Maryam Fazlollahi Mohammadi | Soil Ecology | Best Academic Researcher Award

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Mrs. Maryam Fazlollahi Mohammadi | Soil Ecology | Best Academic Researcher Award

Mrs. Maryam Fazlollahi Mohammadi, South East Technological University, Ireland

Dr. Maryam Fazlollahi Mohammadi is a Forestry Lecturer at South East Technological University (SETU), Ireland. She holds a Ph.D. in Forestry from Tarbiat Modares University, Iran, where her research focused on the effects of topography on forest ecosystems, including soil and tree regeneration. With expertise in forest ecology, carbon modeling, and forest management, Dr. Fazlollahi Mohammadi has contributed to various research projects, including the Terrain-AI project, which aims to improve carbon flux estimates for climate mitigation. She has published several papers in top-tier journals and has collaborated with multiple academic and industry partners. At SETU, she teaches and supervises both undergraduate and postgraduate students, while also being involved in industry and research collaborations.

Profile

Scopus

Summary:

Mrs. Maryam Fazlollahi Mohammadi is an outstanding candidate for the Best Academic Researcher Award due to her exceptional contributions to forest ecology, her innovative research on the effects of topography on forest ecosystems, and her involvement in high-impact, collaborative projects like Terrain-AI. Her ability to blend academic excellence with practical applications, teaching, and mentoring makes her a strong asset to both the academic and broader environmental communities. Her research continues to influence forest management and conservation practices, with a focus on carbon modeling, soil management, and biodiversity.

🎓 Education

Chai Yanjun earned his PhD from the Institute of Agricultural Environment and Sustainable Development at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. His academic background laid a strong foundation for his career in environmental engineering and sustainable agriculture.

💼Experience

After completing her Ph.D., Maryam worked as a lecturer at various Iranian universities, teaching modules on Ecology, Soil Fertility, Experimental Design, and Agriculture and Livestock Management. She also served as an occasional lecturer at University College Dublin (UCD) in the Forest Climate and Carbon course, where she prepared and delivered lectures, developed quizzes, graded exams, and mentored students. In 2021, Maryam started a postdoctoral position at UCD, working on the Terrain-AI project, which explores the impact of management and disturbances on forest carbon uptake. Since December 2022, she has been a Forestry Lecturer at South East Technological University (SETU), where she teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, supervises students, and organizes field trips and labs.

🔬Research Focus

Maryam’s research is centered around forest ecology, particularly the effects of topography on forest ecosystems. She has studied soil physical, chemical, and biological traits, forest regeneration, herbaceous species, and tree distribution. Her work in the Hyrcanian forests of Iran has significantly contributed to understanding species selection based on soil conditions and forest management practices. Currently, her postdoctoral research in the Terrain-AI project aims to improve carbon flux estimates across complex environments and develop more accurate climate mitigation strategies.

🛠️Skills

Maryam is proficient in a variety of software tools, including MS Office, ArcGIS, MATLAB, R, SPSS, and statistical analysis tools such as EndNote and GS+. She has also completed a project management course for postdocs and applies this knowledge to her current projects. Her communication, analytical, and organizational skills have been key to her academic success, including the completion of her degrees and the timely delivery of reports.

🏆Awards

Maryam received funding from the Ministry of Science and Technology of Iran to develop an international collaboration, which led her to work at the University of Torino, Italy, for six months during her Ph.D. Additionally, she has published six papers in prestigious journals like Scientific Reports, Nature, and Applied Soil Ecology Journal, with her most recent work focusing on forest soil characteristics and tree species distribution.

📚 Publications

Title: Topographic patterns of soil traits and macro fauna in oriental beech forests in Iran
Year: 2025
Authors: M. Fazlollahi Mohammadi, Maryam; B. Tobin, Brian; A. Kulmatiski, Andrew; S.G. Jalali, Seyed Gholamali; Y. Kooch, Yahya
Journal: Applied Soil Ecology

Conclusion:

Mrs. Maryam Fazlollahi Mohammadi’s academic journey and research accomplishments highlight her as a leader in the field of forestry. Her strengths in research excellence, collaboration, and education, combined with her ability to translate academic findings into practical solutions, make her an ideal candidate for the Best Academic Researcher Award. To further enhance her career, she could focus on broadening her research scope and increasing her visibility in public and policy circles, while continuing to make significant contributions to forest and environmental science.

xiaolan liu | Soil | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. xiaolan liu | Soil | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Xiaolan liu, Tianjin Chengjian University, China

Dr. Xiaolan Liu is a lecturer at Tianjin Chengjian University, China, specializing in road and airport engineering. Her research focuses on non-destructive testing of road structures, runway performance in permafrost regions, and sponge city infrastructure. She has led multiple national and municipal research projects and published extensively in international journals. Dr. Liu has received several prestigious awards, including honors from the China Highway Society and the China Civil Aviation Authority, recognizing her contributions to transportation engineering.

Profile

Scopus

Summary:

Dr. Xiaolan Liu’s research addresses a highly relevant and pressing issue in civil and geotechnical engineering, particularly for regions experiencing extreme climates. By focusing on the cooling effects of ventilation subgrades, Dr. Liu is advancing techniques to protect infrastructure in permafrost regions, which is crucial in the context of global climate change. Their work also contributes to the development of better construction practices for frozen soil areas.

🎓 Education

Xiaolan Liu is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, specializing in Highway and Railway Engineering under the School of Civil Aviation. Simultaneously, she is enrolled in another Ph.D. program in Civil Engineering at Southwest Forestry University, School of Transportation Engineering. She earned her Master’s degree in Highway and Railway Engineering from the Civil Aviation University of China and has maintained a consistent academic focus on infrastructure engineering throughout her education.

💼Experience

Liu has led and contributed to numerous high-impact research projects, including those funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and municipal research initiatives. Her roles as principal investigator and advisor on projects dealing with permafrost roadbed settlement, freeze-thaw effects on clay roadbeds, and rigid pavement performance under aircraft loading have established her as a leading expert in infrastructure performance under extreme environmental conditions. She currently serves as a lecturer and actively mentors research teams on structural mechanics and pavement engineering.

🔬Research Focus

Liu’s research primarily centers on the theory and application of non-destructive testing for road structures, engineering solutions for airport runways in permafrost areas, and the development and implementation of sponge city infrastructure. Her work addresses real-world challenges in runway performance under aircraft loading and extreme climatic conditions, making substantial contributions to both civil aviation safety and cold-region infrastructure sustainability.

🛠️Skills

Liu possesses advanced skills in structural modeling, dynamic load analysis, non-destructive testing, permafrost engineering, and pavement material characterization. She is proficient in conducting both field experiments and laboratory testing, complemented by analytical and simulation expertise for evaluating roadbed and runway performance in challenging environments.

🏆Awards

Her academic excellence and research innovations have been recognized through numerous prestigious awards. These include the Second Prize of the Science and Technology Award from the China Highway Society in 2023, the Tianjin Municipal Teaching Achievement Award in 2022, and the China Civil Aviation Science and Technology Achievement Award the same year. She is also a recipient of multiple national scholarships, including those for undergraduate and graduate excellence, and has been honored as an Excellent Graduate Student by both her universities.

📚 Publications

  • Study on the cooling effect of the parallel perforated ventilation subgrade in permafrost regions based on the numerical model

    • Authors: X. Liu, Xiaolan; C. Fu, Chuanwei; X. Cheng, Xinglei

    • Year: 2025

    • Journal: PLoS ONE

  • Study on applicability of parallel perforated ventilation subgrade to the runway in frozen soil regions

    • Authors: X. Liu, Xiaolan; C. Fu, Chuanwei; C. Lv, Chao

    • Year: 2025

    • Journal: AEJ – Alexandria Engineering Journal

Conclusion:

Dr. Liu is a strong candidate for the Best Researcher Award due to their innovative approach and contributions to permafrost engineering. With improvements in citation impact and broader engagement, their research could have a more profound influence on both academia and real-world applications in the field of sustainable infrastructure development.