UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Elham Rahimi, a graduate student in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, will receive the Raja V. and Geetha V. Ramani Graduate Students Award from the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) at the society’s gala dinner during their annual conference, MINEXCHANGE, in Denver, Colorado on Sunday. February 23.
Named after Raja V. Ramani, professor emeritus of mining and geo-environmental engineering, and his wife, Geetha, the award supports outstanding graduate students enrolled in mining, mineral processing or similar fields.
Rahimi, who is wrapping up her dissertation in the final year of her doctoral program, said she thought the award was the perfect capstone.
“It is truly an incredible honor to receive this award,” Rahimi said. “Dr. Ramani is a legendary figure in mining engineering. It is both humbling and deeply motivating to be recognized with an award named after him. I'm deeply grateful for the SME foundation, my professors, my industry mentors, and all the peers at Penn State who have supported me.”
Rahimi’s research focuses on renewable energy generation from waste resources with a sustainable mining approach. Her innovative approach harnesses microbial processes to produce methane-rich gas by bio-seeding low-quality coal from municipal wastewater. According to Rahimi, the process has implications for energy production, carbon sequestration and the future of sustainable mining practices by minimizing the environmental impact while maximizing resource utilization.
Her desire to take an interdisciplinary approach led her to venture outside her comfort zone and collect data from research areas beyond her expertise, she said.
“Starting out, my adviser was very open-minded and allowed me to bring together my love for mining with my concerns for land degradation and how I was always actively thinking about ways to make the mining industry more sustainable or environmentally friendly,” Rahimi said. “Exploring new areas was challenging at times, but this award validates the significance of my research and motivates me to stay curious and persistent and continue to explore sustainable energy solutions within the mining industry.”
According to Rahimi, there is a huge need for innovative thinking in the rapidly evolving mining and energy industries. After graduating, she would like to work in academia so that she can stay at the forefront of research while continuing her passion for teaching. She said she hopes to champion a spirit of innovation and mentorship that will influence generations — just like the Ramanis have done for her through this award.
"Emeritus professor Ramani and his wife, Geetha, are still fixtures at department events as well as at the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration meetings,” Barbara J. Arnold, professor of practice in mining engineering and program chair, said. “His work with the SME Foundation laid the groundwork for this graduate award offered by the foundation. It's always fitting to have a Penn State graduate student recognized with this award, and I'm pleased to congratulate Elham Rahimi as the recipient this year."
Rahimi earned her master's in geotechnical engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in 2020 and her master’s in mineral engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran in 2015. She also earned a bachelor's in mining engineering from the University of Kurdistan in Iran in 2013.
Ramani began his career at Penn State in 1966 as a graduate research assistant. He was head of the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering from 1987 to 1998 when he was appointed to the first endowed chair in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, the George H., Jr., and Anne B. Deike Chair in Mining Engineering. In 2021, he was inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame.
SME is a professional society whose more than 15,000 engineers, geologists, metallurgists, educators, students and researchers serve the mining and minerals industry in more than 100 countries. The society seeks to advance the worldwide mining and underground construction community through information exchange and professional development.