Tag: Finishing Fellowship

Tamim Adnan, PhD in Civil Engineering, 2026

Since childhood, I have viewed every challenge as an opportunity for growth. This mindset has guided me throughout my academic journey, bringing me to the final stage of my Ph.D. and shaping me into an independent researcher. I have always embraced obstacles with determination, perseverance, and a resilient attitude.

I am sincerely grateful to my advisor, Dr. Abdolmajid Erfani, for providing me the opportunity to be one of his first Ph.D. students. Under his dedicated mentorship, I have grown into an independent researcher, focusing on intelligent and autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) systems for infrastructure and transportation asset management as well as construction engineering. Together, we have conducted research that has resulted in several peer-reviewed publications and established a strong foundation for future contributions to the field. Overall, my doctoral studies at Michigan Tech have resulted in three published journal articles and three conference papers, with two additional journal manuscripts currently under review. These accomplishments are evidence of the effort, dedication, and perseverance that have shaped my research journey.

This journey officially began when I joined the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering at Michigan Technological University in Spring 2024. Moving from North Carolina after my Master’s, adapting to Michigan’s long winters, heavy snowfall, and limited daylight was initially daunting. There were countless late nights spent working in my office, often until two or three in the morning. I still fondly remember my roommate and his friends driving to campus late at night to ensure I got home safely. I also remain grateful to two of my closest friends; together, we drove countless miles, endured harsh winters, and even experienced the misfortune of breaking down two cars along the way. Yet, those shared challenges only strengthened our friendship and made my time at Michigan Tech even more meaningful. These experiences, alongside the incredible warmth of the Bangladeshi student community and many friends at Michigan Tech, made my journey unforgettable. Because of them, I rarely felt homesick and found a true home away from home.

Most importantly, I am deeply thankful to my family, whose unwavering encouragement, sacrifices, and unconditional belief in me have made this journey possible. Their support continually inspires me to pursue excellence, remain resilient, and maintain my passion for learning and discovery.

Finally, I am profoundly grateful to Michigan Technological University and the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for awarding me the Fall 2026 Finishing Fellowship. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to my dissertation committee members and the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering for their continued guidance and support. This fellowship provides me with the invaluable opportunity to fully dedicate my efforts to completing my dissertation. Beyond its financial support, it represents a vote of confidence in my potential as a researcher and motivates me to continue pursuing impactful research that advances intelligent infrastructure systems to serve society. I am honored to receive this fellowship, and I look forward to building on this foundation as an independent researcher and future educator.

Travis Wavrunek, PhD in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, 2026

I’d like to extend my thanks to the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel and the dean for recommending me for this award, as well as for the MAE department for their support in the past. I would also like to thank my advisors, Dr. Paul van Susante and Dr. Jeffery Allen, for guiding me in my research and providing insightful feedback on everything from experiment design and data analysis to leadership and teaching advice. Your shared guidance has shown me how a PhD may be a specialization of a research topic, but also a broadening of knowledge.
In high school and through my undergraduate degree, I was fascinated with the elegance of renewable energy sources and how they could take a byproduct of their environment and make something from it. During my PhD, I’ve been able to apply the same sentiment to the Moon through my research in lunar in-situ resource utilization and extreme environment power transmission. My dissertation investigates water prospecting and thermal vacuum testing of icy regolith for finding and understanding these resources, as well as cryogenic power transfer and thermal management techniques for energy storage in some of the coldest places in our solar system. By using the local environment rather than fighting it, future missions can reduce the reliance on Earth’s resources and design more risk tolerance systems.
Since starting at Michigan Tech in 2016, I’ve found the university to be the perfect place to pursue my interests and refine my passions. I initially had no expectations of pursuing a PhD – but through the support of the people I’ve met, I’ve found a way to blend my interests into a topic I can look forward to defending soon.

Lucas Sheppard, PhD in Chemistry, 2026

I started my undergraduate studies at Lake Superior State University in 2017 with a major in biology. I knew I enjoyed science and wanted to pursue a career related to human health, but I genuinely thought I hated chemistry based on past experiences. Unfortunately for me, I was still required to take chemistry to get a biology degree. Believe it or not, I actually enjoyed my first-year chemistry courses and found them interesting. After taking them, I switched my major to biochemistry. At LSSU, I was able to take part in research which afforded me many learning opportunities. My research at LSSU consisted of synthesizing peptoid, not peptide, oligomers to be tested for antimicrobial activity. While the pandemic heavily interfered with that research, I was still able to learn new techniques and how to conduct research.

While I originally did not think of Michigan Tech when applying to PhD programs, a couple of my professors suggested that I apply here, and I’m very happy that they did. In my time at Michigan Tech, I have been able to participate in amazing research and have had opportunities which will help me greatly in my future career. I am forever grateful for the privilege of going to this university and thankful to all the people who have helped me on this journey including my advisor, Dr. Tarun Dam.

My research has been focused on finding potentially useful pharmaceutical compounds from plant material. This includes discovering which plants we want to look, purifying compounds from the plant material, and finding out the chemical structure of these compounds. Plants make an enormous variety of different compounds, and many of these compounds are very similar. Getting one compound separated from all the others is no easy task but is necessary for rigorous testing of said compound.

I am honored to be able to accept the Finishing Fellowship award. This award will allow me to focus on my research and complete my dissertation. Thanks again to the Graduate School and the Dean’s Advisory Panel for selecting me for this award!

Caleb Rother, PhD in Computer Science, 2026

Computers have been a part of my life for nearly as long as I can remember. I hold memories of old flash games as a child, making music with software with a friend, and even now most of my close friends live a long distance away from me, forcing me to use computers for communication. Naturally, around 15, I decided to ask myself, “How do these things work, anyways?” After some time learning to program and whether I liked it, I decided to pursue CS as a major in college at my hometown.

After I got my bachelor’s degree, I had decided that teaching college would be a good career thanks to some tutoring work I had done in my undergrad. I needed a Ph. D. accordingly. When I began applying to schools in my area, Dr. Chen reached out to me and offered me a position in the SnP lab. I ended up taking the offer and have had a fantastic graduate career learning how to conduct research and teach here.

My dissertation is focused on cybersecurity education and how to make it more effective for students, particularly those with little computing background. As hacking and security breaches become more common, I find that it’s critical to teach everyone at least a little about cybersecurity. My goal is to make these things accessible to as many people as possible, and I hope to get even better at it as I wrap up my time here at Tech!

I’d like to thank the graduate school, Dr. Chen, and my fantastic lab mates, Josh and Amir, who have helped me in my time here at tech. I’m looking forward to the completion of my degree, and to continued educational and technical research in the future!

Nicholas Petersen, PhD in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, 2026

Throughout my journey into research here at Michigan Tech, I have explored how vehicle motion control is applied to electric vehicles. Electric vehicle powertrains have a number of advantages over their Internal Combustion Engine-powered counterparts, including precise low speed torque control and packaging flexibility. My research focuses on leveraging electric vehicles to improve vehicle ride comfort and safety.

The majority of my time pursuing my PhD, I have supported the Robotic Systems Enterprise as a graduate research assistant. The primary project of this enterprise involved designing a level 4 autonomous vehicle for the General Motors SAE AutoDrive Challenge. Through mentoring teams of undergraduate students, I have gained valuable leadership experience and technical skills. Developing an autonomous electric vehicle has also created opportunities for research. Using the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV AV, I designed and tested a robust low speed sliding mode torque controller to maintain velocity tracking on high grades and rough roads.

Some modern electric vehicles feature independent electric motors for each wheel. I explore how sliding mode control can exploit independent torque control to re-stabilize a vehicle after a sideswipe collision. I show how sliding mode control can be applied to a two wheel rear drive vehicle for re-stabilization of a range of collision geometries. I also show that this control system can be implemented on a physical scale vehicle.

I would like to thank the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for selecting me to receive the Finishing Fellowship this fall. I’m also grateful to my advisor Dr. Darrell Robinette for the guidance throughout my PhD. My time working with my friends in the lab, as well as the opportunities Michigan Tech has provided, has shaped me into the researcher I am today.

Judy Long, PhD in Forest Science, 2026

I have long been passionate about Geographical Information Science, particularly in addressing a fundamental geographic question: what is where, and how can we map it reliably across large landscapes and long time periods? I was fortunate to pursue a Ph.D. in Forest Science and a Master’s in Data Science concurrently. Through this interdisciplinary training, I developed expertise in remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and spatial data science, while becoming a more independent researcher and problem-solver.

My doctoral research focuses on mapping crop types and monitoring tree crown health using satellite and airborne imagery. By combining field observations with remote sensing and deep learning, I have developed practical methods to support agricultural management and forest health monitoring at regional and state scales. Participating in vegetation inventories for various projects also reminded me that meaningful scientific advances come from connecting new technologies with real-world management needs. I believe that remote sensing, combined with well-developed automated information mining algorithms, could effectively address the time-consuming, labor-intensive nature of traditional field surveys.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Graduate School Dean’s Award Advisory Committee for granting me the Finishing Fellowship. I want to thank my advisor, Dr. Andrew J. Burton, and my committee member, Dr. Tao Liu, for their mentorship and guidance throughout my doctoral journey. Additionally, I want to give my heartfelt thanks to the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, the College of Computing, and Michigan Tech for providing a supportive environment that enabled me to advance my research with remarkable progress and to collaborate with experts in the field.

Ogetay Kayali, PhD in Physics, 2026

For much of my life, my work felt divided among three identities: astrophysicist, science communicator, and astrophotographer. At Michigan Tech, I found the opportunity to bring these paths together and realized that my long-term goal is not to choose between them, but to build a life and career in which each strengthens the others.

My doctoral research, conducted under the guidance of Dr. Robert Nemiroff, investigates the physics of Cherenkov radiation and its connection to faster-than-light phenomena. Working with Dr. Nemiroff gave me the opportunity to explore an unusual and deeply fascinating scientific problem. More importantly, his guidance reshaped the way I think about research, creativity, and my own future. He encouraged and supported me not only to pursue rigorous scientific work, but also to continue science communication and astrophotography alongside my dissertation. Without him, this would not be possible.

During my time at Michigan Tech, I had the privilege of working for five years with NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day, one of the world’s most recognized science communication platforms. I also contributed to science outreach projects that have reached more than 50 million viewers on YouTube and continued developing my astrophotography, receiving recognition in international competitions. These experiences showed me that research, communication, and visual storytelling do not need to remain separate pursuits. Together, they can make science more understandable, accessible, and meaningful to a broader audience.

I am deeply grateful to Dr. Robert Nemiroff for his guidance, trust, and encouragement. I would also like to thank Dr. Ravindra Pandey, Dr. Yoke Khin Yap, and Dr. Ranjit Pati for creating a family-like environment in the Department of Physics and helping international students like me feel at home, even while living on the other side of the world. I am especially thankful to my beloved partner, Devrim, for sharing this life with me and for always standing beside me throughout this journey.

Finally, I sincerely thank the Dean, the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel, and the Graduate School for awarding me the Finishing Fellowship. This support will allow me to focus on completing my dissertation and moving toward a career that brings together scientific research, education and science communication.

Lior Rosenfeld, PhD in Rhetoric, Theory and Culture, 2026

I want to express my gratitude to the Graduate School and the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for the Finishing Fellowship award. I would also like to thank my advisor, Professor Scott Marratto, for his guidance and support.

I earned a Master of Arts in Philosophy from The New School in 2020. Since 2022, I have been conducting my research as a PhD student at the Department of Humanities at Michigan Technological University. My research demonstrates that the public sphere is fundamental to democracy. By engaging in public dialogue, speakers begin to recognize themselves and others as free and accountable to one another. This process creates a dynamic, pluralistic world that supports collaboration and stimulates thought-provoking ideas. Therefore, to commit to democracy, academic institutions must ensure that techno-scientific reasoning does not become a tool for displacing the public sphere.

In addition to my research, I have been teaching courses in rhetoric and composition, ethics, and philosophy. I also presented papers at various conferences, including the International DerridaToday Conference, the International Conference of the British Society for Phenomenology, the Annual Conference of the Society for Philosophy in the Contemporary World, the Brown Bag series at Michigan Technological University, and the CCCC Annual Convention.

I appreciate the support this fellowship provides. My attendance at the AI governance conference at UNESCO in June 2025 inspired me to get involved with policymaking. Therefore, in the medium term, I aim to pursue a consultancy role with the U.N., UNESCO, think tanks, or non-profit organizations. In the long term, I look forward to pursuing an academic career. I am interested in holding a position at an academic institution where I can advocate for a free public sphere and create a non-violent society.