Drexel Engineering Faculty Earn Recognition for Research, Teaching, and Service

The Office of Research and Innovation and the Office of Faculty Advancement recently announced the recipients of the 2022-2023 Research, Scholarship and Creativity Awards and the Provost Awards for Teaching, Scholarship and Professional Service.

Joshua Agar, PhD , assistant professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics, and Christopher Li, PhD ,professor of materials science and engineering, each received Scholarly Materials & Research Equipment Awards for Tenure/Tenure Track Faculty.

Working with Jane Greenberg, PhD , Alice B. Kroeger Professor of Information Sciences, Agar will develop and implement DataFed, a federated scientific data management for the scalable, cross-facility, collation, and searching of raw data and metadata. The effort will make Drexel’s research data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reproducible, which will enhance the prominence of the University’s research enterprise.

Partnering with Kathleen Vanderburgh, PhD, manager of the materials characterization core in Research Core Facilities, Li will continue his work to develop a specialized scanning electron microscope (SEM) system for in-operando imaging and analysis of energy storage devices with solid and liquid electrolytes. The system comprises a custom-made SEM stage, a Thermo Fisher Scientific coin-cell adapter, and a Biologic USA potentiostat battery cycling device. By implementing this system, the pair aim to expand upon their recent NSF-funded SEM project and greatly enhance energy research at Drexel University.

Andrew Magenau, PhD , assistant professor of materials science and engineering, received the Allen Rothwarf Award for Teaching Excellence. Magenau has taught courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level, receiving glowing reviews from students. He has made a noticeable impact on ENGR 113, the first-year engineering design course. In Magenau’s sections, students studied an industrially relevant foam (sponsored by Dow Chemical) and the relationships between the conditions under which the foam is made and its properties.

Ahmad Najafi, PhD , PC Chou Assistant Professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics, received an Early Career Award for Outstanding Scholarly Productivity. Najafi oversees the Multiscale Computational Mechanics and Biomechanics LAB (MCMB LAB), a computational lab working on multiscale computational mechanics and biomechanics capable of developing numerical analysis tools and optimization schemes in a high-performance computing environment. His research has earned funding from diverse sources, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the PA Department of Community and Economic Development, and Drexel’s Office of Research and Innovation. Among these is funding for a prestigious NSF CAREER award. He has further developed successful industrial collaborations with Boeing Co., TAKTL LLC, and Kinos Medical Inc./restor3d Inc. For his excellence in research, Najafi is additionally being honored with the 2023 College of Engineering Outstanding Early-Career Research Award.

Kevin Scoles, PhD ,associate professor, electrical & computer engineering, was recognized with the Harold M. Myers Award for Distinguished Service. In more than 40 years in the College of Engineering, Scoles has served as Assistant Department Head, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs, among many other roles. He has helped the college develop new curricula, reimagine assessment of teaching and learning, and served as a leader in the ABET reaccreditation process. He has also acted as a faculty advisor for student organizations and as a mentor to individual students and faculty members. He received the college’s 2020 Outstanding Service Award.

P. Mohana Shankar, PhD , Allen Rothwarf Professor of electrical and computer engineering, received an inaugural Provost Award for Pedagogical Innovation. Shankar was recognized for developing ECE 361 Probability and Data Analytics for Engineers. Previously presented as a statistics course, Shankar added aspects of data analytics specifically designed to engage engineering students. Each student is given a unique set of data to study a common issue, making the results dynamic and practical. The course has received positive feedback from students and has continued to be refined over the last four years.

Masoud Soroush, PhD , professor of chemical and biological engineering, was awarded the Career Award for Outstanding Scholarly Productivity. Soroush’s research has spanned the gamut of polymer membranes, polymers, process systems engineering, functional safety, nanomaterials, cybermanufacturing, distributed manufacturing, and renewable power generation and storage systems. He has successfully collaborated with industry for decades, including with companies such as DuPont, Axalta, Air Liquide, and Near-Miss Management, and has been supported by 10 NSF-GOALI grants. Soroush has also supervised 32 undergraduate research projects and led a large team of Drexel faculty on a funded National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF REU) site on smart manufacturing. This site, of which he is director, is the only NSF REU site in the nation to focus on smart manufacturing.

Alexander Stadel, PhD , adjunct associate professor of architecture, design, and urbanism with dual appointments in the College of Engineering and the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, received an adjunct faculty award for teaching excellence. Stadel has been instrumental in reimagining the teaching of architectural technology to make it more approachable to students. The 2011 BS/MS alumnus has served as a mentor to many students in his 10 years of teaching, all while working as a structural engineering designer for Keast & Hood Co. in Philadelphia.

Matthew Stamm, PhD, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, received a Mid-Career Award for Outstanding Scholarly Productivity. Stamm has become a recognized leader in the field of multimedia forensics, garnering significant media attention and invitations to give high profile talks. His work on identifying deepfakes earned him a place on Popular Science’s “Brilliant 10” list in 2021. Stamm’s 2016 paper on detecting digital image manipulation has earned more than 600 citations, and his research has earned funding from the Department of Defense, including the US Special Operations Command, the Defense Forensic Science Center, the Army Research Office, and the Defense Forensics & Biometrics Agency, and two DARPA awards. He is also the recipient of a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award. In addition to receiving both the College of Engineering’s Outstanding Early-Career and, most recently, Mid-Career Research Achievement Awards, he has received the University of Maryland Alumni Excellence Award - Research Award.