The Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE) at Michigan Technological University proudly recognized outstanding undergraduate students, graduate students, graduate teaching assistants, and faculty during the 2026 CEGE Departmental Awards Ceremony.
The annual celebration honors individuals who exemplify excellence in academics, research, teaching, leadership, service, and professional impact within the CEGE community.
Undergraduate Awards
Department Scholar Award
Ryan Keen — Geospatial Engineering
The Department Scholar Award recognizes a student who represents the very best of scholarship within the department. Recipients demonstrate intellectual curiosity, creativity, communication skills, and involvement in research or scholarly activities.
This year’s recipient, Ryan Keen, has distinguished himself through outstanding academic achievement, a strong work ethic, and a genuine passion for surveying and geospatial engineering.
In the classroom, Ryan consistently demonstrates thoughtful engagement, intellectual curiosity, and excellent communication skills. His service in the Army National Guard has further strengthened his leadership abilities and professional demeanor.
Ryan has also contributed significantly outside the classroom. He coordinated a volunteer trip to Isle Royale National Park for a group of 10 geospatial engineering students, applying their technical skills in a meaningful service setting. As a teaching assistant in surveying courses, Ryan introduced creative ideas for improving laboratory exercises and earned the respect and admiration of fellow students.
At the time of the awards ceremony, Ryan was representing Michigan Tech at the National Surveying Competition in Washington, D.C.
Overall, Ryan exemplifies the professionalism, curiosity, and dedication CEGE strives to cultivate in its students.
Nicole Bloom Award for Environmental Sustainability
Kris Crawford
The Nicole Bloom Award for Environmental Sustainability is presented annually to an undergraduate civil, environmental, or geospatial engineering student who demonstrates leadership, passion, and activism in advancing environmental sustainability at the local, national, or global level.
The award is accompanied by the Pati and Soumitri Reddy $1,000 Endowed Scholarship.
This year’s nominees included:
- Kris Crawford
- Melissa Haigh
- Addie Seemann
The 2026 award recipient, Kris Crawford, was recognized for his leadership and commitment to creating sustainable solutions through Engineers Without Borders.
As a member of the Bolivia team, Kris has helped evaluate the success of a culvert project completed during the previous summer. During his time in Bolivia, he identified additional infrastructure challenges at a local school, where animals entering the building caused roof damage, leaks, and mold issues that created an unsafe learning environment for students.
Motivated to address the problem, Kris adapted his senior design project to focus on identifying sustainable and locally sourced materials that could be used to re-roof the school.
His initiative, leadership, and passion for community-centered engineering embody the spirit of the award and honor the legacy of Nicole Bloom.
Graduate Student Awards
Danielle Ladwig Award for Graduate Excellence
Israel Adeoye
The Danielle Ladwig Award for Graduate Excellence is presented annually to a graduate student in civil or environmental engineering in recognition of outstanding achievement in academics, research, and service. The award honors the memory of Danielle Ladwig and is accompanied by the Pati and Soumitri Reddy $1,000 Endowed Fellowship.
This year’s nominees included:
- Israel Adeoye
- Augustine Haizel
- Lei Yin
The 2026 recipient, Israel Adeoye, is a PhD candidate in Environmental Engineering who exemplifies excellence in all three categories.
Israel has demonstrated exceptional academic performance throughout his graduate studies and contributed to the advancement of environmental engineering through the publication of peer-reviewed research. He has also played an important mentorship role by helping fellow students develop research skills and mentoring three undergraduate researchers during the semester.
Beyond academics and research, Israel actively contributes to the graduate student community through his service in Graduate Student Government as the Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering department representative.
His dedication to scholarship, mentorship, and service reflects the spirit of the Danielle Ladwig Award.
Wilbur Haas Graduate Research Excellence Award
Meng Wu
The Wilbur Haas Graduate Research Excellence Award recognizes outstanding scholarship and research contributions by graduate students in civil or environmental engineering. The award is accompanied by a $1,000 Wilbur Haas Memorial Fellowship.
This year’s nominees included:
- Linh Nguyen
- Isa Rahman
- Yifan Wang
- Meng Wu
The 2026 recipient, Meng Wu, has established himself as an exceptionally strong PhD candidate through his impactful research in sustainable asphalt technologies.
His work focuses on improving pavement durability, reducing environmental impacts, and advancing the circular use of waste materials in transportation infrastructure. The research addresses critical infrastructure challenges while promoting sustainability and resilience.
Meng has developed an impressive record of scholarship during his doctoral studies, including:
- 19 peer-reviewed journal articles
- 8 first-author publications
- 344 Google Scholar citations
- An h-index of 10
He has also presented his research at leading professional conferences, including the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting and the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists Annual Meeting.
In addition to his publication record, Meng is recognized for his intellectual independence, analytical rigor, professionalism, and commitment to advancing transportation engineering research.
His accomplishments exemplify the purpose and legacy of the Wilbur Haas Graduate Research Excellence Award.
Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year Award
Kevin Brockett, Ara Hakim, and Linh Nguyen
The Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year Award recognizes graduate students who provide exceptional laboratory instruction and support undergraduate learning experiences.
This year’s award resulted in a three-way tie, recognizing:
- Kevin Brockett
- Ara Hakim
- Linh Nguyen
Selected by junior and senior undergraduate CEGE students, these graduate teaching assistants were recognized for their dedication to student learning, mentorship, and commitment to delivering high-quality laboratory experiences.
Their efforts have had a meaningful impact on undergraduate education within the department.
Faculty of the Year Award
Undergraduate students also recognized faculty members for their commitment to delivering an exceptional educational experience.
The CEGE Faculty of the Year categories align with the University recognition structure:
- Assistant Professor/Assistant Teaching Professor
- Associate Professor/Associate Teaching Professor/Professor/Teaching Professor/Professor of Practice
Assistant Professor/Assistant Teaching Professor Faculty of the Year
Daniel Dowden
Associate Professor/Associate Teaching Professor/Professor/Teaching Professor/Professor of Practice Faculty of the Year
Zack Fredin
These awards recognize faculty members whose dedication to teaching, mentorship, and student success continues to make a lasting impact within the CEGE community
Congratulations to all award recipients and nominees on their well-deserved recognition.