Ayat Alasadi is engineering sustainable energy solutions

The extreme conditions beneath the earth's surface are both a challenge and an opportunity. For Ayat Alasadi, they are the foundation of advancing the potential of geothermal energy.

A Ph.D. student in the University of Utah’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ayat has been awarded the Marcelo Lippmann Graduate Scholarship—a prestigious honor given annually to just five graduate students nationwide by the Geothermal Rising student community. The award recognizes Ayat’s outstanding academic record, professional contributions, and research advancing geothermal science and practice.

Before joining the U, Ayat earned her master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Wyoming as a Fulbright scholar. Her focus on geothermal drilling optimization laid the foundation for her current work, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technology Office and supervised by Dr. Shahrzad Roshankhah.

Ayat chose the University of Utah because of its strong collaboration with Utah FORGE, the nation’s leading field lab for enhanced geothermal systems. “Being here allows me to work directly on projects that combine my background in petroleum engineering with my passion for developing sustainable energy solutions,” she says.

Today, Ayat is diving deep into the multi-physical behavior of particulate materials—research that could help design more durable proppants for enhanced geothermal systems, a key technology for sustainable energy production. Her project is a collaborative effort between the University of Utah, the University of Oklahoma, and Louisiana State University. She focuses on numerical modeling of newly developed tagged proppants that improve fracture conductivity in geothermal systems. “This work is essential because proppants play a critical role in geothermal energy development, and addressing this challenge could lead to significant advancements in geothermal energy,” she explains.

Ayat holding proppants in the lab. Photo: Dan Hixson.

Ayat credits her advisor for playing a central role in shaping her research journey. “Dr. Roshankhah has been an incredible mentor; her one-on-one guidance pushes me to think deeper and approach my work with more insight,” Ayat says. “She’s helped me bring together the worlds of geotechnical and petroleum engineering in a way that really strengthens my research.”

Ayat hopes that her research will directly support the growth of geothermal energy as a major clean-energy source:

“By developing and testing tagged proppants, the goal is to enhance fracture conductivity and enable better monitoring of how fractures behave during geothermal operations,” she says. “In the long run, this could improve geothermal reservoir production, lower costs, and expand the role of geothermal as a sustainable energy source.”

Her Ph.D. journey has also been a time of growth beyond the lab. Ayat has developed advanced skills in numerical modeling and a deeper understanding of fracture mechanics, while also honing her ability to explain complex concepts through teaching assistantships. “I’m building not only my technical expertise but also critical soft skills that help me navigate challenges and communicate my work effectively,” she shares.

Looking ahead, Ayat plans to continue her journey in research and development after graduation, pursuing roles that allow her apply her expertise to real-world energy challenges. And while her research is demanding, she finds balance in Utah's inspiring landscapes. "Being surrounded by mountains makes the work feel more grounded," she reflects. "It's a reminder of why we do this—to protect and sustain the world around us."

Dr. Roshankhah (left) and Ayat. Photo: Dan Hixson.