RHU is extremely proud of class 2015 mechanical engineering graduate Ms. Iman Gharamti whose current Ph.D. research on ice mechanics at Aalto University (Finland) gains great significance by addressing the mechanics of warm ice; taking into account the effects of global warming on ice behavior, and updating our conventional and traditional understanding, rules, and models. Her research ensures safe activities in the Arctic, Antarctic, and ice-heavy regions: the building of offshore structures (like wind turbines, bridges, etc.), navigation (ships and icebreakers), and transportation (minerals, oil, etc.).

During her Ph.D., she had the privilege to enjoy a great arctic experience. She traveled north of the Arctic Circle to Svalbard (Norway), completed tough training, and received the "Arctic Survival and Safety" certificate. The certificate qualified her with the knowledge and skills to survive under the Arctic conditions: risk assessment, rifle handling for polar bear protection, first aid, navigation, communication systems and emergency equipment, sea ice/ glacier/ avalanche rescue techniques, as well as planning field trips in the Arctic. She also participated as a fieldwork assistant and course (Arctic Offshore Engineering Fieldwork) supervisor in large-scale sea ice fracture experiments. Moreover, Dr. David Cole (Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, US) trained her on ice characterization.

Ms. Gharamti received her bachelor’s (2013) and master’s degrees (2015) in mechanical engineering from RHU (she was awarded the Nazik Rafik Hariri Graduate Study Award). She then joined the Uncertainty Quantification and Combustion Center at KAUST (KSA) as a visiting scholar. In 2017, she joined Clarkson University (US) as a visiting researcher and received training on data analysis and studying the fracture and creep of ice under different loading scenarios and over a wide range of timescales. She is currently finalizing her Ph.D. degree in solid mechanics at Aalto University during which she also joined Clarkson University (US) as a visiting researcher.

Ms. Gharamti participated in international conferences and symposiums on ice such as IAHR, POAC, and IUTAM and workshops in Cambridge, UK. Her recent journal papers, published in Acta Materialia and The Cryosphere, presented novel findings in ice mechanics. The research has been highlighted extensively in international media including Asian News International, Dailyhunt, Lokmat, NewKerala.com, and Yahoo! (India), Bioengineer.org (UK), Innovations Report (Germany), Science Daily, Environmental News Network, SciTechDaily and Newswise (US), and AZoCleantech (Australia).