MSE Students Receive Numerous Drexel University Accolades

Materials students collected an impressive number of Drexel awards and honors given through the Offices of Student Life and Graduate Studies to close out the 2013 academic year.

Those recognized for their achievements include:

Babak Anasori (advisor: Michel Barsoum)
2013 Continuing Teaching Excellence Award

Ph.D. candidate Babak Anasori received the 2013 Continuing Teaching Excellence Award, presented to outstanding teaching assistants who have taught at least one full quarter during the current academic year, have taught courses/labs/recitations for which they had major responsibility and/or played a major role in the teaching of the class. This award is presented at the Graduate Student Day reception on May 23, and includes a plaque and check for $500.

Christopher Barr (advisor: Mitra Taheri)
Highly Commended, 2013 Doctoral Research Excellence Award

Ph.D. candidate Christopher Barr received the designation “Highly Commended” in the Graduate Student Day 2013 Doctoral Research Excellence Award competition. Christopher was recognized for his research contributions at the Graduate Student Day reception on May 23.

Marjorie Austero Kiechel (advisor: Caroline Schauer)
2013 Doctoral Research Excellence Award
Student Life Ian L. Alexander Outstanding Commuter Award

Ph.D. candidate Marjorie Austero Kiechel received the 2013 Doctoral Research Excellence Award, given to graduate students (full-time master’s and doctoral), who have exhibited outstanding research, scholarship, and/or creativity in the past year. This award was presented at the Graduate Student Day reception on May 23, and includes a plaque and check for $500. Marjorie also received the Student Life Ian L. Alexander Outstanding Commuter Award at the Student Life Awards Ceremony on May 16. The award is presented to a Drexel undergraduate or graduate student living off-campus beyond their first year at Drexel who has made significant contributions to the Drexel and/or local community, exhibits a positive outlook on life, is enthusiastic about his/her work at Drexel and/or in the community, displays a strong commitment to academic achievement, and is a proud member of the commuter, graduate, and/or transfer student community at Drexel.

Nina Lane (advisor: Michel Barsoum)
Outstanding Promise Doctoral Award

Ph.D. candidate Nina Lane has been selected to receive an Outstanding Promise Doctoral Award in the area of Mathematical Sciences and Engineering. At every Commencement, three awards are presented to graduating doctoral students who are deemed to exhibit great promise in enhancing Drexel’s reputation in the future. The awards, with a cash prize of $1000 and a certificate of recognition each, are in the following categories:  Social Sciences (for students in Business, Education, Information Science, Psychology); Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (for students in Mathematics, all Engineering programs); Physical and Life Sciences (for students in Bioscience, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science and Policy, Biomedical Engineering, Nursing and Health Professions, Public Health).

Nina is the seventh MSE student to receive this award formerly known as the "Most Promise to Enhance Drexel's Reputation."  Previous award winners from MSE include Murat Kurtoglu (2011 - advisor: Yury Gogotsi), Stephen Niezgoda (2010--advisor: Surya Kalidindi), Jessica Schiffman (2009-advisor: Caroline Schauer), and Davide Matthia (2008), María Pía Rossi (2007 - advisor: Yury Gogotsi), and Ranjan Dash (2006 - advisor: Yury Gogotsi).

Travis Longenbach (advisor: Yury Gogotsi)
Student Life Dean J. Peterson Ryder Award for Seniors

B.S./M.S. student Travis Longenbach received the Student Life  Dean J. Peterson Ryder Award for Seniors, presented to seniors in engineering who are proficient in their studies and have participated in extracurricular activities. Travis was one of 20 outstanding members of the Drexel Senior Class of 2013 selected to participate in “Toss Your Caps: Citywide College Graduation Celebration” hosted by the Mayor’s Office of Philadelphia on Friday, May 10, 2013. Additionally, Travis was also one of several students selected to represent Drexel University in the 2013 edition of Who's Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges. The Who's Who national program was started in 1934 for the purpose of recognizing and honoring students who demonstrate outstanding achievement during their collegiate careers. Today more than 2,300 colleges and universities participate annually. Travis previously received this honor in 2011.

Cheng-Hsin (Johnson) Lu
Highly Commended, 2013 Teaching Excellence Award

Ph.D. student Cheng-Hsin (Johnson) Lu received the designation “Highly Commended” in the Graduate Student Day 2013 Teaching Excellence Award competition. Johnson was recognized for his teaching contributions at the Graduate Student Day reception on May 23.

John "Jake" McDonough (advisor: Yury Gogotsi)
Highly Commended, 2013 Doctoral Research Excellence Award

Ph.D. candidate John "Jake" McDonough received the designation “Highly Commended” in the Graduate Student Day 2013 Doctoral Research Excellence Award competition. Jake was recognized for his research contributions at the Graduate Student Day reception on May 23.

Riju Singhal (advisor: Yury Gogotsi)
Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award

Ph.D. candidate Riju Singhal has been selected to receive an Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award in the area of Mathematical Sciences and Engineering. As with the Outstanding Doctoral Promise Award, three awards are presented at each Commencement to graduating doctoral students who have written outstanding dissertations that reflect great research. The awards, with a cash prize of $1000 and a certificate of recognition each, are in the following categories: Social Sciences (for students in Business, Education, Information Science, Psychology); Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (for students in Mathematics, all Engineering programs); Physical and Life Sciences (for students in Bioscience, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science and Policy, Biomedical Engineering, Nursing and Health Professions, Public Health).

Riju is the fourth MSE student to receive this award. Previous award winners from MSE include Stephen Nonnemann (2010 - advisor: Jonathan Spanier), Aiguo Zhou (2008 - advisor: Michel Barsoum), and Thomas Juliano (2004 - advisor: Yury Gogotsi).