Deme Hirko | Civil | Best Researcher Award

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Mr. Deme Hirko | Civil | Best Researcher Award

Lecturer | Stellenbosch University | South Africa

Mr. Deme Hirko is a Water Resources Engineer, Climate Researcher, and Lecturer with extensive experience in teaching, research, and project coordination in the fields of hydrology, irrigation, and water systems management. His work focuses on sustainable water resource strategies, integrating advanced hydrological models with machine learning to optimize water allocation and assess the impacts of climate change. As a PhD researcher at Stellenbosch University, he develops Python-based analytical tools and applies data-driven methods to enhance climate impact assessments and water management efficiency. He has taught and supervised numerous students in hydraulic engineering and water resource modelling, combining academic rigor with practical insights from his earlier experience in infrastructure project management. His research explores the intersection of climate science, data analytics, and high-performance computing, aiming to improve resilience in water-scarce regions. He has published several peer-reviewed papers on topics such as machine learning applications in hydrology, water allocation modelling, and irrigation performance evaluation. In addition to his academic work, he actively participates in international conferences and specialized training programs related to climate modelling, Earth observation, and water resource assessment. Committed to interdisciplinary collaboration, he strives to advance research that supports equitable and data-informed water management policies, particularly within the context of climate variability in Africa.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Hirko, D. B., Du Plessis, J. A., & Bosman, A. (2025). Using machine learning and satellite data to analyse climate change in the Upper Awash Sub-basin, Ethiopia. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C.

Hirko, D. B., Du Plessis, J. A., & Bosman, A. (2025). Review of machine learning and WEAP models for water allocation under climate change. Earth Science Informatics.

Hirko, D. B., Gebul, M. A., Du Plessis, J. A., & Emama, W. O. (2023). Assessment of irrigation water allocation, Koftu, Ethiopia. Water Practice & Technology, 18(6).

Hirko, D. B., & Du Plessis, J. A. (2023, April 16). Assessing the effectiveness of Koftu’s small-scale irrigation schemes in enhancing water resource utilization in Ethiopia [Preprint]. ESSOAr.

Hirko, D. B. (2022, July 27). Irrigation land suitability assessment of Sibilu River catchment using geographic information system. Irrigation & Drainage Systems Engineering.

Nazanin Irani | Civil Engineering | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Nazanin Irani | Civil Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Postdoctoral Researcher at  Ruhr University Bochum | Germany

Dr. Nazanin Irani is a postdoctoral researcher at the Chair of Soil Mechanics, Foundation Engineering, and Environmental Geotechnics at Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB), Germany. She holds a Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from Shiraz University of Technology (2023), along with M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees in Civil and Geotechnical Engineering from Iranian institutions.

Profile:

Educational Background:

Dr. Irani earned her Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from Shiraz University of Technology (2018–2023), preceded by an M.Sc. in Geotechnical Engineering (2015–2017) and a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering (2010–2014) from institutions in Iran. She graduated with top honors and received distinctions throughout her academic career.

Professional Experience:

Dr. Irani has held multiple roles in both academia and industry. She has served as a Scientific Associate and Postdoctoral Researcher at RUB since 2023. Her earlier experience includes research at Shiraz University of Technology and visiting research at RUB’s Chair of Continuum Mechanics. Additionally, she has worked in civil structural design and construction management in Iran.

Research and Teaching Engagement:

Her research focuses on constitutive modeling of soils, finite element simulations, soil improvement using AI, and geothermal energy enhancement. She lectures on specialized topics including Soil Dynamics, Geotechnical Structures, and Earthquake Engineering at RUB. Dr. Irani has supervised multiple Ph.D. and Master’s theses in advanced soil mechanics and AI applications.

Honors and Awards:

Dr. Irani has received multiple prestigious grants and scholarships, including two €1 million research grants from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Emmy Noether Programme.

Publications and Contributions:

Dr. Irani has authored 13 peer-reviewed publications, including articles in Acta Geotechnica, Computers and Geotechnics, and the Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. Her work bridges experimental, numerical, and AI-driven approaches to solving complex geotechnical problems.

Research Interests:

Her main areas of interest include:

  • Thermodynamically consistent constitutive modeling

  • Particle breakage in soils

  • Micro-to-macro soil behavior analysis

  • AI and machine learning in geotechnics

  • Environmentally sustainable soil improvement techniques

Citation Metrics for Dr. Nazanin Irani:

  • Total Citations: 113

  • Citations Since 2020: 113

  • h-index: 6

  • i10-index: 4

Publication Top Notes:

A state-dependent hyperelastic-plastic constitutive model considering shear-induced particle breakage in granular soils

2022
Citations: 35

Effect of scrap tyre on strength properties of untreated and lime-treated clayey sand
2021
Citations: 18

Effects of over-consolidation history on flow instability of clean and silty sands
2022
Citations: 17

Micro-mechanical response of transversely isotropic samples under cyclic loading
2023
Citations: 10*

Effects of the inclusion of industrial and agricultural wastes on the compaction and compression properties of untreated and lime-treated clayey sand
2020
Citations: 9