
Carlos Martins

Ali Ali | Artificial Intelligence and water Resources Management | Research Excellence Award

Dr. Ali Ali | Artificial Intelligence and water Resources Management | Research Excellence Award

Brunel University London | United Kingdom

Dr. Ali Ali is an emerging researcher and PhD student in Civil Engineering at Brunel University London, specializing in Artificial Intelligence applications for water resources management. He holds a BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering from Brunel University and a Diploma with Distinction from Kaplan International College, demonstrating strong academic performance. Dr. Ali has extensive experience with civil engineering and computational software, including AutoCAD, Groundwater Modelling System (GMS), ABAQUS, MATLAB, and programming languages Python and R, enabling advanced modeling, simulation, and data analysis. He has applied his expertise in designing steel and concrete structures while addressing economic, social, and environmental challenges. His professional experience includes multiple Graduate Teaching Assistant roles in Civil Engineering and Computer Science, supporting both undergraduate and master’s students with lab sessions, course material, tutoring, and programming instruction. Additionally, he gained practical industry experience through internships in project management and turbomachinery design, enhancing his skills in project coordination and operational efficiency. Dr. Ali’s research interests focus on optimizing water resources management using AI, sustainable infrastructure design, and hydrological modeling. He has contributed to academic documents, reports, and simulations, with ongoing work aimed at publication in peer-reviewed journals. His work demonstrates a commitment to bridging theoretical research and practical engineering solutions, advancing innovation in civil and environmental engineering.

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Featured Publication

Aquifer-specific flood forecasting using machine learning: A comparative analysis for three distinct sedimentary aquifersScience of the Total Environment, 2025 | Open Access

Ioan Sarbu | Building Services Engineering | Research Excellence Award

Prof. Dr. Ioan Sarbu | Building Services Engineering | Research Excellence Award

Polytechnic University of Timisoara | Romania

Prof. Dr. Ioan Sârbu is a professor emeritus and doctoral supervisor in Civil and Building Services Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Timișoara (UPT), Romania. He earned a diploma in civil engineering in 1975 and a PhD in civil engineering in 1993, dedicating more than four decades to academic teaching, research, and leadership at UPT, including nearly 20 years as Head of the Building Services Department and Head of the National Building Equipment Laboratory. His academic activity includes supervision of numerous PhD and MSc students, evaluation of doctoral dissertations, and contributions to national and international academic governance. His research interests cover refrigeration systems, heat pumps, solar energy conversion and storage, thermal comfort and indoor environmental quality, energy efficiency in buildings, water and heat distribution systems, and numerical simulation and optimization in building services engineering. He has authored over 100 indexed documents, with 3,590 citations from 3,305 documents, and an h-index of 21, reflecting sustained international impact. Prof. Sârbu has published extensively in high-impact journals and books with leading publishers and holds patents and software developments. His distinctions include the Henri Coandă Award of the Romanian Academy, multiple international lifetime achievement honors, and recognition among the top 0.5% of researchers worldwide. His career exemplifies lasting contributions to sustainable energy and building services engineering research and education.

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Featured Publications

Thermal Protection Impact Assessment of a Residential House on the Energy Efficiency of the Air-Source Heat Pump Radiant Floor Heating SystemThermal Science and Engineering Progress, 2025

Exhaustive Overview of Advances in Integrating Renewable Energy Sources into District Heating SystemsReview Article

Investigation by Monitoring and Numerical Simulation of the Performance of a Ground-Source Heat Pump System with and without Regeneration in Different Configurations and Operating ModesApplied Thermal Engineering, 2024

Experimentally Investigating and Numerically Simulating the Performances of Various Low-Temperature Hydronic Heating/Cooling Systems Connected to a Vertical Closed-Loop Ground-Coupled Heat PumpEnergy and Buildings, 2023

Optimization of Urban Water Distribution Networks Using Heuristic Methods: An OverviewReview Article

Didi Halim | Government and Public Policy Analysis | Research Excellence Award

Mr. Didi Halim | Government and Public Policy Analysis | Research Excellence Award

Bandung Institute of Technology | Indonesia

Mr. Didi Halim is an accomplished management consultant and researcher specializing in performance management, strategic alignment, and business transformation. He is pursuing a Doctoral Degree at the School of Business & Management, Institute Technology Bandung, Indonesia, focusing on enhancing strategic alignment through SSM-based performance management, and holds a Master of Business Administration in Financial Risk Management with minors in Business Strategy and Marketing. He also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, majoring in Geotechnics. With over a decade of consulting experience, Mr. Halim has led numerous high-impact projects for state-owned enterprises and private organizations, including PLN, Pertamina, and healthcare institutions, covering business transformation, KPI cascading systems, organizational restructuring, and pre-feasibility studies. He has presented and published research on performance management, sustainable leadership, and net-zero strategies in reputed journals and international conferences. Additionally, he has served as an external supervisor for hospital management and as a guest lecturer on performance management systems. His awards include recognition in the Swiss Innovation Challenge for KPI cascading system design. Mr. Halim combines academic research with practical consulting to optimize organizational performance, business processes, and strategic decision-making, contributing to sustainable growth and development across public and private sectors.

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Featured Publications


Net Zero Strategies in State Owned Energy Firms

– International Journal of Management, Entrepreneurship, Social Science and Humanities, 2025

Global Strategies for Human Resource Development in Achieving Net Zero Emissions: A Comparative Study Approach

– 6th International Conference on Power Engineering and Renewable Energy (ICPERE), 2024

Gennaro Trancone | Environmental Engineering  | Research Excellence Award

Prof. Dr. Gennaro Trancone | Environmental Engineering  | Research Excellence Award

University of Naples “Federico II | Italy

Gennaro Trancone is a civil and environmental engineer specializing in environmental biotechnology, waste-to-energy systems, and sustainable solid-waste management. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Systems Engineering from the University of Naples “Federico II,” where his dissertation focused on biological leaching as a sustainable method for treating construction and demolition waste. With 9 scientific documents, 155 citations, and an h-index of 7 (cited by 123 documents), his research spans anaerobic digestion, dark fermentation, biofilm reactors, renewable biogas production, and remediation of asbestos-contaminated materials. He has contributed to national and international conferences and serves as a reviewer for over 20 peer-reviewed journals. His academic experience includes teaching in soil bioengineering and supporting courses in contaminated-site remediation, sanitary engineering, and waste management. Professionally, he has served as a technical commissioner, project engineer, and consultant for wastewater treatment and marine environmental studies. His work integrates microbial processes, chemical characterization, and circular-economy strategies to create scalable, low-carbon solutions for waste valorization and environmental protection. Recognized for his multidisciplinary approach, he aims to advance biorefinery systems, eco-efficient remediation technologies, and predictive tools for environmental monitoring, contributing to sustainable development and next-generation environmental engineering practices.

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Featured Publications

Bounaas, M., Haouichi, M., Gattal, B., Hamza, W., Benalia, A., Derbal, K., Benzina, M., Pizzi, A., Trancone, G., & Panico, A. (2025). “Optimization of NaOH chemical treatment parameters for biomass-based adsorbents in cationic dye removal processes” in Processes.

Achouri, O., Bianco, F., Trancone, G., & Race, M. (2025). “A critical review of anaerobic biofilm reactors for the renewable biogas production from food waste” in Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering.

Trancone, G., Policastro, G., Spasiano, D., Race, M., Parrino, F., Fratino, U., Fabbricino, M., & Pirozzi, F. (2025). “Treatment of concrete waste from construction and demolition activities: Application of organic acids from continuous dark fermentation in moving bed biofilm reactors” in Chemical Engineering Journal.

Ferraro, A., Marino, E., Trancone, G., Race, M., Mali, M., Pontoni, L., Fabbricino, M., Spasiano, D., & Fratino, U. (2023). “Assessment of environmental parameters effect on potentially toxic elements mobility in foreshore sediments to support marine-coastal contamination prediction” in Marine Pollution Bulletin.

Veropalumbo, R., Oreto, C., Viscione, N., Pirozzi, F., Pontoni, L., Trancone, G., Race, M., & Russo, F. (2023). “Exploring the effect on the environment of encapsulated micro- and nano-plastics into asphalt mastics for road pavement” in Environmental Research.

Ali Kaveh | Artificial Intelligence | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Dr. Ali Kaveh | Artificial Intelligence | Best Researcher Award

Civil Engineering/Iran Univerrsity of Science and Technology | Iran

Prof. Dr. Ali Kaveh is a Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering at Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), renowned for his pioneering work in structural mechanics, graph theory applications, and metaheuristic optimization. He holds a BSc from Tabriz University, an MSc, DIC, and PhD in Structural Engineering from Imperial College London, and Dipl.-Ing. and Dr. Tech. degrees from the Technical University of Vienna. With an h-index of 85, over 735 journal articles, 155 conference papers, and more than 30,000 citations, his research spans optimal structural analysis, sparse matrix methods, symmetry in structures, and the development of novel algorithms such as Charged System Search, Ray Optimization, and Water Strider Algorithm. A Fellow of the Iranian Academy of Sciences, The World Academy of Sciences, and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Prof. Kaveh has authored 18 English books and 23 Persian volumes, shaping modern computational structural engineering. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Journal of Civil Engineering and the International Journal of Optimization in Civil Engineering, contributing extensively to global scholarship. Recipient of 47 awards and a mentor to numerous PhD students, Prof. Kaveh continues to advance innovative, efficient, and sustainable structural design methodologies that influence academia and industry worldwide.

Profiles : Orcid | Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

1️⃣ Zavari, S., Kaveh, A., Babaei, H., Arshid, E., Dimitri, R., & Tornabene, F. (2024). A quasi-3D hyperbolic formulation for the buckling study of metal foam microplates layered with graphene nanoplatelets-embedded nanocomposite patches with temperature fluctuations. Composite Structures.

2️⃣ Kaveh, A., & Yousefpoor, H. (2024). Chaotic Artificial Bees Colony. In Studies in Computational Intelligence.

3️⃣ Kaveh, A., & Yousefpoor, H. (2024). Chaotic Biogeography Based Optimization. In Studies in Computational Intelligence.

4️⃣ Kaveh, A., & Yousefpoor, H. (2024). Chaotic Cyclical Parthenogenesis Algorithm. In Studies in Computational Intelligence.

5️⃣ Kaveh, A., & Yousefpoor, H. (2024). Chaotic Differential Evolution. In Studies in Computational Intelligence.

Abhijeet Das | Water Resource Engineering | Excellence in Innovation

Dr. Abhijeet Das | Water Resource Engineering | Excellence in Innovation

C.V. Raman Global University (CGU), Bhubaneswar, Odisha | India

Dr. Abhijeet Das is a dynamic and highly skilled civil engineering professional specializing in Water Resource Engineering, with extensive expertise in watershed hydrology, hydrological modeling, and advanced engineering design. He has contributed significantly to the development and optimization of water management systems, integrating innovative methodologies with emerging technologies like machine learning, GIS, and remote sensing. With a vision to address global water resource challenges, Dr. Das has been actively engaged in collaborative research and consultancy projects across multiple countries, enhancing water quality assessment, environmental impact studies, and sustainable infrastructure planning.

Professional Profiles

SCOPUS
ORCID

Education

Dr. Das holds a Ph.D. in Water Resource Engineering from C.V. Raman Global University, Bhubaneswar. He completed his M-Tech in Water Resource Engineering from Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT), Rourkela, and a B-Tech in Civil Engineering from the same university. His academic foundation is rooted in rigorous research and practical exposure, enabling him to integrate theoretical knowledge with real-world applications in hydrological systems, climate change impact studies, and sustainable water management.

Experience

Dr. Das possesses over a decade of cumulative professional experience encompassing project consultancy, teaching, research, and industry exposure. He served as a Project Consultant at Madhu Smita Design & Engineers Studio, where he worked on large-scale projects related to water resource planning and GIS-based analysis. His teaching experience spans prestigious institutions such as IGIT Sarang and CET Bhubaneswar, where he mentored students in civil and water resource engineering disciplines. Additionally, he has gained valuable industrial exposure through internships and consultancy projects focusing on flood management, water quality optimization, and environmental sustainability.

Research Interests

His research interests include watershed hydrology, climate change impact assessment, drought and flood analysis, Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus, machine learning applications in water resource engineering, remote sensing and GIS-based modeling, numerical and simulation-optimization modeling, water quality control, environmental impact assessment, and geoinformatics. Dr. Das is passionate about integrating artificial intelligence techniques like artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic to enhance predictive accuracy in water management systems.

Awards and Recognitions

Dr. Das has been honored with multiple Best Paper Awards at reputed national and international conferences. His research on water quality assessment, pollution source investigation, and surface water potential zone characterization has been recognized across forums such as ISDMME, ICSEEGT, RASTEMS, TRACE, and ICET. He has also presented award-winning posters on sustainable water quality demarcation and innovative water management techniques. These accolades reflect his commitment to advancing sustainable water resource engineering through cutting-edge research and practical applications.

Publications

An optimization based framework for water quality assessment and pollution source apportionment employing GIS and machine learning techniques for smart surface water governance. (2025). Discover Environment.

Reimagining biofiltration for sustainable industrial wastewater treatment. (2025).

A data-driven approach utilizing machine learning (ML) and geographical information system (GIS)-based time series analysis with data augmentation for water quality assessment in Mahanadi River Basin, Odisha, India. (2025). Discover Sustainability.

Evaluation and prediction of surface water quality status for drinking purposes using an integrated water quality indices, GIS approaches, and machine learning techniques. (2025). Desalination and Water Treatment.

Bioplastics: a sustainable alternative or a hidden microplastic threat? (2025). Innovative Infrastructure Solutions.

Conclusion

Dr. Abhijeet Das represents a new generation of civil engineering professionals dedicated to sustainable water management and environmental conservation. His career integrates academic excellence, industry-focused research, and impactful contributions to international collaborative projects. With his multidisciplinary expertise, he aims to contribute to the global mission of ensuring water security, optimizing resource utilization, and promoting climate-resilient infrastructure. His work continues to bridge the gap between scientific innovation and real-world challenges, fostering sustainable development across diverse regions.