Thirteen Ph.D. students at Missouri University of Science and Technology received dean’s honors from the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) during a hybrid on-campus/online ceremony today (Tuesday, May 25).

Five students received the Dean’s Graduate Educator Award, which recognizes excellence in teaching by graduate students. Eight other students received the Dean’s Ph.D. Scholar Award, which recognizes scholarly contributions among the most productive Ph.D. students. The students represent six departments within the CEC.

“It’s a thrill each year to recognize the outstanding contributions made by our graduate students,” says Dr. Francisca Oboh-Ikuenobe, the CEC’s associate dean for academic affairs. “The awards reflect the students’ commitment to excellence and the mentorship provided by their advisors. We are very proud of all the Ph.D. students who were nominated and considered.”

The awards involved a highly competitive two-tier selection process where each of the CEC departments independently selected up to three nominees for the college to consider. A committee comprising representatives from five CEC departments selected the winners. The honorees are as follows:

Dean’s Graduate Educator Awards:

– Viraj Kishorkumar Gajjar, electrical and computer engineering

– Akanksha Maurya, electrical and computer engineering

– Bohong Zhang, electrical and computer engineering

– Chia-Hung Hung, mechanical and aerospace engineering

– Lauren Tomanek, mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Dean’s Ph.D. Scholar Awards:

– Jun Liu, civil, architectural, and environmental engineering

– Wenyu Liao, civil, architectural, and environmental engineering

– Yanxiao Li, civil, architectural, and environmental engineering

– Shane Lawson, chemical and biochemical engineering

– Sepehr Saadatmand, electrical and computer engineering

– Damian Cardenas Loboguerrero, geosciences and geological and petroleum engineering

– M. Rifat Hassan, mechanical and aerospace engineering

– Martin Langenderfer, mining and explosives engineering.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,600 students and part of the four-campus University of Missouri System. Located in Rolla, Missouri, Missouri S&T offers 99 different degree programs in 40 areas of study and is ranked by CollegeFactual as the best public university to study engineering. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.