Bijay Nepal, E.I.T., M.S. student in the Geo-CARE Lab at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, has been selected as a recipient of the 2026 At-Large Scholarship awarded by the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) Educational Trust, along with a $3,000 award from the DFI Educational Trust General Scholarship Fund.

The General Scholarship Fund is supported by donations and fundraisers organized by members of the Deep Foundations Institute, an international association of contractors, engineers, academics, and suppliers advancing the deep foundations industry.

Bijay’s research in the Geo-CARE Lab examines freeze-thaw damage mechanisms in geomaterials, pairing laboratory characterization with numerical modeling to understand how repeated freezing cycles degrade the strength and stiffness of soils supporting civil infrastructure. He has authored several manuscripts on the topic and serves as a teaching assistant in the School of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering.

The award also includes a complimentary DFI student membership for the duration of his studies, connecting him with the professional community that shapes practice in deep foundations engineering.

This is the second consecutive year a Geo-CARE Lab student has received the DFI At-Large Scholarship. Please join us in congratulating Bijay on this well-deserved achievement.

Congratulations to Suvechha Dhakal, E.I.T., M.S. student in the School of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering at SIU Carbondale, on successfully defending her thesis.

Her thesis, “Mix Design, Printability, and Structural Buildability of Bio-Polymer and Fiber Modified Earthen Composites for Extrusion-Based 3D Printing in Construction,” is a substantial contribution to automated and sustainable construction. The work explores how locally sourced soil materials can be engineered for extrusion-based 3D printing, with implications that stretch from terrestrial construction to lunar applications. The committee was impressed by the depth of her research.

Suvechha joined the Geo-CARE Lab in August 2024 under Dr. Tiwari’s supervision. In two years she has accomplished what many take far longer to achieve:

Suvechha is a talented researcher and a wonderful person. We are proud of everything she has accomplished and of the mark she has already made on the field.

On the occasion of SIU Day, the Geo-CARE Lab at the School of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering, SIU Carbondale, welcomed high school students for an interactive, hands-on session exploring 3D printing applications in civil engineering.

The students learned how locally available soil can be used to 3D print housing structures capable of withstanding low temperatures, a concept that connects directly to the 3D-printed lunar habitats envisioned under Project Olympus, targeted for realization by 2040.

M.S. student Suvechha Dhakal led the demonstration, guiding visitors through the process and making the experience both educational and engaging. Thanks go to Subin Rimal, Mukul Bhattarai, Bijay Nepal, and Nur Sazzad Hossain for coordinating the workshop.

The Geo-CARE Lab remains committed to inspiring young minds and promoting engineering and innovation for a sustainable future.

Dr. Nitin Tiwari, Assistant Professor and Director of the Geo-CARE Lab, delivered the inaugural session of a five-day online Faculty Development Program on “Sustainable Construction Materials,” organized by Netaji Subhas University of Technology, India, from September 22 to 26, 2025.

His session, titled “Geotechnical Innovation for Sustainability: Resilient Infrastructure in a Changing Climate,” set the tone for the program. Dr. Tiwari emphasized integrating sustainability principles from the earliest stages of infrastructure planning, and showed how incremental, collective efforts contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Approximately 70 participants attended and engaged in the discussion.

Suvechha Dhakal, M.S. student in the Geo-CARE Lab at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, has been selected as one of the recipients of the 2025 At-Large Scholarship awarded by the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) Educational Trust.

Suvechha earned this honor through the DFI Educational Trust General Scholarship Fund, which is supported by donations and fundraisers from DFI members committed to advancing the deep foundations industry.

The recognition reflects Suvechha’s dedication, academic record, and commitment to geotechnical engineering research. Please join us in congratulating her.

The final meeting of CE 421 Foundation Design featured a guest lecture by Mr. Greg Terri, P.E. of Keller, who shared insights drawn from more than 25 years of industry experience.

Greg’s presentation showcased real-world projects, helping students bridge classroom theory and field application. It was rewarding to watch them recognize how concepts developed across the semester translate into engineering practice.

Our thanks to Greg for his generosity and for an inspiring message to the next generation of civil engineers at SIU Carbondale.

The CE 320 Soil Mechanics class came together for a Thanksgiving pizza party, bringing students, teaching assistants, and faculty from the geotechnical engineering program around one table.

The gathering offered a break from a busy semester and celebrated the work everyone had put into the course. Events like these matter for the connection and collaboration they build within the school.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Geo-CARE Lab.

We welcomed Suvechha Dhakal and Subin Rimal as the first students to join the research group at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, beginning their M.S. work in geotechnical engineering.

To mark the occasion we held a welcome dinner on Terzaghi’s birthday, the father of soil mechanics, and used the evening to build the team’s first connections.

Together we are committed to advancing research in sustainable and resilient infrastructure, and to the challenges posed by a changing climate.