The Expanded Shale, Clay and Slate Institute’s (ESCSI) John Ries Scholarship entered its second year with recognition of Ms. Lamiya Noor, a Ph.D. student in the School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Oregon State University (OSU) as the recipient of the 2020-21 award. Considering the current pandemic, Lamiya received her award in a virtual ceremony along with her advisor, Prof. Jason H. Ideker, ESCSI leadership and Mr. John Ries, retired Technical Director of ESCSI, whose name and work established this $5000 annual award. This year, ESCSI received a record number of 37 qualified undergraduate and graduate students, up by more than 40% from the first year. A team of reviewers worked with the ESCSI Education Committee to read the impressive applications of candidates and recommend the top candidate for this prestigious scholarship award.
Ms. Lamiya Noor is an accomplished student with a total of 5 publications and a Graduate Research Award from ACRP (Airport Cooperative Research Program) on Public-Sector Aviation Issues for “Developing a new decision-making tool for selecting rapid repair material for concrete airfield pavement” for the academic year of 2020-21. She is determined to incorporate expanded shale, clay, and slate (ESCS) lightweight aggregates in cement and concrete material to expedite repair projects with high early strength and long-term durability. She is currently evaluating the performance of ettringite accelerated binders under the supervision of Prof. Ideker. ESCS aggregates contribute to early-age hydration and mitigation of cracking, as noted by Prof. Ideker, the Editor-in-Chief of CEMENT, and the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the ASTM Advances in Civil Engineering Materials.
In addition to her research activities, she has been contributing to the engineering community as a reviewer for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting – The National Academic of Sciences (NAS). Ms. Noor is also a member of the Society of Women Engineer’s graduate student community at OSU, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Concrete Institute (ACI) and American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). She earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and her Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University. She is determined to pursue a tenure-track faculty position after completing her Ph.D.