Samvid Parajuli, a PhD student and graduate research assistant in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, has been awarded the Paul and Helen Lenchuk Engineering Student Scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year by The National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) Education and Research Foundation.
This scholarship recognizes “full-time students engaged in the pursuit of an engineering graduate degree at eligible colleges and universities in the United States and Canada… while encouraging innovative design, application, or utilization of manufactured concrete masonry and hardscape products in the built environment.”
Parajuli’s work concerns our understanding of how masonry structures behave when exposed to hurricane-induced flooding and storm surge, focusing on the interaction between flood pressures and masonry walls through both experimental testing and numerical modeling to reveal how these systems respond under extreme water loads.
“A significant portion of the U.S. built environment is masonry, yet its behavior under storm surge and flood loading has rarely been investigated,” said Parajuli. “This work addresses that gap by examining a material often assumed to be rigid but whose true performance reveals complex challenges. Through advanced experimental and multiphysics simulations, it provides critical insight into how masonry responds to extreme water-induced forces, paving the way for more reliable and resilient design practices.”
“I was truly honored and grateful [to receive this award],” he added. “It felt rewarding to see my work on masonry resilience recognized and supported. At the same time, I felt a greater sense of responsibility to work even harder and contribute more meaningfully to advancing masonry research and resilience efforts.”
Parajuli grew up in Nepal, “where natural hazards frequently challenge infrastructure.” This led him to develop an early appreciation for resilient construction, and his later experiences witnessing the devastation caused by hurricanes in the United States “inspired [him] to focus more broadly on hurricane resilience.”
“What truly keeps me motivated is the scientific process itself, the curiosity, analysis, and problem-solving involved in understanding how masonry, a living legacy of architectural heritage, can contribute to safer and more resilient communities,” Parajuli said.
“This award provides both encouragement and practical support for advancing my research. It allows me to continue developing analytical and data-driven frameworks to assess masonry demand and performance. It also connects me with professionals in the masonry field, opening doors for collaboration and real-world application of my findings.”
Supported in part by the Paul and Helen Lenchuk Engineering Student Scholarship, Parajuli will continue his doctoral research on masonry structural behavior under extreme loading conditions, using advanced numerical simulations and flume experiments to uncover how masonry walls respond to hurricanes and storm surges.
He ultimately aims to bridge the gap between research and practice by providing data-driven insights that inform coastal building codes and resilience planning, and “hope[s] to leave a lasting imprint on the resilience of communities worldwide.”