Winners of the 2025 NHERI Graduate Student Council Data Challenge
Published on July 16, 2025
As part of the May 2025 Graduate Student Council mini-conference, many GSC members took part in the GSC Natural Hazard Data Challenge, a research competition designed to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Data Challenge participants applied advanced analytical techniques, developed innovative research ideas in teams, and engaged with real-world data relevant to disaster resilience. The Mini-Conference gave these early-career researchers a platform to present their findings, receive constructive feedback, and build momentum toward future publication or professional dissemination.
About the Data Challenge. Over the course of 16 weeks, the student teams explored hazard-related questions using datasets in the DesignSafe Data Depot. Teams received structured guidance via three targeted check-in meetings led by GSC Community Engagement Chair Parisa Toofani Movaghar, with support from Pooria Mazaheri, GSC Research Chair, and Robin Nelson, NHERI GSC Liaison. A session co-hosted by Dr. Sang-ri Yi introduced SimCenter tools and their potential application in participants' projects. In subsequent check-ins, teams presented their milestones and received feedback and recommendations to strengthen their research paths.
Data Challenge winners were selected based on creativity, interdisciplinarity, and the translation of data into actionable insights and the quality of poster presentation during the Mini-Conference.
First place:
“Graph Attention Network for Spatial Correlation Analysis in Post-Hurricane Damage Assessment, UAV-Based”
Ali Lesani – Waterloo University
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Fuad Hasan – Rice University
Second place:
“Predicting Real-Time Population Behavior during Hurricanes Synthesizing Data from Transportation Systems and Social Media”
Samjhana Sharma, Tribhuvan University
Mohammad Movahedi, Florida State University
Syed Mostofa Asif, Louisiana State University
Third place:
“Utilizing Machine Learning to Assess the Performance of Single-Family Residential Building During Windstorms”
Mujungu Museru, University of Memphis
Peter Ogunjinmi, Missouri University of Science and Technology
GSC Data Challenge judges included:
- Harman Singh, GSC President,
- Richard Campos, GSC Vice President,
- Pooria Mazaheri, Chair of Research, and
- Robin Nelson, NHERI GSC Liaison
The GSC program organizers want to send a grateful shout-out to Data Challenge faculty mentors Rachel Davidson, University of Delaware; Gloria Faraone, San Diego State; Ertugrul Taciroglu, UCLA; and Maha Kenawy, Oklahoma State University.