Joseph Agbogla | Renewable Energy | Best Researcher Award

Mr. Joseph Agbogla | Renewable Energy | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Hossein Pahlavan, Kumasi Technical University, Ghana

Mr. Joseph Agbogla is a dedicated Mechanical Engineer and academic professional with over two decades of experience spanning engineering, production management, and higher education. With a strong background in industrial operations at Guinness Ghana Breweries and academic instruction at Kumasi Technical University, he blends practical expertise with teaching excellence. Joseph is currently pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at KNUST, Kumasi, where he also previously earned his MSc and BSc degrees. Renowned for his leadership, innovation, and technical training, he continues to contribute significantly to industrial development and academic growth in Ghana and West Africa. 🌍📘

Publication Profile

Orcid

🎓 Education

Joseph Agbogla holds a BSc (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering from KNUST, Kumasi, where he also completed his MSc in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently pursuing a PhD in the same field at KNUST, further advancing his research and expertise. Additionally, he holds a Diploma in Beer Packaging from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, UK, and successfully completed the APICS CPIM-Part 1 certification, focusing on supply chain management. His foundational education includes GCE Advanced and Ordinary Level certificates from top Ghanaian institutions. Joseph’s diverse academic background reflects his commitment to excellence in both engineering and industrial management. 🎓🔧

💼 Experience

Joseph Agbogla began his career as a Management Trainee at Guinness Ghana Breweries, rising through key roles including Shift Manager, Continuous Improvement Manager, Packaging Engineer, and Technical Training Manager. His tenure saw major contributions like reducing training gaps, enhancing production efficiency, and cutting spare part imports. As Lecturer at Kumasi Technical University since 2021, he teaches core engineering courses and mentors future professionals. With over 20 years of combined industrial and academic experience, Joseph has led strategic initiatives in packaging, lean manufacturing, and employee capability development across Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon. His leadership consistently drives performance and operational excellence. ⚙️📈

🏅 Awards and Honors

Joseph Agbogla’s professional journey is marked by significant achievements. At Guinness Ghana Breweries, he was instrumental in saving over $520,000 through technical upgrades and process improvements. His initiative in installing the first PET bottling line in Ghana and reducing production rework by 15% earned internal accolades. He also led the SAP Superuser training across sites, achieving 100% functional use within 6 months. His academic excellence is reflected in scholarships and distinctions throughout his studies. Joseph’s dedication to continuous improvement, safety leadership, and team performance has been consistently recognized both in industry and academia. 🏆💡

🔬 Research Focus

Joseph Agbogla’s current research as a PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at KNUST focuses on industrial automation, preventive maintenance, and process optimization in manufacturing systems. His interests intersect with lean manufacturing, root cause analysis, plant maintenance strategies, and energy efficiency within production lines. He explores advanced engineering methods to improve operational efficiency and reduce downtime. Drawing from rich industry experience, his research integrates real-world challenges with engineering solutions. Joseph’s goal is to enhance industrial reliability and workforce capability through sustainable and innovative engineering practices applicable across Ghana and beyond. 🧪🔧📊

Publication Top Notes

📘 “Techno-environmental assessment of the fuel properties of a variety of briquettes for biomass boiler applications” – CHARLES SEKYERE, R. Opoku, Benjamin Asaaga, Bismark Baah, P.Y. Andoh, G.Y. Obeng, Joseph Agbogla | Cleaner Energy Systems | 🗓️ 2025 | DOI: 10.1016/j.cles.2025.100185

🔋 “Soiling Estimation Methods in Solar Photovoltaic Systems: Review, Challenges and Future Directions” – J. Agbogla, C.K.K. Sekyere, F.K. Forson, R. Opoku, B. Baah | Results in Engineering | 🗓️ 2025 | DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2025.104810

Roonak Daghigh | Solar Energy | Best Researcher Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Roonak Daghigh | Solar Energy | Best Researcher Award

Associate Professor at University of Kurdistan, Iran

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Roonak Daghigh is a distinguished researcher and academic in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Kurdistan, Iran. She holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering-Energy Conversion from the National University of Malaysia (UKM), with a focus on photovoltaic thermal heat pumps. She has served as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and held key leadership roles at UOK. Recognized among the Top 2% scientists by Stanford University (2021-2024), her expertise spans energy studies, renewable energy, solar thermal systems, and HVAC. Dr. Daghigh has authored 65+ peer-reviewed articles with 2049 citations, an h-index of 25, and an i10-index of 38. She is an active reviewer for high-impact journals and has received multiple international awards.

Publication Profile

Google Scholar

Education 🎓

Dr. Daghigh earned her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering-Energy Conversion from the National University of Malaysia (UKM) in 2011, specializing in photovoltaic thermal heat pumps for water heating, drying, and cooling. She completed her M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at University Putra Malaysia (UPM) in 2008, focusing on air exchange effectiveness in thermal comfort. Her B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering – Process Design of Oil Industries from Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) involved research on rust protection systems for buried pipelines using sacrificial anodes. She conducted part of her Ph.D. research at the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) in Malaysia.

Experience 👩‍🏫

Dr. Daghigh has been an Associate Professor at the University of Kurdistan since 2017, previously serving as an Assistant Professor (2013-2017). She held leadership roles, including Dean of the Faculty of Engineering (2022-2025), Deputy of Research (2018-2022), and Head of the Technology Incubation Centre (2015-2018). Before academia, she was an advisor at the Institute of Standards & Industrial Research of Iran (2011-2013). She is an editorial board member, keynote speaker, and active participant in technical committees for national and international events.

Awards and Honors 🏆

Dr. Daghigh has been recognized as a Top 2% scientist by Stanford University (2021-2024) and the Islamic World Science Citation Center (2024). She was named Top Department Researcher in 2014, 2015, 2021, and 2023. She received the Excellence in Reviewing Award from Elsevier and multiple medals at international innovation exhibitions in Malaysia, including gold at ITEX 2009. Her work has won best paper awards, including at the WSEAS Renewable Energy Sources Conference in Spain.

Research Focus 🔬

Dr. Daghigh specializes in energy studies, with a strong focus on renewable energy technologies, including solar energy conversion, fuel cells, and HVAC systems. Her research covers photovoltaic thermal systems, solar thermal applications, indoor air quality, and clean room technology. She has contributed significantly to applied energy solutions for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Her research integrates sustainability with advanced thermal management techniques.

Publication Top Notes

📗 Advances in liquid based photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collectors – R Daghigh, MH Ruslan, K Sopian | Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews | 232 citations | 2011

🌞 Review of solar assisted heat pump drying systems for agricultural and marine products – R Daghigh, MH Ruslan, MY Sulaiman, K Sopian | Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews | 176 citations | 2010

🔥 Theoretical and experimental analysis of thermal performance of a solar water heating system with evacuated tube heat pipe collector – R Daghigh, A Shafieian | Applied Thermal Engineering | 147 citations | 2016

🏢 Hybrid photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) air and water based solar collectors suitable for building integrated applications – A Ibrahim, GL Jin, R Daghigh, MHM Salleh, MY Othman, MH Ruslan, … | American Journal of Environmental Sciences | 117 citations | 2009

🔳 Evaluation of single-pass photovoltaic-thermal air collector with rectangle tunnel absorber – GL Jin, A Ibrahim, YK Chean, R Daghigh, H Ruslan, S Mat, MY Othman, … | American Journal of Applied Sciences | 110 citations | 2010

🌍 Assessing the thermal comfort and ventilation in Malaysia and the surrounding regions – R Daghigh | Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews | 107 citations | 2015

🔋 Predicting the performance of amorphous and crystalline silicon based photovoltaic solar thermal collectors – R Daghigh, A Ibrahim, GL Jin, MH Ruslan, K Sopian | Energy Conversion and Management | 107 citations | 2011

☀️ An experimental study of a heat pipe evacuated tube solar dryer with heat recovery system – R Daghigh, A Shafieian | Renewable Energy | 90 citations | 2016

🔄 A multistate investigation of a solar dryer coupled with photovoltaic thermal collector and evacuated tube collector – R Daghigh, R Shahidian, H Oramipoor | Solar Energy | 72 citations | 2020

🤖 Techno-economic estimation of a non-cover box solar still with thermoelectric and antiseptic nanofluid using machine learning models – S Nazari, M Najafzadeh, R Daghigh | Applied Thermal Engineering | 62 citations | 2022

🚗 Artificial intelligence/machine learning in energy management systems, control, and optimization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles – M Fayyazi, P Sardar, SI Thomas, R Daghigh, A Jamali, T Esch, H Kemper, … | Sustainability | 59 citations | 2023

🏠 Ventilation parameters and thermal comfort of naturally and mechanically ventilated offices – R Daghigh, NM Adam, BB Sahari | Indoor and Built Environment | 56 citations | 2009

❄️ Effective design, theoretical and experimental assessment of a solar thermoelectric cooling-heating system – R Daghigh, Y Khaledian | Solar Energy | 53 citations | 2018

🔄 Energy-exergy analysis of a multipurpose evacuated tube heat pipe solar water heating-drying system – R Daghigh, A Shafieian | Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science | 51 citations | 2016

💧 Techno-enviro-exergo-economic and water hygiene assessment of non-cover box solar still employing parabolic dish concentrator and thermoelectric peltier effect – S Nazari, R Daghigh | Process Safety and Environmental Protection | 44 citations | 2022

⚙️ Improving the performance of heat pipe embedded evacuated tube collector with nanofluids and auxiliary gas system – R Daghigh, P Zandi | Renewable Energy | 43 citations | 2019

♨️ Experimental analysis of heat transfer in spiral coils using nanofluids and coil geometry change in a solar system – R Daghigh, Z Pooya | Applied Thermal Engineering | 41 citations | 2018

 

Jungpil Noh | Energy | Best Researcher Award

Jungpil Noh | Energy | Best Researcher Award

Prof Jungpil Noh, Gyeongsang National University, South Korea

Prof. Jungpil Noh is a renowned professor at Gyeongsang National University, Korea, specializing in material science and engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in Material Science from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (2004), and a M.S. and B.S. in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Gyeongsang National University. His research focuses on lithium-ion batteries, material properties evaluation, thin film deposition, and TiNi-based shape memory alloys. Prof. Noh has published extensively in journals such as Materials Advances and Inorganic Chemistry Communications. He has been recognized for his contributions to energy storage materials and surface coatings. ⚡🔋📚

Publication profile

Scopus

Education

Dr. Jungpil Noh has an extensive academic background in materials science and metallurgy. He earned his Ph.D. in Material Science from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), Asahidai, Japan, in 2004, under the mentorship of Prof. Nobuo Otsuka. Prior to that, he completed his M.S. in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at Gyeongsang National University (GSNU), Korea, in 2000, supervised by Prof. Tae-Hyun Nam. He also obtained his B.S. in the same field from GSNU in 1996. His expertise spans material science, metallurgy, and engineering. 🌍🔬📚

Experience

Prof. Jungpil Noh is a distinguished academic professional currently serving as a Professor at Gyeongsang National University since March 2020. His career at the university began in December 2008 as an Academic Research Professor, later progressing to Assistant Professor in 2004, Associate Professor in 2015, and finally Professor. He has made significant contributions to his field during his tenure, including advanced research and leadership roles. Prior to his work at Gyeongsang National University, Prof. Noh held a position as an Assistant Professor at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. 🌐📚🎓

Research Fields

Prof. Jungpil Noh is an expert in the field of advanced materials, particularly focusing on Li-ion batteries, material properties evaluation, and thin film deposition. His research explores the development of high-performance Li-ion batteries through the evaluation of material properties to enhance their efficiency and longevity. Additionally, Prof. Noh works with thin film deposition techniques to create innovative coatings and films for various applications. A significant area of his expertise also includes TiNi-based shape memory alloys, which are crucial for various industries due to their unique properties. His work contributes to breakthroughs in energy storage, material science, and smart materials. 🔋🧪⚙️

Research focus

Prof. Jungpil Noh’s research focuses on advanced materials for energy storage and conversion, particularly in the field of lithium-ion batteries and flexible electronics. His work includes the development of novel cathode materials, such as spinel LiMn2O4 and Li4Ti5O12, to enhance battery performance through cation and anion substitutions. He also investigates the use of nanocomposite materials, like carbon nanotube-cellulose nanocrystal (CNT–CNC) composites, to improve the hydrophilicity and performance of energy storage devices. Prof. Noh’s interdisciplinary work contributes to sustainable energy solutions, combining material science, nanotechnology, and electrochemistry. ⚡🔋🧪

Publication top notes

Enhanced LiMn2O4 cathode performance in lithium-ion batteries through synergistic cation and anion substitution

Streamlined two-step synthesis of spinel LiMn2O4 cathode for enhanced battery applications

Aluminum Co-Deposition via DC Magnetron Sputtering for Enhanced Pitting Resistance of Copper–Nickel Alloys

Unraveling the Mechanism and Practical Implications of the Sol-Gel Synthesis of Spinel LiMn2O4 as a Cathode Material for Li-Ion Batteries: Critical Effects of Cation Distribution at the Matrix Level

Unraveling the Mechanism and Practical Implications of the Sol-Gel Synthesis of Spinel LiMn2O4 as a Cathode Material for Li-Ion Batteries: Critical Effects of Cation Distribution at the Matrix Level

Conclusion 

Prof. Jungpil Noh’s exceptional blend of academic expertise, innovative research contributions, and impactful publications makes him a highly deserving candidate for the “Best Researcher Award.” His work in materials science, particularly in energy storage technologies, directly aligns with global needs for sustainable energy solutions.

 

Minseok Ryu | Energy | Best Researcher Award

Minseok Ryu | Energy | Best Researcher Award

Assist Prof Dr Minseok Ryu, Arizona State University, United States

Dr. Minseok Ryu is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan and an M.S. and B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from KAIST. Dr. Ryu’s research spans advanced scientific computing, privacy-preserving federated learning, and power system resilience. He has held notable positions at Argonne and Los Alamos National Laboratories and has been recognized by the Department of Energy for his highlighted research. He is a member of prominent societies like INFORMS and IEEE. 🌟🧑‍🏫🔬

Publication profile

google scholar

Education 

Her hold a Ph.D. in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, completed in May 2020 🎓. Prior to this, I earned a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from KAIST in Daejeon, Korea, in February 2014 🚀. My academic journey began with a Bachelor’s degree in the same field at KAIST, which I completed in February 2012 ✈️. This extensive background has equipped me with a robust understanding of both industrial systems and aerospace technologies, paving the way for a dynamic and interdisciplinary career 🛠️🌍.

Honors & Awards

In 2024, I had the honor of being an Alliance Fellow with the Mayo Clinic and ASU Alliance for Health Care during their esteemed Faculty Summer Residency program. My research has consistently been recognized, including being highlighted by the Department of Energy’s Advanced Scientific Computing Research in both 2023 and 2022 🌟. My academic journey has been supported by several prestigious awards, such as the Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant from the University of Michigan in 2016 🎓 and multiple fellowships in 2015. Additionally, my early academic achievements include the National Science Foundation Student Award 🏆 and recognition from the Government of Korea for outstanding scholarship 🌍.

Employment 💼

He is currently an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University (since August 2023), after a tenure as a Postdoctoral Appointee at Argonne National Laboratory from 2020 to 2023.

Research focus

M. Ryu’s research spans privacy-preserving federated learning frameworks, including differential privacy and distributed control of optimal power flow in electric grids. They also contribute to distributionally robust optimization techniques for scheduling and staffing problems, particularly in healthcare and power systems. Their work emphasizes practical algorithms and frameworks (like APPFL) for enhancing privacy and efficiency in distributed systems. Additionally, they explore mitigating uncertain impacts of geomagnetic disturbances on electric grids. Overall, M. Ryu’s research integrates optimization, privacy, and robustness into practical applications across diverse domains. 📊🔒

Publication top notes

Data-Driven Distributionally Robust Appointment Scheduling over Wasserstein Balls

APPFL: Open-Source Software Framework for Privacy-Preserving Federated Learning

A Privacy-Preserving Distributed Control of Optimal Power Flow

An extended formulation of the convex recoloring problem on a tree

Nurse Staffing under Absenteeism: A Distributionally Robust Optimization Approach

Differentially private federated learning via inexact ADMM with multiple local updates

Mitigating the Impacts of Uncertain Geomagnetic Disturbances on Electric Grids: A Distributionally Robust Optimization Approach

Algorithms for Mitigating the Effect of Uncertain Geomagnetic Disturbances in Electric Grids

Development of an Engineering Education Framework for Aerodynamic Shape Optimization

Enabling End-to-End Secure Federated Learning in Biomedical Research on Heterogeneous Computing Environments with APPFLx