2024 Department of Materials Science and Engineering Student/Postdoc Awards
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s awards which recognize the student’s outstanding achievements in academics, research, and service.
Top row left to right:
Linda Lin Recipient of the Penn Engineering Exceptional Service which is given by the faculty of the School of Engineering and Applied Science to recognize and honor outstanding students for their service to the university
Daniel Zhu is the recipient of the Hugo Otto Wolf Memorial Prize, funded by Otto C. Wolf in memory of his son. The award is given to a member of the senior class in each department of the School of Engineering and Applied Science who, during the senior year, by the thoroughness and originality of his or her work, meets with the greatest approval of the professors in charge.
Nisha Shah is the recipient of the R.M. Brick Award, which is named for the first chairman of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and is awarded to graduating seniors who have demonstrated through a combination of academic performance, effort, and personal qualities that they will be a credit to the Department, the School, and the University.
Ana Kenefick is the Recipient of the Penn Engineering Exceptional Service Award which is given by the faculty of the School of Engineering and Applied Science to recognize and honor outstanding students for their service to the university.
Second Row, left to right
Isa Pan is the recipient of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Science Challenge Award, given annually to outstanding undergraduate students in the submatriculation program in chemistry or physics.
Celine Liu is the recipient of the R.M. Brick Award, which is named for the first chairman of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and is awarded to graduating seniors who have demonstrated through a combination of academic performance, effort, and personal qualities that they will be a credit to the Department, the School, and the University.
Leena Vyas is the recipient of the Madison “Maddie” Magee Award, which is established to honor and celebrate the memory of Madison “Maddie” Magee, a member of the Penn Engineering Class of 2021. The Award is given to a Penn Engineering senior who best exemplifies the energy, enthusiasm and excellence that was Maddie.
Caroline Birkel is the recipient of the Penn Engineering Exceptional Service Award, which is given by the faculty of the School of Engineering and Applied Science to recognize and honor outstanding students for their service to the University
Third Row, left to right.
Yash Rajpal – (Shu Yang lab) Kelson Family College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant given for projects in environmental studies, theater arts, architecture or Russian studies.
Yuran Wang, (Christopher Madl lab), is the recipient of the Outstanding Research Award The Outstanding Research Award is awarded to a Master’s students who have demonstrated significant contributions to faculty supervised research projects.
Yewei Huang, (Yuiawen Jiang lab), is the recipient of the Outstanding Teaching Award, which is presented to students who have demonstrated significant contributions as a teaching assistant.
Katie Sun, (Karen Winey/Russell Composto labs), is recipient of The Geoffrey Belton Graduate Fellowship Award which is given to a PhD student in her/his 3rd year of study who has made superior and significant contributions to her/his field of PhD study.
Bottom row, left to right.
Antonio Martinez, (Shu Yang lab), is recipient of The Geoffrey Belton Graduate Fellowship Award which is given to a PhD student in her/his 3rd year of study who has made superior and significant contributions to her/his field of PhD study.
Weiwei Kong, (Russell Composto lab), is the recipient of the Intel Graduate Fellowship Award which recognizes students for superior and significant contributions to their field of PhD study. Weiwei’s research has resulted into fabricating a new type of polymer nanocomposite by infiltrating polymer into nanoporous bicontinuous membrane. Significantly, polymer infiltration kinetics under nanoconfinement is significantly faster than expected compared to that predicted by the conventional viscosity model.
Dr. Kunyu Wang, (Christopher Murray/Shu Yang labs) a Vagelos Institute Postdoctoral Fellow, has been selected to the CAS Future Leaders Program, which offers early-career scientists the opportunity to participate in leadership and storytelling seminars, learn from industry thought leaders how to present their ideas in an impactful manner, engage in scientific discourse, and develop connections with peer scientists from around the world.