The College of Engineering and Computing at Missouri S&T is honoring 18 graduate students in recognition of their scholarly productivity and teaching excellence.

Eight doctoral students representing six academic departments have been named CEC Dean’s Ph.D. Scholars at Missouri S&T, while another 10 doctoral students affiliated with seven departments have been designated as inaugural Dean’s Graduate Educators. Each student was recognized and honored at an end-of-semester campus reception on Thursday, May 10.

The award winners were nominated by professors in their home departments, then selected by a department committee or department chair for college consideration. Winners were selected by Vice Provost and Dean Richard Wlezien from those submitted by each department.

The college implemented the Dean’s Ph.D. Scholar award in the 2016-17 academic year to honor its most productive Ph.D. students in scholarship. The Dean’s Graduate Educator award is new this year to honor excellence and outstanding contributions in teaching.

“Graduate students are vital to our teaching, research and service mission,” says Dr. John Myers, associate dean for academic affairs and a professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering. “This program has allowed CEC to recognize just some of the outstanding graduate student contributors in our college.”

As a group, the eight CEC Dean’s Ph.D. Scholars have produced a total of 176 technical publications and reports, Myers notes, of which 87 were journal publications. The cohort has collectively accrued 29 external and internal awards. In addition, the 10 CEC Dean’s Graduate Educators have taught or co-taught a total of 88 laboratory or lecture sections, in most cases receiving teaching evaluations well above the campus average.

“It is simply remarkable the quality and level that our graduate students contribute, but this does not happen by chance,” Myers adds. “It is also because of the high-level mentorship they receive from their advisors and faculty educators.”

The award winners, their hometowns and names of faculty advisors are as follows:

Dean’s Graduate Educators:

Vineet Alexander, a doctoral student in chemical and biochemical engineering from Adoor, Kerala, India, Dr. Muthanna Al-Dahhan, advisor.

Ashish Avachat, a doctoral student in mining and nuclear engineering from Pune, Maharashtra, India, Dr. Hyoung Lee, advisor.

Aaron Flood, a doctoral student in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Pittsburg, Kansas, Dr. Frank Liou, advisor.

Parker Freudenberger, a doctoral student in materials sciences and engineering from Clemson, South Carolina, Dr. Richard Brow, advisor.

Eli Hernandez, a doctoral student in civil, architectural and environmental engineering from Merida, Venezuela, Dr. John Myers, advisor.

Anthony Konya, a doctoral student in mining and nuclear engineering from Montville, Ohio, Dr. Paul Worsey, advisor.

Lin Liu, a doctoral student in geosciences and geological and petroleum engineering from Yantai, Shandong Province, China, Dr. Stephen Gao, advisor.

Wesam Mohammed-Ali, a doctoral student in civil, architectural and environmental engineering from Tikrit, Iraq, Dr. Cesar Mendoza, advisor.

Matthew Senter, a doctoral student in chemical and biochemical engineering from Defiance, Missouri, Dr. Jee-Ching Wang, advisor.

Humayun Shariff, a doctoral student in chemical and biochemical engineering from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Dr. Muthanna Al-Dahhan, advisor.

Dean’s Ph.D. Scholars

Dheiaa Alfarge, a doctoral student in geosciences and geological and petroleum engineering from Najaf, Iraq, Dr. Mingzhen Wei, advisor.

Hayder Alghazali, a doctoral student in civil, architectural and environmental engineering from Najaf, Iraq, Dr. John Myers, advisor.

Ali Alhuraishawy, a doctoral student in geosciences and geological and petroleum engineering from Amara, Missan, Iraq, Dr. Baojun Bai, advisor.

Wei Li, a doctoral student in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Salaqi, Batou City, Inner Mongolia, China, Dr. Frank Liou, advisor.

Wenbin Li, a doctoral student in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Yichang, Hubei Province, China, Dr. Ming Leu, advisor.

Abhishek Patnaik, a doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering from Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India, Dr. David Pommerenke, advisor.

Xiaofeng Wang, a doctoral student in chemical and biochemical engineering from Liawu City, Shandong Province, China, Dr. Xinhua Liang, advisor.

Yansheng Wang, doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering from Zhengzhou, China, Dr. Jun Fan, advisor.