CEE graduate students receive Dams Kim de Rubertis Student Scholarship
Published: Jul 10, 2025 11:00 AM
By Dustin Duncan
Two graduate students in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering were named finalists for a national scholarship aimed at developing practical solutions to design and construction challenges related to dams, levees and other water resources.
Brock Huner and Lili Rahimikhameneh placed second and third, respectively, for the United States Society on Dams Kim de Rubertis Student Scholarship during the 2025 USSD Annual Conference and Exhibition in Kansas City, Missouri, in May.
Huner placed second and received $9,000 to support his project titled “Modeling Dam Overtopping: Remediation Using Biopolymer Mixed Soil.”
“My research focuses on modeling dam overtopping, with a particular emphasis on studying how biopolymer materials can be used to remediate earthen levees and reduce erosion failure during overtopping events,” Huner said. “By analyzing real-world case studies, I aim to accurately model these scenarios and quantify the effectiveness of biopolymer remediation.”
He said the goal is to develop practical recommendations that can be applied to the design, construction and rehabilitation of levees and dams, ultimately providing a better safety net for communities and allowing more time for evacuation during overtopping events.
Rahimikhameneh finished third and received $7,000 for her project titled “Modeling Progression of Concentrated Leak Erosion in Dams and Levees,” which improves the understanding of void formation and collapse in unsaturated soils through numerical modeling.
“With this research, I aim to bridge the gap through advanced modeling, experimental validation and the development of practical tools for dam safety assessment,” Rahimikhameneh said.
Huner and Rahimikhameneh said the scholarship motivates them to keep pursuing answers to their research questions.
"It is incredibly rewarding to know that my efforts are recognized and that I am contributing to the safety and well-being of society,” Huner said. “The support from this scholarship motivates me even more to dig deeper into my project, continue learning and pursue meaningful solutions that can make a real difference.”
Rahimikhameneh said the scholarship is a major encouragement.
“It motivates me to keep moving forward — especially in translating complex mechanisms in geotechnical engineering into simplified analysis tools that can be applied by engineers in the field,” she said. “It’s inspiring to see that practitioners are eager to support young researchers and push us to develop better solutions for real-world challenges.”
Both students are mentored by Jack Montgomery, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. He said students from across the country submit research proposals to be considered for the scholarship. The four finalists then present their proposals to a panel of engineers at the annual meeting.
“It is very competitive, and it’s rare for two students from the same university to be selected,” Montgomery said. “This achievement is a clear testament to the exceptional quality and dedication of our students here at Auburn University and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.”
From left, Lili Rahimikhameneh and Brock Huner, graduate students in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering were finalists for the United States Society on Dams Kim de Rubertis Student Scholarships.
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