FSU Engineering Doctoral Student Maryam Pakdehi Wins Prestigious Leadership Award for Flood Prediction Research

FAMU-FSU engineering student Maryam Pakdehi earns FSU’s Graduate Leadership Award for innovative machine learning research improving flood predictions and disaster preparedness technology

Maryam Pakdehi, a doctoral student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, has been honored with the 2024-2025 Graduate Student Leadership Award from Florida State University (FSU).

We transformed contaminated land into a community asset at State Road 71 and US-90 intersection in Marianna, Florida. Previously, an empty lot held tainted soil and groundwater. Our team reformed the land into a place that empowers the community and provides long-term economic opportunities. Before we upgraded the site, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) required an impermeable cap. It designated part of the property as “restricted property” to fix the pollution. The cap worked like the one on a water bottle, limiting future health dangers.

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The three members of engineering senior design team 225 stand together on the third floor breezeway at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.

Goodwood Museum and Gardens has dealt with serious storm damage for years because of poor drainage. Heavy rain often washes away gravel from walkways and parking lots, costing the museum a lot of money to fix. Since the museum runs on a tight budget, these repairs are difficult to afford. Another big issue is flooding in the basement of one of the buildings, where water seeps through the walls.

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The three members of engineering senior design team 224 stand together on the third floor breezeway at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.