Lauren Beckingham

Lauren Beckingham serves as the W. Allen and Martha Reed Associate Professor (Environmental) and Associate Department Chair in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Auburn University's Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. Her research pioneers geochemical processes in porous media for subsurface energy storage and carbon sequestration, integrating experimental, computational, and machine learning approaches to address critical energy and environmental challenges.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Princeton University
• M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Princeton University
• B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Michigan Technological University

Beckingham's research focuses on mineral reaction kinetics, multi-scale imaging of dynamic porous media, and porosity-permeability evolution. She investigates subsurface energy systems including compressed air storage, geologic CO2 sequestration, enhanced oil recovery, and hydraulic fracturing. Her innovative work employs 3D-printed reactive porous media to control and observe geochemical reactions at pore scales, bridging fundamental science with practical energy applications.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a dominant focus on carbon and hydrogen storage in geological formations, with increasing integration of machine learning for reactive transport modeling. Her work demonstrates methodological evolution from traditional geochemical analysis toward multi-scale experimental platforms combining nanotomography, 3D printing, and computational modeling to unravel complex subsurface processes.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• NSF Faculty Early CAREER Development Award (2019)
• NSF Major Research Instrumentation Award (2020)
• DOE Early Career Award for subsurface hydrogen storage
• Emerging Investigator Award from the Journal of Applied Geochemistry

Beckingham has secured over $1.7 million in competitive funding, including leadership of an NSF CAREER project, an NSF MRI grant for an X-ray Computed Nanotomography system, and a DOE Early Career award. She co-leads a $139,375 NSF renewable energy education initiative with Tuskegee University and serves as Co-PI on an $887K FTA project optimizing zero-emission bus materials. Her doctoral advisee Nora Lopez Rivera received a DOE SCGSR award, reflecting her mentorship impact.

Her laboratory utilizes a state-of-the-art X-ray Computed Nanotomography system for in-situ mechanical and thermal testing, complemented by custom 3D printing capabilities for fabricating reactive porous media. She collaborates extensively through Auburn's National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence and interdisciplinary teams addressing energy storage challenges.