Our alumni from graduate and postgraduate education contribute in shaping the built society of the future. Meet some of our graduated doctors and find out more about their specific research focus and how they experienced their time at Chalmers!
Ali Naman Karim, Building Technology
Doctoral Degree in Autumn 2023
"My time as a PhD student has been incredibly educational. I have encountered challenges that I have overcome with the support of my supervisors and have learned that doctoral studies are not only about technical research, but also about time management, project management and collaboration with various actors. These experiences will be valuable in my future personal and professional life."
About Ali's research
Ali focused on evaluating the moisture performance of coating systems with aerogel-based coating mortars. This type of coating has similar thermal insulation properties to traditional insulation materials and can be used as an insulating layer in building walls, not least in in culturally significant structures. Ali developed and evaluated a new small-scale test method and presented quantitative data on water absorption under different rainwater loads and drying times with respect to Swedish climate conditions. In addition he has also presented practical recommendations for use aerogel-based coating systems in Swedish buildings.
Erica Hörteborn, Architectural Theory and Methods
Doctoral Degree in autumn 2023
"It hasn't been a straight and easy path all along, but over time important pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place, and the path has become increasingly clear. One of the great advantages of being at Chalmers is that it is easy to network with people, and I have had the luxury of being surrounded by a group of people open to letting me follow the directions that I’ve found interesting. It has been amazing being surrounded by so many curious and committed colleagues!"
About Erica’s research
Erica investigated the interaction between wind and loose knitted textiles. The focus has been both on how the wind can be used as a design element, to shape a textile structure and on how these structures affect the wind environment in their vicinity. By subjecting the textile to wind tunnel tests and measuring its capacity for wind reduction, Erica could conclude that loosely assembled knitted structures can effectively reduce wind speed and turbulent winds, and adapts well to variations in wind speed.
Yichi Zhang, Building Technology
Doctoral Degree in spring 2023
"It’s been a meaningful and joyful journey. I started from a different topic, and found that there are already some research works. Then after several discussions with my supervisor, I gradually moved to the current research topic. The changing is not an easy task, but I learned a lot from the process, such as organizing research works and finding novelties. After the topic is specified, the rest works become clear."
About Yichi's research
Yichis research focus was to plan and prioritize district heating and cooling systems under future challenges. He has developed a transition roadmap that identifies the favorable and unfavorable conditions for different systems. The aim of the roadmap is to not to favour any certain technology, but to guide the independent choice depending on different future conditions.
Jennifer Ekholm, Water Engineering Technology
Doctoral Degree in spring 2023
"My time as a PhD student has been very educational. I have worked with many different people who have helped me gain different perspectives. It has been stimulating with the variety I have had working in the field, in the lab, with DNA analysis, data analysis, and writing."
About Jennifer's research
Jennifer studied aerobic granular sludge, a wastewater treatment technology that uses microorganisms. The technology is relatively new and Jennifer investigated the first process with granules in Sweden, which was started up at the same time that Jennifers started as a PhD student. The results show that aerobic granular sludge works as well as the well-known activated sludge method, and that the aerobic granular sludge process was also more compact and energy-efficient. She also found that the microbial community in aerobic granular sludge was variable and different from the community in activated sludge, and that different groups of the microbial community were affected to different degrees by low temperatures.
Dixin Wei, Building Services Engineering & Volvo Cars
Doctoral Degree in spring 2023
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Like every other PhD student's life, there were ups and downs. Yet it’s been a valuable period for me to learn and grow. The advantage with industrial PhD is the connection with practical application. That’s the most valuable part of this project: to apply different strategies in vehicles and perform measurements!
About Dixin Wei's research
Dixin Wei's research focus has been air quality inside vehicle cabins, how to improve that with energy efficient solutions. The research work involved performing vehicle measurements, system modelling to investigate the current status, influencing factors, and different ventilation strategies.
One direct outcome for the vehicle manufacturers is the ventilation strategy optimization based on sensor data. Other solutions like improved filtration performance could also be applied.
Hossein Tahershamsi, Geology and Geotechnics
Doctoral degree in spring 2023
"Overall, I had a great time as a PhD student at Chalmers, despite some ups and downs along the way. In addition to focusing on my research project, I was also able to dedicate some time to developing my skills, enjoying myself and getting to know a variety of people."
About Hossein's research
Hossein Tahershamsi's research was divided into two parts. The first part involved utilizing statistical techniques within geotechnical Finite Element modelling. By using these techniques as diagnostic tools, Hossein and colleagues were able to gain a deeper understanding of their geotechnical models and make necessary modifications.
In the second part of the study, Hossein and colleagues examined the impact of natural ground on the degradation of railway systems through the use of models. To predict the Serviceability Limit State of these systems, they introduced and validated a strain accumulation model.
Job van Eldijk, Urban Design and Planning & Ramboll
Doctoral degree in spring 2023
"I’ve done the project as an industrial PhD student which allowed me to combine research with my practical work as an urban planner at consulting company Ramboll. This has created such an incredible opportunity for an exchange between practice and research. A large part of the project has involved carrying things between the two: questions and issues from practice to research and insights and tools from research to practice. That was very inspiring and rewarding."
About Job's research
Job van Eldijk has studied the barrier effects that transport infrastructure have on pedestrian and bicycle traffic. His most important findings are that measuring and mapping of these barrier effects need to be based not only on characteristics of the infrastructure itself but also on the distribution of land use, the structure of the street network that surrounds the infrastructure and the mobility conditions and needs of the people that want to cross.
Furthermore, Job and fellow researchers observed the importance of knowledge of the social process between different stakeholders in infrastructure projects that is required for assessing barrier effects, as different stakeholders often have different perspectives on the project.
