Graduate Student Recognition

Description
Award

2027 Outstanding PhD Graduate Researcher Award

The College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Award is presented annually to a graduate student in the College of Engineering in recognition of the excellent quality of research carried out by that PhD student.

The recipient of this award will receive a certificate and a cash award of $500, and be honored at the annual College-wide Graduate Student Recognition Event.

Nomination Form

2027 Outstanding MS Graduate Researcher Award

The College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Award is presented annually to a graduate student in the College of Engineering in recognition of the excellent quality of research carried out by that Master's student.

The recipient of this award will receive a certificate and a cash award of $500, and be honored at the annual College-wide Graduate Student Recognition Event.

Nomination Form

2027 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award

The College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award is presented annually to a graduate student in the College of Engineering in recognition of special effectiveness in teaching undergraduates in a variety of settings.

The recipient of this award will receive a certificate and a cash award of $500, and be honored at the annual College-wide Graduate Student Recognition Event.

Nomination Form

2027 Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award

The College of Engineering Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award is presented annually to a graduate student in the College of Engineering in recognition of original work in the form of a Master’s thesis that has made an unusually significant contribution to the discipline.

The recipient of this award will receive a certificate and a cash award of $500, and be honored at the annual College-wide Graduate Student Recognition Event.

Nomination Form

2027 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award

The College of Engineering Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award is presented annually to a graduate student in the College of Engineering in recognition of original work in the form of a doctoral dissertation that has made an unusually significant contribution to the discipline.

The recipient of this award will receive a certificate and a cash award of $500, and be honored at the annual College-wide Graduate Student Recognition Event.

Nomination Form

 

We are proud of our award-winning graduate students!

National Awards

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

2025-28

  • Peyton Kullmann (MEAM)

2023-26

  • Kasey Moomau (MAEM)

2021-24

  • Grayson Minnick (MEAM)

2020-23

  • Jordan Rosenbohm (MEAM)
  • Meredith Sutton (CEE)

2018-21

  • Hunter Miller (BSE)
  • Joshua Mueller (CHBE)
  • Luz Sotelo (MEAM)

2016-19

  • Christopher Davidson (BSE)

2015-18

  • Tasneem Bouzid (Biomedical)

2014-17

  • Walter Bircher (MEAM)
  • Daniel Geschwender (CSE)

2013-16

  • Thomas Frederick (MEAM)
  • Abby Kelly (BSE)
  • Eric Markvicka (MEAM)
  • Jodi Sangster (CIVE)
National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Award

2021

  • Logan Pettit (MEAM)
NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO) Fellowship

2021

  • Logan Pettit (MEAM)

2014

  • Corey Kruse (MEAM)
Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Laboratory Residency Graduate Fellowship (DOE NNSA LRGF)

2022

  • Jazmin Ley (MEAM)
Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDEFTP)

2025

  • Caleb Osmond (MME)
  • Nate Reineke (MME)

University Awards

Graduate Student Excellence in Mentoring Award

2026

  • Portia Plange (Biomedical Engineering)

2025

  • Oghenetega Obewhere (Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering)

2024

  • Ivon Acosta Ramirez (Biological Engineering)

2021

  • Ziyad Smoqi (Engineering, specialization in Materials Engineering)
Outstanding Research & Creative Activities Award

2026

  • Anika Azme (Civil Engineering)
  • Nitish Bastola (Civil Engineering)

2025

  • Omid Armantalab (Civil & Environmental Engineering)
  • Mirza Athar Baig (School of Computing)
  • Lanh Trinh (Mechanical & Materials Engineering)

2024

  • Jesse Kuebler (Engineering, specialization in Materials Engineering)

2021

  • Jessica Lingenfelter (Engineering, specialization in Materials Engineering)
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award

2026

  • Hassan Fazayeli (Biological Engineering)

2024

  • Kanak Kanti Kar (Civil Engineering)
Folsom Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award

2026

  • Krishna Muvva (Computer Science)

2025

  • Niaz Chowdhury (Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering)

2024

  • Jordan Rosenbohm (Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics)

2022

  • Amir Monemian Esfahani (Engineering, specialization in Biomedical Engineering)
Folsom Distinguished Master's Thesis Award

2025

  • Nayeem Arefin (Electrical & Computer Engineering)

2021

  • Clayton Malone (CEE)

2021

  • Maria Cecilia Hall (Environmental)
Dean's Fellowship

2027

  • Omid Armantalab (Civil Engineering)
  • Anika Azme (Civil Engineering)
  • Kanak Kanti Kar (Civil Engineering)
  • Trisam Sapkota (Biomedical Engineering)
  • Rintu Sen (Biological Engineering)
  • Junxiao Zhang (Biological Engineering)
  • Yuru Zhang (Computer Science)

2026

  • Ahatsham Hayat (ECE)
  • Nosakhare Idiaghe (MME)
  • Irene Magara (EER)
  • Oghenetega Obewhere (CHBE)
  • Lanh Trinh (MME)
  • Farzad Yazdipanah (CEE)

2025

  • Kazi Albab Hussain (CEE)
  • Nosakhare Idiaghe (MME)
  • Ekaterina Muravlena (ECE)
  • Hafiz Oyediran (DSAEC)
  • Portia Plange (BSE)
  • Sahand Serajian (CHBE)

2024

  • Samuel Underwood (DSAEC)
  • Muhammad Ahmad (CEE)

2021

  • M. Khalid Saifullah (CEE)

2021

  • Ethan Davis (MME)
Fling Fellowship

2025

  • Sahand Serajian (AY 25-26 [Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering])

College Awards

College of Engineering Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation

2025

  • Niaz Chowdhury (Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering)

2024

  • Ahmad Almaghrebi (Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction)

2023

  • Siamak Mirfendereski (Mechanical & Materials Engineering)

2022

  • Deepak Nadig Anantha (School of Computing)

2021

  • Hongbin Sun (Civil & Environmental Engineering)

2020

  • Shaobin Li (Civil & Environmental Engineering)
College of Engineering Outstanding Masters Thesis

2025

  • Rebati Raman Gaire (School of Computing)

2024

  • Prashant Subedi (School of Computing)

2022

  • Spencer Perry (Civil & Environmental Engineering)

2021

  • Andrew Reicks (Electrical & Computer Engineering)

2020

  • Pejman Ghasemzadeh (Electrical & Computer Engineering)
College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant

2025

  • Clayton Malone (Civil & Environmental Engineering)

2024

  • Kanak Kanti Kar (Civil & Environmental Engineering)

2023

  • Samuel Underwood (Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction)

2022

  • Sam Moayedi (Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction)

2021

  • Noelle Mware (Civil & Environmental Engineering)

2020

  • Subharthi Banerjee (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant

2025

  • Lanh Trinh (Mechanical & Materials Engineering)

2024

  • Jesse Kuebler (Mechanical & Materials Engineering)

2023

  • Jordan Rosenbohm (Mechancial & Materials Engineering)

2022

  • Xinyuan He (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)

2021

  • Amir Monemain Esfahani (Mechanical and Materials Engineering)

2020

  • Siavash Jafarzadeh (Mechanical and Materials Engineering)
College of Engineering Graduate Complete Engineer® Award

2025

  • Nosakhare Iyobosa Idiaghe (Engineering Education Research)

2024

  • Oghenetega Allen Obewhere (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)

2023

  • Hunter Miller (Biological Systems Engineering)

2022

  • Samuel Underwood (Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction)

2021

  • Courtney Keiser (Engineering, specialization in Materials Engineering)

2020

  • Luz Sotelo (Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics)
College of Engineering Graduate Poster Competition, UNL Spring Research Fair

2025 First Honors

  • Sahar Beigzadeh (MME)

2025 Second Honors

  • Aida Rashidi (CEE)
  • Sema Guvenc Kilic (ECE)
  • Haoyu Dong (ECE)
  • Joe Talley (MME)
  • Xin Chen (MME)
  • Payal Chaudhary (CHBE)

2025 Honorable Mention

  • Md Rezwan Ul Islam (MME)

2024 First Honors

  • Matthew Boeding (ECE)
  • Nosakhare Idiaghe (Engineering Education Research)

2024 Commendations

  • Anika Azme (CEE)
  • Abraham Osingua (CHBE)
  • Habibollah Safari (CHBE)

2023 First Honors

  • Sahar Beigzadeh (Materials)
  • Jesse Kuebler (Materials)

2023: Commendations

  • Zina Ebrahim (DSAEC)
  • Alyssa Grube (CHBE)
  • Diego Israel Salazar Oellana (MEAM)
  • Anu Singh (Engineering Education Research)

2022 First Honors

  • Quasai Alomari (CIVE)
  • Emmanuel Akintunde (CIVE)

2022 Commendations

  • Faezeh Afshar Hatam (MEAM)
  • Fae San Lee (BSE)
  • Xiaowei Jin (Biomedical)
  • Anne Stratman (ECE)

2021 First Honors

  • Amir Monemianesfani (Biomed)
  • Courtney Keiser (Materials)

2021 Commendations

  • Samuel Flint (CSE)
  • Brandi Brown (BSE)
  • Thivani Senathiraja (CHBE)
Milton Mohr Graduate Fellowships

2025-26

  • Hassan Fazayeli (BSE)
  • Rintu Sen (BSE)
  • Payal Chaudhary (CHBE)
  • Abraham Osinuga (CHBE)
  • Omid Armantalab (CEE)
  • Anika Azme (CEE)
  • Juhyun Bak (DSAEC)
  • Upahar Poudel (DSAEC)
  • Youssef Abotaleb (ECE)
  • Muhammad Ashar Naveed (ECE)
  • Khemraj Gautam Kshetri (MME)
  • Lanh Trinh (MME)
  • Kang-il Park (SoC)
  • Yuru Zhang (SoC)

2024-25

  • Sadia Mannan Mitu (BSE)
  • Junxiao Zhang (BSE)
  • Oghenetega Allen Obewhere (CHBE)
  • Sunayana Malla (CHBE)
  • Ryan Haggerty (CEE)
  • Qu Wen (CEE)
  • Mehrdad Poursadegh (DSAEC)
  • Houman Kosarirad (DSAEC)
  • Paul Scalise (ECE)
  • Ahatsham Hayat (ECE)
  • Alexia Martinez-Ibarra (MEAM)
  • Sahar Beigzadeh (MEAM)
  • Alisha Bevins (SoC)
  • Md Rashedul Hasan (SoC)

2023-24

  • Gustavo Catro Garcia (BSE)
  • Terence Irumva (BSE)
  • Karen Acurio Cerda (CHBE)
  • Mark Kathol (CHBE)
  • Khalid Alkady (CEE)
  • Clayton Malone (CEE)
  • Kelly Arnold (DSAEC)
  • Zina Ebrahim (DSAEC)
  • Matthew Boeding (ECE)
  • Ekaterina Muravleva (ECE)
  • Grayson Minnick (MME)
  • Logan Petiti (MME)
  • Alisha Bevins (SOC)
  • Sepehr Tabrizchi (SOC)

2022-23

  • Fei San Lee (BSE)
  • Ivon Acosta Ramirez (BSE)
  • Niaz Chowdhury (CHBE)
  • Sahand Serajian (CHBE)
  • Sussan Moussavi (CIVE)
  • Ryan Haggerty (CIVE)
  • Kshitij Nikhal (ECE)
  • Megan Stokey (ECE)
  • Justin Brooks (MEAM)
  • Jazmin Ley (MEAM)
  • Nathan Taylor (DSAEC)
  • Hafiz Oyediran (DSAEC)

2021-22

  • Muhammad Khalid Saifullah (CEE)
  • Amin Hosseini Zadeh (CEE)
  • Pejman Ghasemzadeh (ECE)
  • Megan Stokey (ECE)
  • Aniruddha Gaikwad (MME)
  • Bahareh Tajvidi Safa (MME)
  • Ahma Almaghrebi (DSAEC)
  • Connor Gee (BSE)
  • Kari Heck (BSE)
  • Adil Al-Siyabi (CHBE)
  • Xinyuan He (CHBE)
  • Niloofar Mansoor (CSE)
  • Bowen Yang (CEE)
  • Emmanuel Akitunde (CEE)
  • Nasrin Naderi Beni (CEE)
  • Ryan Haggerty (CEE)
  • Sussan Mousavi (CEE)
  • Seefat Farzin; CHBE)
  • Ivon Acosta Ramirez (BSE)
  • Twissa Mitra (BSE)
  • Kossi Avegnon (MME)
  • Austin Griswold (MME)
  • Siamak Mirfendereski (MME)
  • Mohammad Ali Takallou (DSAEC)
  • Emily Ritzdorf (DSAEC)
  • Cedric Armel Nimpa Fondje (ECE)

2020-21

  • Jiating Li (BSE)
  • Jasreman Singh (BSE)
  • Ehsan Zamani (CHME)
  • Mohammad Islam (CHME)
  • Shahab Karimifard (CEE)
  • Sussan Moussavi (CEE)
  • Yifeng Hu (DSAEC)
  • Mitchael Sieh (DSAEC)
  • Megan Stokey (ECE)
  • Yili Jiang (ECE)
  • Siamak Mirfendereski (MME)
  • Azadeh Mostafavi (MME)

Upcoming Events