Sergio Armando Barbosa | Engineering | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Sergio Armando Barbosa | Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Sergio Armando Barbosa, University of Virginia, United States

Sergio Armando Barbosa Casas is a dedicated hydrologist and civil engineer with a strong background in groundwater modeling, hydrodynamics, and environmental sustainability. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University and currently serves as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on assessing flooding impacts, coastal sustainability, and groundwater resource management using Earth observations and advanced modeling techniques. With over a decade of experience, he has worked with institutions such as IDEAM, CAR, and Aquaveo, contributing to hydrological forecasting, river basin assessments, and flood risk analysis. His work has been published in high-impact journals, and he has presented at global conferences. Fluent in English and Spanish, he actively collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to address climate resilience and water resource challenges. His contributions to academia and research continue to advance sustainable solutions for environmental and hydrological challenges.

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Suitability for the “Research for Best Researcher Award” – Sergio Armando Barbosa Casas

Dr. Sergio Armando Barbosa Casas is an exceptionally qualified candidate for the Research for Best Researcher Award, given his extensive contributions to hydrology, groundwater modeling, and urban flood risk assessment. His research has significantly advanced the understanding of groundwater resource assessment, particularly in West Africa, through Earth observations and modeling. His Ph.D. dissertation at Brigham Young University was a groundbreaking study on groundwater resource assessment, a critical topic for sustainable water management.

Currently serving as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Virginia, Dr. Barbosa is involved in interdisciplinary research on coastal and urban flooding vulnerabilities, sustainability, and salt intrusion in aquifers. His collaboration with government agencies and stakeholders to develop informed decision-making processes for groundwater management highlights his real-world impact. His prior experience as a hydrologist at IDEAM (Colombian Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies) and a design engineer at CAR (Regional Autonomous Corporation) further demonstrate his expertise in hydrological modeling, flood risk assessment, and environmental sustainability.

🎓 Education

Sergio A. Barbosa Casas earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University in 2023, where he conducted groundbreaking research on groundwater resource assessment in West Africa using Earth observations and numerical modeling. His dissertation explored the impact of climate change and human activities on groundwater storage and recharge, providing valuable insights into water management strategies for arid regions. Prior to this, he obtained an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the National University of Colombia in 2014, focusing on water resource management and hydrological modeling. His academic journey began with a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from the same institution in 2009, where he developed expertise in hydraulic systems and watershed management. Throughout his studies, he actively engaged in research projects, collaborated with international teams, and contributed to policy recommendations. His diverse educational background has equipped him with a solid foundation in hydrology, climate resilience, and engineering solutions.

💼 Professional Experience 

Sergio A. Barbosa Casas has amassed extensive experience in hydrology, groundwater modeling, and environmental engineering. Currently, he is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Virginia, where he leads research on flooding impacts, coastal resilience, and sustainability. Previously, he was a Research Assistant at Brigham Young University, where he developed groundwater models for major aquifers in West Africa, utilizing remote sensing and field data. His industry experience includes working as an Engineering Intern at Aquaveo, where he created 3D groundwater simulations. Additionally, he served as a Hydrologist at IDEAM in Colombia, leading hydrological forecasting and flood risk assessments. As a Design Engineer at CAR, he developed dynamic models to evaluate water quality in the Bogotá River. His expertise spans across academia, government agencies, and private sectors, making him a well-rounded professional in water resource engineering, flood modeling, and climate adaptation strategies.

🏅 Awards and Recognition

Sergio A. Barbosa Casas has received numerous awards and grants for his contributions to hydrology and environmental engineering. He was awarded the Climate Fellows Postdoctoral Program Fellowship at the University of Virginia in 2024. During his Ph.D., he secured the Civil & Construction Engineering Scholarship Society Award (2019-2022). His research excellence earned him the Bill Stolte Best Student Paper Award at the Canadian Water Resources Association National Conference in 2022. Additionally, he has contributed to prestigious projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), with grants exceeding $5 million. His involvement in the NASA/USAID Research Grant on sustainable groundwater management in West Africa further highlights his global impact. Recognized for his interdisciplinary approach and innovative methodologies, his work continues to shape water resource sustainability and climate resilience. His expertise is sought after in academic and professional circles worldwide.

🌍 Research Skills On Engineering

Sergio A. Barbosa Casas is an expert in hydrological modeling, groundwater resource management, and climate resilience. His research integrates Earth observations, GIS, and remote sensing with hydrodynamic and groundwater modeling tools such as MODFLOW, HEC-RAS, and TUFLOW. He specializes in analyzing flood risks, coastal vulnerabilities, and sustainable water management strategies. His technical skills include numerical simulations, Python programming, and machine learning applications in hydrology. He has worked extensively with stakeholders, translating complex hydrological data into actionable policies. His work on urban flooding, saltwater intrusion, and groundwater sustainability has been published in high-impact journals and presented at global conferences. With a keen interest in data-driven solutions for climate adaptation, he collaborates across disciplines to develop innovative approaches for managing water resources in changing environments. His research continues to influence sustainable development, providing practical solutions for water security challenges.

Publication Top Notes

  • Deep learning-based downscaling of global digital elevation models for enhanced urban flood modeling

    • Author(s): Zanko Zandsalimi, Sergio A. Barbosa, Negin Alemazkoor, Jonathan L. Goodall, Majid Shafiee-Jood
    • Citation: Journal of Hydrology, 2025-06
    • DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.132687
    • Year: 2025

  • Exploring infiltration effects on coastal urban flooding: Insights from nuisance to extreme events using 2D/1D hydrodynamic modeling and crowdsourced flood reports

    • Author(s): Sergio A. Barbosa, Yidi Wang, Jonathan L. Goodall
    • Citation: Science of The Total Environment, 2025-03
    • DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178908
    • Year: 2025

  • Exploiting Earth Observations to Enable Groundwater Modeling in the Data-Sparse Region of Goulbi Maradi, Niger

    • Author(s): Sergio A. Barbosa, Norman L. Jones, Gustavious P. Williams, Bako Mamane, Jamila Begou, E. James Nelson, Daniel P. Ames
    • Citation: Remote Sensing, 2023-11-01
    • DOI: 10.3390/rs15215199
    • Year: 2023

  • Exploiting Earth Observations to Enable Groundwater Modeling in the Data-Sparse Region of Goulbi Maradi, Niger (Preprint)

    • Author(s): Sergio A. Barbosa, Norman L. Jones, Gustavious P. Williams, Bako Mamane, Jamila Begou, E. James Nelson, Daniel P. Ames
    • Citation: Preprint, 2023-08-30
    • DOI: 10.20944/preprints202308.2021.v1
    • Year: 2023

  • Correction: Barbosa et al. Evaluating Groundwater Storage Change and Recharge Using GRACE Data: A Case Study of Aquifers in Niger, West Africa. Remote Sens. 2022, 14, 1532

    • Author(s): Sergio A. Barbosa, Sarva T. Pulla, Gustavious P. Williams, Norman L. Jones, Bako Mamane, Jorge L. Sanchez
    • Citation: Remote Sensing, 2023-03-03
    • DOI: 10.3390/rs15051435
    • Year: 2023

Eirini Eleni Tsiropoulou | Engineering | Best Researcher Award

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eirini Eleni Tsiropoulou | Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eirini Eleni Tsiropoulou, Arizona State University, United States

Dr. Eirini Eleni Tsiropoulou is a tenured Associate Professor at the School of Electricahttps://academicexcellenceawards.com/eirini-eleni-tsiropoulou-engineering-best-researcher-award-2472/engil, Computer, and Energy Engineering at Arizona State University. Born in Athens, Greece, she is a U.S. lawful permanent resident fluent in Greek, English, and German. With expertise in game theory, reinforcement learning, distributed decision-making, and artificial intelligence-driven cyber-physical systems, Dr. Tsiropoulou has significantly contributed to optimizing dynamic systems under uncertainty. Her research focuses on resource orchestration in constrained environments and control of interdependent systems. Before joining Arizona State University, she held academic and research positions at the University of New Mexico, the University of Maryland, and the University of Texas at Dallas. She has been recognized globally for her contributions to engineering, including prestigious awards for research excellence, outstanding reviewing, and best paper distinctions. As a leader in her field, she serves on various IEEE committees and continues to shape the future of smart and adaptive systems.

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Suitability of Dr. Eirini Eleni Tsiropoulou for the Research for Best Researcher Award

Dr. Eirini Eleni Tsiropoulou is a distinguished researcher in Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, currently serving as an Associate Professor with tenure at Arizona State University. Her research focuses on game theory, reinforcement learning, distributed decision-making, and optimization in dynamic systems, demonstrating a strong interdisciplinary approach to complex problem-solving. Her extensive professional experience across prestigious institutions—including the University of New Mexico, Sandia National Laboratories, and the University of Maryland—underscores her leadership in academia and applied research.

Her impressive record of accolades highlights her significant contributions to the field. She has received numerous awards for research excellence, including the IEEE Early Career Award, multiple Best Paper Awards, and the NSF CRII Award, which showcases her ability to secure competitive funding. Furthermore, her recognition as an IEEE Senior Member and her leadership in various IEEE conferences and technical committees reinforce her impact on the global research community.

🎓 Education

Dr. Eirini Eleni Tsiropoulou holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), where she specialized in optimal resource allocation in next-generation wireless networks. She also earned an MBA in Project Management from NTUA, ranking in the top 1% of her class. Her MBA thesis focused on emissions analysis in power sectors through mathematical modeling. Additionally, she holds a five-year Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from NTUA, again ranking among the top 1% of her class. Her diploma thesis explored game-theoretic approaches to power control in CDMA networks. Through her rigorous academic training, Dr. Tsiropoulou developed a strong foundation in systems optimization, distributed algorithms, and network management, setting the stage for her impactful research career. Her interdisciplinary education blends engineering excellence with strategic project management, equipping her to address complex challenges in modern technological systems.

💼 Professional Experience

Dr. Tsiropoulou is currently an Associate Professor with Tenure at Arizona State University. Previously, she held the same role at the University of New Mexico (UNM). She also served as a PO Contractor at Sandia National Laboratories, contributing to high-impact national security projects. Earlier, she worked as an Assistant Professor at UNM, a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Maryland and the University of Texas at Dallas, and a Research Fellow at NTUA. Her career spans academia, research, and collaboration with industry and government agencies. She has led multiple NSF-funded projects and guided students in cutting-edge research. Her expertise in reinforcement learning, cyber-physical systems, and optimization has led to transformative advancements in wireless networks and intelligent systems. She actively contributes to IEEE conferences and editorial boards, shaping the future of network science and engineering through interdisciplinary innovation and leadership.

🏅 Awards & Recognition

Dr. Tsiropoulou has received numerous prestigious awards for her contributions to engineering. She was honored as an Excellent Reviewer by IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering (2024) and the IEEE OJCOMS (2024). She won the Best Paper Runner-up Award from IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing (2023) and received the Research and Creative Works Leader Award at UNM (2023). Recognized for excellence in education, she earned the IEEE Albuquerque Section’s Outstanding Engineering Educator Award (2021). Her research contributions were acknowledged with the IEEE Communications Society Early Career Award (2020) and multiple Best Paper Awards at top-tier conferences like INFOCOM and BRAINS. She was named an IEEE Senior Member (2021) and served on elite IEEE technical committees. Before joining UNM, she received the N2 Women Rising Stars in Networking and Communications Award (2017). Her accolades underscore her leadership and innovative contributions to engineering and academia.

🌍 Research Skills On Engineering

Dr. Tsiropoulou’s research expertise spans game theory, reinforcement learning, optimization of dynamic systems, and distributed decision-making. She specializes in designing adaptive cyber-physical systems for resource-constrained environments, ensuring efficiency in networked infrastructures. Her work integrates stochastic modeling and artificial intelligence to tackle real-world engineering problems. She has made significant contributions to network resource orchestration, security, and autonomous systems control. A key aspect of her research is the application of software-defined networking and AI-driven optimization in complex, uncertain environments. Her interdisciplinary approach enables the development of robust, intelligent frameworks for next-generation wireless networks and smart infrastructures. She has successfully led multiple NSF-funded research projects, collaborating with academia and industry. As an editorial board member for top IEEE journals, she advances knowledge in network science and engineering. Her pioneering research continues to drive innovation in computational intelligence, cybersecurity, and real-time system optimization.

📖 Publication Top Notes

  • Data offloading in UAV-assisted multi-access edge computing systems under resource uncertainty
    Authors: PA Apostolopoulos, G Fragkos, EE Tsiropoulou, S Papavassiliou
    Citation: 170
    Year: 2021
    Journal: IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing 22 (1), 175-190

  • Game theory for wireless communications and networking
    Authors: Y Zhang, M Guizani
    Citation: 162
    Year: 2011
    Publisher: CRC Press

  • Risk-aware data offloading in multi-server multi-access edge computing environment
    Authors: PA Apostolopoulos, EE Tsiropoulou, S Papavassiliou
    Citation: 161
    Year: 2020
    Journal: IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking 28 (3), 1405-1418

  • Machine learning and intelligent communications
    Authors: XL Huang, X Ma, F Hu
    Citation: 145
    Year: 2018
    Journal: Mobile Networks and Applications 23, 68-70

  • Interest, energy and physical-aware coalition formation and resource allocation in smart IoT applications
    Authors: EE Tsiropoulou, ST Paruchuri, JS Baras
    Citation: 141
    Year: 2017
    Conference: 51st Annual Conference on Information Sciences and Systems (CISS), 1-6

  • Wireless powered public safety IoT: A UAV-assisted adaptive-learning approach towards energy efficiency
    Authors: D Sikeridis, EE Tsiropoulou, M Devetsikiotis, S Papavassiliou
    Citation: 115
    Year: 2018
    Journal: Journal of Network and Computer Applications 123, 69-79

  • Resource Allocation in Next-Generation Broadband Wireless Access Networks
    Authors: C Singhal, S De
    Citation: 115
    Year: 2017
    Publisher: IGI Global

  • Interest-aware energy collection & resource management in machine to machine communications
    Authors: EE Tsiropoulou, G Mitsis, S Papavassiliou
    Citation: 111
    Year: 2018
    Journal: Ad Hoc Networks 68, 48-57

  • Big data in complex and social networks
    Authors: MT Thai, W Wu, H Xiong
    Citation: 110
    Year: 2016
    Publisher: CRC Press

  • Price and risk awareness for data offloading decision-making in edge computing systems
    Authors: G Mitsis, EE Tsiropoulou, S Papavassiliou
    Citation: 103
    Year: 2022
    Journal: IEEE Systems Journal 16 (4), 6546-6557