Tag: Awards

DeVlieg Graduate Summer 2026 Research Recipient – Zaid Bakri

Zaid Bakri, PhD in Atmospheric Sciences, 2026

I am a fifth-year PhD candidate in Atmospheric Sciences, originally from Amman, Jordan, where I earned my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Physics from the University of Jordan. Growing up in a region characterized by low precipitation and highly inconsistent rainfall patterns sparked my curiosity about how rain forms and why it varies so much. This early interest motivated me to pursue research that contributes to a deeper understanding of our planet.

I have always been fascinated by how weather evolves over time, but it was during my research at Michigan Tech that I began to appreciate the complex role clouds play in shaping weather and climate. My work focuses on developing an imaging system capable of retrieving the size distribution of cloud droplets generated in a controlled laboratory environment. This allows us to study how cloud droplets grow in response to different atmospheric processes and conditions.

Throughout my PhD, alongside coursework and seminars, I have gained a deeper understanding of atmospheric science and cloud physics, thanks to the guidance of outstanding researchers in the field, especially my advisor, Claudio Mazzoleni. I am grateful to be part of a program that has allowed me to collaborate with the team behind the Pi Cloud Chamber at Michigan Tech, where cutting-edge research is being conducted.

I deeply appreciate the supportive and inclusive environment within the Atmospheric Sciences program and the Physics Department. I am especially thankful to work with an advisor who is consistently encouraging, supportive, and approachable, which has made my PhD journey a smooth and rewarding experience.

DeVlieg Foundation Fellowship Winner Summer 2026

The Graduate School is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2026 DeVlieg Foundation Fellowship. This competitive award recognizes outstanding graduate student demonstrating significant potential and pursuing research in engineering, wildlife, biology, and related fields critical to innovation.

We are proud to congratulate this year’s fellow for exceptional academic achievements and research proposals:

  • Zaid Bakri – Department of Physics

This vital fellowship support is made possible through a valued partnership with The DeVlieg Foundation. Established by Charles B. DeVlieg with deep roots in Michigan’s industrial heritage, the Foundation is dedicated to fostering excellence and advancing innovation.

The DeVlieg Foundation Fellowship provides crucial financial assistance, enabling this promising scholar to dedicate himself more fully to research endeavors, develop novel solutions, and contribute to the advancement of technology.

Michigan Tech extends its sincere gratitude to The DeVlieg Foundation for its sustained generosity and commitment to nurturing the next generation of engineering leaders and researchers. We look forward to the impactful contributions this fellow will undoubtedly make.

Discover more about The DeVlieg Foundation Fellowship.

Outstanding Awards – Spring 2026 Recipients

The Graduate School announces the recipients of the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship and the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award. Congratulations to all recipients.

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship

The following recipients of the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship have demonstrated academic or professional qualities that set them apart within their academic program.

  • Biological Sciences – Vaishali Sharma
  • Biomedical Engineering – Jacob Jackson
  • Chemical Engineering – Kobina Akyea Ofori
  • Chemistry – Adenike Olowolagba
  • Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering – Meng Wu
  • College of Business – Eli Johnson
  • College of Business – Leon Sell
  • College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science – Md Khairul Islam
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering – Scott Cho
  • Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences – Helen Foldenauer
  • Mathematical Sciences – Suwash Silwal
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering – Kaushik Kannan
  • Physics – Hamed Fahandezh Sadi

Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award

The following recipients of the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award are recognized for their excellence in teaching. 

  • Biomedical Engineering – Majid Rostami
  • Chemical Engineering – Reeba Reji
  • Chemistry – Dananjaya Naveen Tharaka Rathnayaka Mudiyanselage
  • College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science – Judy Long
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering – Dhanush Narsipur Harshavardhana
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering – Md Akhtaruzzaman
  • Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences – Sam Jensen
  • Mathematical Sciences – Sontosh Kumar Sahani
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering – Gabby DuCheny
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering – Justin Kurncz
  • Physics – James Simmons
  • Physics – Shikha Rani

Setting Up a Non-Payroll Direct Deposit

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Follow the steps below to set it up.

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Step 1

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From the Payroll Card, select Enable Direct Deposit Updates.

Outstanding Awards – Fall 2025 Recipients

The Graduate School announces the recipients of the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship and the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award. Congratulations to all recipients.

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship

The following recipients of the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship have demonstrated academic or professional qualities that set them apart within their academic program.

  • Applied Computing – Balaji Nammalvar
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering – Ben Jewell
  • College of Business – Derrick Ayisi
  • College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science – Emma Shedd
  • Humanites – Eugene Brown N. Agyei
  • Chemical Engineering – Grace Dykstra
  • Mathematical Sciences – Hunter Waldron
  • Social Sciences – Larissa Juip
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering – Rishin Patra
  • Biomedical Engineering – Rourke Sylvain
  • Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences – Sananda Ray
  • Chemistry- Simahudeen Bathir Jaber Sathik Rifayee
  • Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering – Violet Hung
  • College of Business – Yael Huber
  • Physics – Yi Zhi Chu

Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award

The following recipients of the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award are recognized for their excellence in teaching. 

  • Electrical and Computer Engineering – Alex Riebe
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering – Anurag Nagpure
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering – Cooper Evans
  • Computer Science – Daniel Masker
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering – David Wallis
  • Social Sciences – Esther Acheampong
  • College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science – Garrett Kucharski
  • Applied Computing – Innocent Mateyaunga
  • Physics – Jack Grossman
  • Humanites – Jordan Dagenais
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering – Lambert Lotsu
  • Chemistry – Lucas Sheppard
  • Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences – Priyanka Dhamala
  • College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science – Reed Arneson
  • Computer Science – Ronald Stempien
  • Computer Science – Sarah Larkin
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering – Shadi Alshagarin
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering – Sindhura Repaka
  • Mathematical Sciences – Stephen Acheampong
  • Biomedical Engineering – Victoria Santillan
  • Atmospheric Sciences – Zaid Bakri

Seth Kriz Represents MTU for MAGS Excellence in Teaching Award!

We are pleased to announce that Seth Kriz has been selected to represent Michigan Technological University for the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) Excellence in Teaching Award! Congratulations to Seth on this significant achievement!

Seth’s journey is a testament to his dedication to both research and teaching. He shares a powerful anecdote about his early college experience that ignited his passion for engineering and ultimately led him to Michigan Tech. A pivotal moment involved his engineering physics professor, Professor Joe, who spent two hours helping him debug a program. This experience instilled in Seth a deep appreciation for the impact of dedicated teaching.

Inspired by Professor Joe and other mentors, Seth pursued his own passion for education. He began as a writing center coach and later became the student coordinator of the chemical engineering learning center at Michigan Tech. His graduate advisor, Dr. Caryn Heldt provided him with the opportunity to teach a senior-level bioprocessing elective during the challenging lockdown period. This marked the beginning of his formal teaching career. Since then, Seth has served as instructor of record for four upper-level courses.

Seth’s philosophy of teaching strives to inspire his students, just as he was inspired, while also recognizing the valuable contributions they bring to the learning process. He believes that:

  • Effective teaching is student-centered.
  • Effective teaching is inspirational and empowering.
  • Effective teaching is a symbiotic relationship between an instructor and students.

We wish him the best of luck in the competition! His words resonate with the core values of education, highlighting the importance of mentorship, inspiration, and the dynamic exchange of knowledge.

Learn more about the MAGS awards and Mentoring resources to help you succeed.

Spring 2025 Finishing Fellowship Winners

The Graduate School is thrilled to announce the winners of the Spring 2025 Finishing Fellowship! This prestigious award recognizes the hard work and dedication of doctoral students in the final stages of their research. By providing financial support and valuable mentorship, the Finishing Fellowship empowers these exceptional scholars to complete their dissertations and make significant contributions to their fields of study. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and excited to see the impact of their research.

The following students have been selected to receive the 2025 Spring Fellowship:

  • Oluwatosin Ayo
  • Kendall Belopavlovich
  • Xinqian Chen
  • Alex Czarniecki
  • Yifu Deng
  • Steven Ding
  • Larissa Juip
  • Kazeem Kareem
  • Akash Kumar
  • Jessica LaReaux
  • Seth Nelson
  • Elizabeth Novotny
  • Kyle Parker-Mcglynn
  • Eileen Reeves
  • Abel Reyes Angulo
  • Ryne Rutherford
  • Rhiannon Turner
  • Brennan Vogl
  • Yogita Warkhade
  • Karlee Westrem
  • Junyao Yang
  • Meiling Zhou

Learn more about the students listed above on our blog under Spring 2025 Finishing Fellowships.

Finishing Fellowships provide support to PhD candidates who are close to completing their degrees. These fellowships are available through the generosity of alumni and friends of the University. They are intended to recognize outstanding PhD candidates who are in need of financial support to finish their degrees and are also contributing to the attainment of goals outlined in The Michigan Tech Plan. The Graduate School anticipates funding up to ten fellowships with support ranging from $2000 to full support (stipend + tuition). Students who receive full support through a Finishing Fellowship may not accept any other employment. For example, students cannot be fully supported by a Finishing Fellowship and accept support as a GTA or GRA.

Congratulations to all the Spring 2025 Finishing Fellowship winners! We are excited to see what you accomplish in the coming months and years.

Find out more about the Finishing Fellowship and other awards available for graduate students at Michigan Technological University. You can also find additional funding information on our financial information webpage.

Fall 2024 Dean’s Awards

The Graduate School announces the recipients of the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship and the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Awards for the Fall 2024 semester. Congratulations to all recipients!

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship

The following recipients of the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship have demonstrated academic or professional qualities that set them apart within their academic program.

  • Nithin Allwayin – Physics
  • Jeffrey Kabel – Physics
  • Mohanish Chandurkar – Biomedical Engineering
  • Ronald Stempien – Computer Science
  • Shreya Joshi – Atmospheric Sciences
  • James Juip – Social Sciences
  • Hrishikesh Gosavi – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Eric E. Coon – College of Business
  • Casey Majhor – Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Jhuleyssy Sanchez Aguilar – Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences

Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award

The following recipients of the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award are recognized for their excellence in teaching. 

  • Casey Aldrich – Physics
  • Philip Cuthbertson – Mathematical Sciences
  • Tom Panella – College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
  • Keenan Rivers – College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
  • Junyao Yang – Computer Science
  • Joseph Teahen – Computer Science
  • Yifu Deng – Computer Science
  • Caitlyn Sutherlin – Social Sciences
  • Jack Smitterberg – Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Ian Quin Mattson – Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Eugene Brown Agyei – Humanities
  • Sepehr Mohammadi – Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering
  • Libia Hazra – Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering
  • Kipkorir Yano – Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering
  • Karl Schneider – Biological Sciences
  • Kara Hardy – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Ellie Zimmerman – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Cora Taylor – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Troy Metz – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Sazzad Hossain – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Laura Albrant – Psychology and Human Factors
  • Fatemeh Razaviamri – Biomedical Engineering
  • Sananda Ray – Geological Mining Engineering and Sciences

Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Summer 2024 Recipient – Peifeng Su

Peifeng Su standing outside with Portage Lake Lift Bridge in background
Peifeng Su – Civil Engineering

First and foremost, I express my sincere gratitude to the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for their recommendation for this esteemed award. I would also like to extend my appreciation to the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering for their unwavering support throughout my doctoral studies. Particularly, I am deeply thankful to my advisor, Dr. Qingli Dai, whose guidance and mentorship have been invaluable in shaping my academic journey and honing my critical thinking abilities. Without her steadfast commitment and insight, I would not have attained the level of proficiency I possess as a PhD candidate today.

My dissertation focuses on the evaluation and prediction of chloride ingress in concrete and its impact on reinforced rebars. Concrete stands as the most widely utilized construction material globally; however, due to the intricate nature of concrete composition and the variability in exposure conditions, accurately predicting concrete performance presents a significant challenge. Through a combination of laboratory experimentation and numerical simulations, my dissertation enhances the accuracy of predicting chloride penetration depth and rebar corrosion processes, offering valuable insights for concrete design and maintenance.

In addition to my dissertation, I have contributed as a graduate research assistant to two projects: “Build Sustainable and Durable Rubber-Modified Concrete Pavement” and “Evaluation of Conditions Causing Negative Environmental Impacts When Using Recycled Concrete Aggregate.” The former project resulted in the successful construction of the inaugural rubberized concrete pavement in Muskegon, Michigan. The latter project is still ongoing, focusing on evaluating how recycled concrete aggregate materials impact the surrounding environment. These practical project experiences provided valuable knowledge about the concrete industry, which is very beneficial for my future career.

Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Summer 2024 Recipient – Revanth Mattey

Revanth Mattey leaning against a table, indoors, wearing suit and tie
Revanth Mattey –
Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

I am deeply grateful and honored to receive the Finishing Fellowship Award from the graduate school and the graduate dean’s advisory panel.

My journey at Michigan Tech began in 2018 when I commenced my graduate studies. Working alongside Dr. Susanta Ghosh, I completed my Master’s thesis in 2021. The research I conducted during this time inspired me to pursue a Ph.D. I’ve since dedicated myself to exploring phase field modeling and its applications in computational fracture mechanics, as well as employing Machine Learning to solve these intricate mathematical models.

My research aims to harness machine learning techniques to streamline computationally intensive simulations across various fields such as mechanics, phase separation, and weather prediction. These models hold tremendous potential for accelerating simulations of complex material failures and other physical systems described by partial differential equations.

I express my heartfelt gratitude to the graduate school for recognizing me with the Finishing Fellowship Award. This acknowledgment serves as a driving force as I enter the final phase of my Ph.D. journey, reflecting the university’s confidence and support in my work. I extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Ghosh for the invaluable opportunity to be part of his research group. His trust and encouragement have been instrumental throughout my Master’s and Ph.D. endeavors. I’d also like to acknowledge the unwavering support of the faculty and staff of the MEEM department during my academic journey.

Once I complete my PhD I will be joining Idaho National Laboratory as a post-doctoral researcher. I am eagerly looking forward to completing my doctoral research and continuing to advance in my academic career.