Marjan Kordani, a PhD student on Dr. Vinayak Shedakar's team has won the Journal of Hydrologic Engineering – Best Research Paper Award by the Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI). The award is being presented at the 2026 World Environmental and Water Resources Congress in Mobile, Alabama.
"I am deeply honored that my research has been recognized as the Best Research Paper in the Journal of Hydrologic Engineering by the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) committee of the American Society of Civil Engineers. I am sincerely grateful for this award and would like to thank my co-authors and mentors for their support.”
Kordani’s journal, titled “Improving Long-Term Flood Forecasting Accuracy Using Ensemble Deep Learning Models and an Attention Mechanism,” was based on her Master’s research during her time at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz in Iran. The primary objective of the research was to develop advanced forecasting models to predict flooding occurrences from April to July of 2019 to 2021 within the DuPage River basin in Illinois. Kordani and her team implemented a multistep approach of methodology that has never been seen in long-term flood predictions.
“This research focuses on improving long-term flood forecasting in the DuPage River watershed in Illinois, USA,” explained Kordani. “Covering an area of approximately 839 km² and serving a population of over 930,000 people, this watershed has experienced significant flooding challenges and represents a critical area for flood risk management. The results of this study demonstrate substantial improvements in predicting flood-prone regions, providing timely and reliable information to support emergency response teams and urban planners.”
This study made advancements in multistep flood forecasting, intending to enhance the ability of long-term operations in flood management of streamflow basins effectively. While this is a significant advancement of flood management, Kordani understands that this is a work in progress for the future of water systems in the world and looks forward to seeing this project expand down the line. “I hope this research contributes to the development of more resilient and sustainable water systems in the future.”
FABE congratulates Kordani on this achievement and is proud of the work she has contributed during her time at Ohio State University and prior!