Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ping Li | Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ping Li | Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Associate professor, Northwest University, China

Dr. Ping Li is an accomplished Associate Professor in the Department of Geology at Northwest University, Xi’an, China. With a robust academic and research background in geological and civil engineering, she has built her career around unsaturated soil mechanics, soil bioengineering, and soil microstructure analysis. Dr. Li is widely recognized for her extensive contributions to geotechnical research, particularly in the study of loess soils and their behavior under environmental influences. Her collaborative international work, especially during her joint PhD in Canada, reflects her commitment to advancing the understanding of sustainable soil engineering.

Professional Profile

Scopus

🎓 Education Background:

Dr. Ping Li holds a Ph.D. in Geological Engineering from Chang’an University (2013–2016) and a Joint Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Ottawa, Canada (2014–2016), where she conducted her thesis in English on predicting the wetting-induced collapse of unsaturated soils. She also earned her MSc (2011–2013) and BSc (2007–2011) in Geological Engineering from Chang’an University, graduating with a strong academic record and a GPA of 3.84.

💼 Professional Experience:

Dr. Li currently serves as an Associate Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Northwest University, a position she has held since January 2023 after working as a Lecturer in the same department from 2017 to 2022. Her teaching responsibilities include courses like Foundation Engineering and Soil Testing Techniques. Throughout her career, she has played principal and collaborative roles in several national and provincial scientific projects focusing on loess deformation, soil stability, and eco-friendly soil improvement techniques.

🏆 Awards and Honors:

While specific awards are not individually listed, Dr. Li has successfully led multiple prestigious projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, and the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Education, highlighting her respected status in the field and her capacity to secure competitive research grants.

🔬 Research Focus:

Dr. Ping Li’s research revolves around three major themes: soil bioengineering, unsaturated soil mechanics, and soil microstructure. Her work investigates how vegetation roots impact the physical and mechanical properties of compacted loess, how collapse behaviors can be modeled under different wetting scenarios, and how advanced imaging can be used to quantify microstructural changes. She also explores sustainable approaches using biochar and nanomaterials to stabilize loess soils and improve their hydraulic behavior. Her research is both theoretical and application-driven, aiming to enhance infrastructure stability and environmental resilience.

🔚 Conclusion:

Dr. Ping Li stands out as a leading geotechnical researcher with deep expertise in loess soil behavior, sustainability, and microstructural analysis. Her dedication to academic excellence, international collaboration, and real-world problem-solving in soil mechanics has significantly influenced the field. She continues to mentor future geoscientists and push the boundaries of eco-geotechnical engineering.

📚 Top Noted Publications :

  1. Investigating the saturated hydraulic conductivity and its variation of a fine-grained soil with root exudates of Robinia pseudoaccaciaJournal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 2025, Accepted.
    Cited by: Pending

  2. Effects of vegetation roots on the structure and hydraulic properties of soils: A perspective reviewScience of The Total Environment, 2024, Vol. 906.
    Cited by: 15+

  3. Influence of biochar on the soil‑water retention behavior of compacted loessJournal of Soils and Sediments, 2024, Vol. 24.
    Cited by: 10+

  4. Effects of molding water content and compaction degree on the microstructure and permeability of compacted loessActa Geotechnica, 2023, Vol. 18.
    Cited by: 25+

  5. Review of chemical stabilizing agents for improving the physical and mechanical properties of loessBulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 2021, Vol. 80.
    Cited by: 40+

  6. Characterizing and modeling the pore-size distribution evolution of a compacted loess during consolidation and shearingJournal of Soils and Sediments, 2020, Vol. 20.
    Cited by: 35+

  7. Microstructural evolution of loess soils from the Loess Plateau of ChinaCatena, 2019, Vol. 173.
    Cited by: 50+

  8. Simple method for prediction of the soil collapse behavior due to wettingInternational Journal of Geomechanics, 2018, Vol. 18.
    Cited by: 70+

  9. Prediction of the wetting-induced collapse behavior using the soil-water characteristic curveJournal of Asian Earth Sciences, 2019, Vol. 151.
    Cited by: 60+

  10. Review of collapse triggering mechanism of collapsible soils due to wettingJournal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 2016, Vol. 8.
    Cited by: 80+

 

Mr. Mahamat Nour Issa Abdallah | Engineering | Young Researcher Award

Mr. Mahamat Nour Issa Abdallah | Engineering | Young Researcher Award

Student, Beijing Jiaotong University, Chad

Mahamat Nour Issa Abdallah is a dedicated and multilingual Civil Engineer  with strong expertise in site supervision, technical inspection, and project coordination in both China and the UAE. With an engineering foundation built in Shenyang and honed through diverse construction projects in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, he combines practical experience with academic excellence. Known for his proactive site management, effective communication, and cross-cultural collaboration, Mahamat has contributed significantly to residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects.

Publication Profile

ORCID

🎓Education Background:

Mahamat holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (2016–2020) from Shenyang Jianzhu University, China 🎓 and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Civil Engineering at Beijing Jiaotong University, China (2021–2025). His academic journey is focused on sustainable engineering practices and infrastructure resilience in challenging environments.

🛠️Professional Experience:

He began his engineering career as an intern at Shenyang ZhongHeng Construction Engineering L.L.C 🇨🇳 (2019–2020), where he performed daily site inspections, manpower reporting, and drawing reviews. In 2021, he joined DHCN Construction L.L.C in Dubai 🇦🇪 as a Site Engineer, overseeing sand fence installation, inspection requests, and non-conformance reports. Since 2022, Mahamat has been serving as Engineering Department Supervisor at Origin International Management L.L.C in Abu Dhabi, coordinating design approvals, managing fit-out procedures, and supervising fire safety system installations. His roles have consistently required detailed documentation, cross-team coordination, and regulatory compliance.

🏅Awards and Honors:

Mahamat is a licensed civil engineer with a valid UAE Driving License 🚘 and an Abu Dhabi DMT Engineering License 🏗️. His work has earned professional recognition in regulatory environments, though formal international awards are yet to be recorded.

🔬Research Focus:

His research focuses on geospatial solutions to civil engineering challenges in arid regions. He aims to mitigate environmental impacts like sand accumulation and erosion in desert railway systems, combining geoinformatics with sustainable infrastructure practices 🛰️. His interdisciplinary work integrates engineering design with environmental science.

📚Conclusion:

Mahamat Nour Issa Abdallah is a rising professional in the field of civil engineering 🌍, with a solid combination of academic achievements, on-site experience, and a growing research portfolio. Fluent in English, Arabic, and Mandarin, he is well-equipped to contribute to international engineering initiatives and sustainable development goals.

📘 Top Publication:

Mitigation Measures for Wind Erosion and Sand Deposition in Desert Railways: A Geospatial Analysis of Sand Accumulation Risk
📅 Year: 2025
🔎 DOI: 10.3390/su17094016
🔁 Cited by: Article citations not available yet (early 2025 publication)

Nikolaos Kokkinos | Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Dr. Nikolaos Kokkinos | Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Professor, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece

Dr. Nikolaos C. Kokkinos is a Full Professor at the Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH), Greece 🇬🇷. He is the Director of the Petroleum Institute and Program Director of the MSc in Oil and Gas Technology at DUTH. Since 2013, he has served as Section Officer of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Kavala Section. He also leads the Modeling and Simulation in Process Engineering Laboratory at DUTH and holds a Research Director role at Hephaestus Laboratory. With over two decades of combined academic and industry experience, Dr. Kokkinos is a certified Master Instructor in emergency control room operations and actively contributes to global research in petroleum engineering and catalysis.

Publication Profile

🎓 Education Background

Dr. Kokkinos holds a Ph.D. in Petroleum Process Simulations, an MPhil in Applied Catalysis, an MSc in Information Technology, and a BSc in Petroleum Engineering 🎓. He has also worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Organic Geochemistry Unit (OGU), University of Bristol, UK 🇬🇧, further strengthening his academic and research credentials.

💼 Professional Experience

Dr. Kokkinos brings over ten years of academic teaching experience in undergraduate and postgraduate oil & gas (O&G) engineering programs and another ten years of consulting experience in the O&G industry 🛢️. He is actively involved in simulation training using advanced tools such as the Virtual Crisis Control Room and Drilling Simulator. His leadership at the Modeling and Simulation Lab and his research directorship at Hephaestus Laboratory highlight his commitment to applied science and education.

🏅 Awards and Honors

Dr. Kokkinos is recognized as a certified Master Instructor for emergency response operations and simulation-based training 🥇. He is a respected member and Section Officer of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, further emphasizing his leadership and contributions to professional communities in petroleum and process engineering.

🔬 Research Focus

His research interests lie in process modeling and simulation, petroleum engineering, applied catalysis, and biofuels 🌱. Dr. Kokkinos is an active editor and reviewer in various international journals and has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications. His systematic reviews and modeling contributions have significantly advanced catalytic processes and renewable energy applications.

📌 Conclusion

Dr. Nikolaos C. Kokkinos stands out as a leading figure in petroleum process engineering, merging deep academic knowledge with practical industry applications 🔍. His continued dedication to simulation-based learning, catalysis, and sustainable fuel research positions him as a key contributor in both academia and the energy sector.

📚 Top Publications Notes

 Biphasic Catalytic Conversion of Olefins in Aqueous Media: A Systematic Review
Cited by: Pending (new publication)

 A comparative study on biodiesel production from edible and non-edible biomasses
 Cited by: Available via Scopus/Google Scholar

Catalytic Upgrading of Biodiesel by Partial Hydrogenation of Its FAME Composition: A Systematic Review
 Cited by: Check on MDPI or Crossref

Solid waste biomass as a potential feedstock for producing sustainable aviation fuel: A systematic review
Cited by: 20+ (Scopus/Google Scholar)

Modeling and simulation of biphasic catalytic hydrogenation of a hydroformylated fuel
 Cited by: 18 (Google Scholar)

Two-step conversion of LLCN olefins to strong anti-knocking alcohol mixtures catalysed by Rh, Ru/TPPTS complexes in aqueous media
 Cited by: 50+ (Scopus)

 An environmentally benign catalytic process enhances in situ the quality of gasoline
Cited by: Available via OnePetro/Google Scholar