Best Researcher Award

Hyginus Ozioko
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria

Hyginus Ozioko is a researcher affiliated with Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria, whose work addresses environmental and sustainable materials. His publications examine sustainable concrete, soil-based construction materials and bioremediation, often combined with machine learning and statistical modeling. This article summarizes his research profile in connection with the International Soil Scientist Awards. [1]

Abstract

This article presents the research profile of Hyginus Ozioko, whose recent work applies experimental testing and predictive modeling to sustainable construction materials and contaminated soil remediation. His studies investigate agricultural and industrial waste as concrete admixtures, palm kernel shell concrete under different curing methods, laterite as a partial substitute for sharp sand in cement blocks, and geopolymer concrete prediction using artificial intelligence. [2][3]

Keywords

Sustainable concrete, agricultural waste, geopolymer concrete, laterite, bioremediation, machine learning, predictive modeling, environmental materials.

Introduction

Construction materials and soil management are closely linked to environmental sustainability. The use of waste-derived and locally available materials can reduce dependence on conventional resources, while data-driven models can help estimate material performance with fewer laboratory trials. Ozioko’s work sits at this intersection, pairing laboratory evaluation with computational prediction. [2]

Research Profile

According to his Scopus author record, Ozioko holds Author ID 60379357200 with two indexed documents, one citation and an h-index of one. [1] His ORCID record additionally lists several recent journal articles from 2025 and 2026, produced with collaborators including Emmanuel Ebube Eze, Ekunie Augustine Chidera, Edward Ingio Adah and Henry Ogumere. [5]

Research Contributions

• Sustainable concrete: experimental evaluation and predictive modeling of concrete incorporating agricultural and industrial waste admixtures. [2]
• Palm kernel shell concrete: compressive strength under various curing methods, with machine learning prediction. [3]
• Alternative aggregates: assessment of laterite soil as a substitute for sharp sand in cement block production. [4]
• Soil remediation: bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils using artificial neural networks and response surface methodology. [5]

Publications

• “Experimental evaluation and predictive modeling of sustainable concrete incorporating agricultural and industrial waste admixtures,” Discover Civil Engineering, 2026. [2]
• “Sustainable Bioremediation of Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soils Using ANN and RSM,” Journal of Water and Environmental Nanotechnology, 2026. [5]
• “Study of Compressive Strength of Palm Kernel Shell Concrete Under Various Curing Methods,” Engineering and Technology Journal, 2026. [3]
• “Suitability assessment of laterite soil as alternative to sharp sand in cement block production,” Nigerian Journal of Technology, 2026. [4]
• “Artificial intelligence-based prediction of compressive strength of metakaolin-saw dust geopolymer concrete,” Journal of Management and Engineering Sciences, 2025.

Research Impact

The author’s indexed record is at an early stage, with two documents and one citation in Scopus. [1] Its relevance lies in topic focus: the studies address practical questions in low-cost, locally sourced construction materials and environmental remediation, and they apply modeling methods that may support reduced experimental effort in future work.

Award Suitability

Ozioko’s work on soil-based materials, waste utilization and contaminated soil remediation relates to the scope of the International Soil Scientist Awards. His combination of laboratory investigation and machine learning in soil and materials research is consistent with the recognition of emerging researchers in environmental and sustainable materials. [3][4]

Conclusion

Hyginus Ozioko is an early-career researcher whose recent publications connect sustainable construction materials, soil science and predictive modeling. His portfolio shows a consistent thematic direction and continuing output, and it provides a basis for recognition under the Best Researcher Award category. [1][2]

External Links

• Scopus Profile
• Google Scholar
• ORCID Profile

References

1. Elsevier. (n.d.). Scopus author details: Hyginus Ozioko, Author ID 60379357200. Scopus.
   https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=60379357200
2. Ozioko, H. O., Eze, E. E., & Chidera, E. A. (2026). Experimental evaluation and predictive modeling of sustainable concrete incorporating agricultural and industrial waste admixtures. Discover Civil Engineering.
   https://doi.org/10.1007/s44290-026-00596-7
3. Ozioko, H. O., Eze, E. E., & Adah, E. I. (2026). Study of compressive strength of palm kernel shell concrete under various curing methods and predictive modeling using machine learning. Engineering and Technology Journal.
   https://doi.org/10.30684/2412-0758.1567
4. Ozioko, H. O., Eze, E. E., & Ekunie, A. C. (2026). Suitability assessment of laterite soil as alternative to sharp sand in cement block production: Performance evaluation and predictive analysis. Nigerian Journal of Technology.
   https://doi.org/10.4314/njt.2025.4767
5. Ozioko, H., Eze, E., & Ogumere, H. (2026). Sustainable bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils using ANN and RSM with enhanced feature engineering and data augmentation. Journal of Water and Environmental Nanotechnology.
   https://doi.org/10.22090/jwent.2026.2074964.1982

Innovative Research Award

Ayed Alluqmani
Islamic University of Madinah, Saudi Arabia

Ayed Alluqmani is a researcher at the Islamic University of Madinah whose work centres on environmental and sustainable materials, structural engineering, and computational modelling [1]. He is considered here within the framework of the Innovative Research Award, presented under the International Soil Scientist Awards.

Abstract

This article presents a scholarly profile of Ayed Alluqmani, affiliated with the Islamic University of Madinah, in the context of the Innovative Research Award. His publications address sustainable construction materials, advanced composite structures, masonry behaviour, and data-driven environmental prediction. Bibliometric data indicate a sustained publication record and a citation base reflecting engagement from the wider research community [1].

Keywords

Sustainable materials, ultra-high performance concrete, functionally graded materials, finite element analysis, masonry structures, machine learning, rainfall prediction, structural engineering.

Introduction

Sustainable materials research increasingly combines civil engineering, computational mechanics, and environmental science. Within this field, researchers evaluate how construction materials and structural systems can deliver adequate performance while reducing environmental burden. Ayed Alluqmani contributes to this area through collaborative studies published in international journals, with his work indexed in Scopus under author identifier 55622739300 [1].

Research Profile

Alluqmani is affiliated with the Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia. His subject area is classified here as environmental and sustainable materials, although his publications also extend into structural mechanics and environmental data analysis. Much of his work is co-authored with international collaborators, reflecting the multidisciplinary and collaborative nature of contemporary engineering research.

Research Contributions

• Sustainable concrete technology: a 2023 study in Construction and Building Materials examined eco-friendly ultra-high performance concrete, considering cost, carbon emissions, and structural ductility [3].
• Advanced structural modelling: research in Acta Mechanica applied a p-version finite element method based on third-order shear deformation theory to the free vibration and bending of porous bi-directional functionally graded sandwich shells [4]. A related study in Mechanics Based Design of Structures and Machines analysed porous plates reinforced with carbon nanotubes.

Publications

Selected publications, with citation counts as listed on the Scopus profile, include the following [1]:

• Lakhdar, Z., Chorfi, S. M., Belalia, S. A., Khedher, K. M., Alluqmani, A. E., Tounsi, A., et al. (2024). Free vibration and bending analysis of porous bi-directional FGM sandwich shell using a TSDT p-version finite element method. Acta Mechanica, 235(6), 3657–3686. (255 citations)
• Amran, M., Murali, G., Makul, N., Tang, W. C., & Alluqmani, A. E. (2023). Sustainable development of eco-friendly ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC): Cost, carbon emission, and structural ductility. Construction and Building Materials, 398, 132477. (217 citations)
• Meftah, S. A., Aldosari, S. M., Tounsi, A., Cuong-Le, T., Khedher, K. M., et al. (2024). Simplified homogenization technique for nonlinear finite element analysis of in-plane loaded masonry walls. Engineering Structures, 306, 117822. (152 citations)

Research Impact

The citation profile indicates that several publications have been cited more than one hundred times, with the most cited item reaching 255 citations. Such figures suggest that the studies have been read and used by other researchers in structural mechanics, construction materials, and environmental modelling [1].

Award Suitability

The Innovative Research Award, presented under the International Soil Scientist Awards, recognises research that advances knowledge and offers practical relevance to sustainability and environmental science. Alluqmani’s work on lower-carbon concrete, computational methods for advanced materials, and machine learning for rainfall prediction aligns with these aims [1].

Conclusion

Ayed Alluqmani of the Islamic University of Madinah has built a research record spanning sustainable construction materials, advanced structural modelling, and environmental data analysis. His indexed output and citation profile document a consistent scholarly contribution, and his work reflects the integration of engineering and sustainability themes that the Innovative Research Award seeks to acknowledge.

External Links

• Scopus Profile
• Google Scholar
• ORCID Profile

References

1. Elsevier. (n.d.). Scopus author details: Alluqmani, Ayed, Author ID 55622739300. Scopus.
   https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=55622739300
2. ORCID. (n.d.). Ayed Alluqmani (ORCID iD 0000-0002-6204-7803). ORCID.
   https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6204-7803
3. Amran, M., Murali, G., Makul, N., Tang, W. C., & Alluqmani, A. E. (2023). Sustainable development of eco-friendly ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC): Cost, carbon emission, and structural ductility. Construction and Building Materials, 398, 132477.
   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.132477
4. Lakhdar, Z., Chorfi, S. M., Belalia, S. A., Khedher, K. M., Alluqmani, A. E., Tounsi, A., et al. (2024). Free vibration and bending analysis of porous bi-directional FGM sandwich shell using a TSDT p-version finite element method. Acta Mechanica, 235(6), 3657–3686.
   https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-024-03901-6
5. Kumar, V., Kedam, N., Sharma, K. V., Khedher, K. M., & Alluqmani, A. E. (2023). A comparison of machine learning models for predicting rainfall in urban metropolitan cities. Sustainability, 15(18), 13724.
   https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813724