2025 Truog Soil Science Outstanding Dissertation Award Recipient

It is with great honor to announce that Dr. Navodi Jayarathne was selected as the Truog Soil Science Outstanding Dissertation Award Recipient.  This award is given by the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) to a PhD student whose dissertation is transformational in soil science research. Her Thesis title “Transport of Multi-Phase Multi-Component Fluids in the Shallow Subsurface Influenced by Soil and Surface Boundary Conditions: Experimental and Numerical Study with Application to Natural Gas Leakage” awarded her for the 2025 prize.

Dr. Jayarathne has made tremendous contributions to advancing knowledge and understanding in soil and hydrological processes as evidenced by her 4 peer reviewed publications, 3 news articles, 2 safety alerts and national and international presentations on her PhD work.  And most importantly, her work has been translated to first responder practices that improve safety and leak detection.

Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Professor Kathleen Smits

Dr. Smits On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience

Read Dr. Smits full interview where she is asked about her experience over the course of her accomplished career, plus learn about the latest projects she and her research team are working on.

“I learned early on that I need to set the tone for myself, not letting my email box or other people’s ideas and opinions set it for me. Every day, I power up and think about my purpose.”

Congratulations to Dr. Navodi Jayarathne

 

 

 

 

 

2024 Outstanding Graduate Student in The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at SMU Lyle School of Engineering during the First Annual SMU Lyle School of Engineering Awards Ceremony

2024 Excellence in Research and Innovation at SMU Lyle School Of Engineering During The First Annual SMU Lyle School of Engineering Awards Ceremony

Deans Award SMU Research and Innovation Week 2024 in the CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING GROUP at the Research and Innovation Week 2024 organized by Moody School of Graduate & Advanced Studies | SM

 

NSF grant to fund SMU student research in Colombia

NSF grant to fund SMU student research in Colombia

With the support of a $450,000 three-year grant from the National Science Foundation, SMU students will look for novel, environmentally friendly ways to conduct small-scale gold mining in Colombia. Their research will focus on the prevention, remediation, and restoration of contaminated environments where mining is key to residents’ livelihood.

NSF grant to fund SMU student research in Colombia

NSF IRES information for students

Congratulations to our MS student Richard S. Kolodziej IV

Congratulations to CEE MS student Richard S. Kolodziej IV, who graduated from the Environmental Engineering program. His research focused on evaluating and advancing the current state of Leak Detection and Quantification and developing solutions for below-ground Natural Gas pipeline leaks.

Congratulations to our PhD student Navodi Jayarathne

Congratulations to CEE PhD student Navodi Jayarathne, who graduated from the Civil Engineering program. Her research focused on gas diffusivity of different soils including urban soils, agricultural soils, arctic soils (permafrost layer), and manufactured aggregated porous media with implications on infrastructure safety, greenhouse gas emissions, and terrestrial & outer space crop cultivation under different collaborations.

NSF IRES proposal “Socially and environmentally responsible engineering for enhancing livelihoods within mining communities” will be funded

A collaborative NSF IRES proposal, entitled “Socially and environmentally responsible engineering for enhancing livelihoods within mining communities,” will be funded for 3 years. This project aims to provide U.S. students from Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Colorado School of Mines (Mines) the opportunity to perform cutting-edge research in collaboration with faculty and students at the University Nacional of Colombia, Medellin, Colombia (UNALMED).

Congratulations to our PhD student Linda Jaramillo-Urrego

Congratulations to CEE PhD student Linda Jaramillo-Urrego who was awarded a P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship based on her work in environmental sustainability of artisanal and small-scale gold mining communities.  This scholarship was established to provide support for women from other countries for graduate study in the U.S.

Postcards from the Field

Greetings from Colombia! This photo was taken on July 9, 2023, in a village in the municipality of Zaragoza in the department of Antioquia, Colombia. Here I have started my research journey to document and characterize the use of local plants in gold...

Greetings from Colombia!

This photo was taken on July 9, 2023, in a village in the municipality of Zaragoza in the department of Antioquia, Colombia. Here I have started my research journey to document and characterize the use of local plants in gold recovery with my advisor, Dr. Kathleen Smits. In Colombia, many artisanal miners use this ancient practice that has been ignored for years and could represent an environmentally responsible alternative to mercury use in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Hopefully, this work will also highlight the importance of local knowledge in formulating engineering projects.

Linda Jaramillo Urrego, Ph.D. Student at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA.

Check post here.