Hanin Othman | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

Ms. Hanin Othman | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

Ms. Hanin Othman | The Pennsylvania State University | United States

Dr. Hanin Othman is an accomplished Architect, Researcher, and Designer whose work bridges sustainable architecture, environmental sensing, and computational design. Currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Architecture (Sustainability) at The Pennsylvania State University (USA), she explores innovative intersections between indoor environmental quality monitoring, IoT-based sensor technologies, robotics, and climate-responsive design. Her research advances the integration of low-cost, data-driven sensing systems for health-equitable and energy-efficient built environments, while also engaging in digital fabrication and robotic material processes that merge craft with computational design. She serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Artist & Maker in Residence at Penn State’s College of Engineering, where she leads interdisciplinary workshops on Arduino-based environmental monitoring and IoT applications in architecture. Dr. Othman’s academic career spans over a decade, including extensive teaching and studio leadership at The Hashemite University (Jordan), where she taught across design studios, architectural theory, heritage conservation, and environmental systems. Her research contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the ICDS Rising Researcher Award, Fox Scholar Award, Artists and Makers in Residence Fellowship, and Sustainability Graduate Student Award Nomination at Penn State. She also received the Best Master Thesis Published Paper Award from the University of Jordan  and the Best Graduation Project Award from The Hashemite University . Her scholarly output demonstrates her growing global recognition, with 45 citations across 45 documents and an h-index of 1, reflecting emerging influence in the fields of smart building systems, urban thermal comfort modeling, and IoT-driven architectural innovation. Through her interdisciplinary and human-centered approach, Dr. Othman continues to contribute to shaping a more sustainable, resilient, and health-conscious built environment aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Profile: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Othman, H., Sieves, G., Guimarães, T., & Azari, R. (2025). A calibration chamber framework for low-cost indoor air quality sensor validation. Building and Environment, 283, 113856. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113856

Othman, H., Azari, R., & Guimarães, T. (2024). Low-cost IoT-based indoor air quality monitoring. Technology | Architecture + Design, 8(2), 2405403. https://doi.org/10.1080/24751448.2024.2405403

Othman, H., Sieves, G., Guimarães, T., & Azari, R. (2024, November 13). Development of a calibration chamber to evaluate the performance of a low-cost IAQ sensing device. In SIGraDi 2024 – Biodigital Intelligent Systems Conference.

Othman, H. (2023). Exploring low-cost sensors for indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring. In C+++: Computation, Culture, and Context – Proceedings of the 11th International Conference of the Arab Society for Computation in Architecture, Art and Design (ASCAAD).

Imam, C. A., Othman, H. A. S., & Çapunaman, Ö. B. (2023). Robotic plaster carving: Formalizing subtractive detailing of plaster surfaces for construction and crafts. In Proceedings of the 41st International Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe) (Vol. 1, pp. 397–406). https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2023.1.397

Shiva Shankar | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Shiva Shankar | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

Zoological Survey of India | India

C. Shiva Shankar is a dedicated Senior Research Fellow at the Zoological Survey of India, specializing in taxonomy, molecular systematics, and ecology of aquatic beetles, fishes, and freshwater crabs. He has significantly contributed to biodiversity documentation through the discovery of new species and first records in India. His doctoral research on aquatic beetles of the Eastern Ghats has generated more than 500 DNA barcodes, marking the first molecular systematic study of aquatic beetles in the country. He has authored over 15 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and a co-authored book on threatened fauna. His expertise spans DNA barcoding, water quality analysis, GIS and GPS field surveys, and museum specimen curation. With extensive fieldwork across Indian ecosystems, he has collected and identified over 95 species of aquatic beetles, including rare and endemic taxa. He has successfully submitted over 600 DNA sequences to NCBI, strengthening global biodiversity databases. Beyond research, he actively participates in national conferences, workshops, and biodiversity initiatives, enhancing collaborative conservation efforts. Recognized for his hard work, leadership skills, and self-motivation, he is committed to advancing aquatic biodiversity science. His career vision is to contribute to global research excellence while promoting sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

“First record of Scoliopsis spinosa d’Orchymont, 1919 (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) from India”

“Molecular Characterization of Rare Predaceous Aquatic Beetle Methles indicus Regimbart, 1899 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) from Eastern Ghats, India”

“Freshwater decapods (Crustacea: Decapoda) of Palair Reservoir, Telangana, India”

“Notes on Ptilomera agriodes (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerridae) from Eastern Ghats, India”