MechSE's 2024-25 student award winners

Each spring, MechSE students are recognized for their outstanding leadership, academic achievements, and character. The following graduate and undergraduate students are the recipients of the 2024-2025 departmental awards. They were honored at the MechSE awards banquet April 11.

Graduate Student Winners

Fred B. Seely Award, Outstanding TA for a TAM course
Jahid Emon
Recognizes graduate students in the Theoretical and Applied Mechanics program who are determined to be the most effective teaching assistants.

James O. Smith Memorial Award, Outstanding TA for an ME course
Christian Bonney
The family of James O. Smith initiated this fund soon after Professor Smith’s death in 1970. The award recognizes graduate students in the Theoretical and Applied Mechanics program who are determined to be the most effective teaching assistants.

Stanley I. Weiss Outstanding Thesis Award (ME)
Alireza Askarian and Joshua Tempelman
Recognizes an ME student for an outstanding MS or PhD thesis.

Robert E. Miller Award for Teaching Excellence
Mohammad Tanver Hossain
This award was established to honor the career of Professor Robert E. Miller. Professor Emeritus Robert E. Miller earned three degrees from the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: a BS in aeronautical engineering (1954), and an MS (1955) and PhD (1959) in theoretical and applied mechanics. He joined the TAM faculty in 1959, and for thirty-five years he inspired generations of students through his superb teaching skills, devotion to his students, and service to his discipline. Professor Miller has been recognized for his contributions with the ASEE Mechanics Division Distinguished Educator Award, and the University of Illinois College of Engineering's Everitt Award and Advising Award. In 2000, he received the TAM Distinguished Alumni Award.

David Hinde Memorial Award
Syed Angkan Haider
The David Hinde Memorial Award honors the memory of David Hinde, an alumnus of the department and former Research and Development Director of Hillphoenix. It is presented to a MechSE graduate student with a research interest in natural refrigerant technology.

Hassan Aref Memorial Award for Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
Gautham Krishnan
Awarded to a select TAM graduate student of good academic standing with a research interest, preferably, in fluid mechanics.

Graduate Award Honoring TAM Faculty and Michael A. and E. Ann Sutton 
Md Saddam Joy
Given to an outstanding graduate student in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, with preference given to research in solid mechanics or experimental solid mechanics. Dr. Michael A. Sutton established this award to honor the profound impact that the outstanding faculty in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics had on his professional career.

Teaching Fellows
Fall 2024: Chuyuan Tao, for ME 461 (Computer Control of Mechanical Systems)
Spring 2025: Meysiva Verrabagu, for ME 320 (Heat Transfer)

Undergraduate Student Winners

Bei Tse and May Chao Award
Carter Eid
This award is given in honor of Professor Bei Tse Chao, a pioneering scholar in the diverse fields of metal cutting, heat transfer, and multipurpose flow, and Professor May Kiang Chao, an assistant professor of library administration at Illinois. In 1952, Professor May Kiang Chao began her career at the university shortly after earning a bachelor’s degree in library science from Illinois. Professor Bei Tse Chao began his career at Illinois in 1948. He held fellowships with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). In 1975, Bei Tse Chao was named Head of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, serving from 1975 to 1987. In 1985, he was among the first group of University of Illinois faculty to receive the Senior University Scholar Award. The Bei Tse and May Chao Award is given to a senior within the department who has displayed extraordinary scholarly achievements and promise.

C.L. and Harriette Johnson Scholarship
AJ Bernardo, Kyriaki Karavasis, Michael Villanueva, and Eungi Youn
This award was established by Clarendon Lee Johnson (BS Marketing 1954) and Erle Johnson (BSGE 1949) in memory of their father, Clarence L. Johnson. Although Clarence was not a graduate of Illinois, he developed a strong attachment to the MechSE Department through his love of steam engines. This award is determined by scholarship, personal qualities, and professional and cultural activities. Each year the recipient’s name is inscribed on a plaque.

Oscar A. Leutwiler Award
Fele Felemban, Sophia Litauszki, and Aja Phan
This award is given to a senior in mechanical engineering or engineering mechanics in honor of Oscar A. Leutwiler, professor of mechanical engineering and head of the department from 1934 to 1945.  Established in 1991, recipients of this award are determined based upon scholarship, personal qualities, and professional and cultural activities. Recipients have their names placed on a plaque and receive a certificate and monetary award.

Fred B. Seely Award
Haoyang Zhou and Ethan Cho
This award honors an outstanding senior in engineering mechanics and was established by Professor Fred B. Seely’s sons in his honor.  Professor Seely was department head of the former Theoretical and Applied Mechanics Department from 1934 until 1952.  Professor Seely was not only a leader in the field of mechanics, but also had a gift for enriching the educational experiences and creative talents of his students. Every action and deed coupled with a warm and friendly attitude displayed his sincere desire to be helpful and thoughtful of others. Meticulous in his technical writing and setting high moral and ethical standards in his own activities, he inspired those who worked with him to develop professionally to their fullest capability.

James and Loretta Bayne Award for Outstanding Senior Design Project
SpinalVision team, Spring 2024: Terry Ma, Jakob Orjansen, Marshall Tenzer, Angela Wong, Hansen Zhang, and Charlene Zhao
Projectile Resistance team, Fall 2024: Aryan Aggarwal, Maia Ben-David, Marit Ley, Brooke Mickey, Shiv Sharma
This award is presented in honor of Professor James W. Bayne to a Senior Design team that had an outstanding project from the previous fall and spring semesters.

John C. and Elizabeth J. Chato Award in Bioengineering
Delaney Marringa, Rene Mohammadi, and Bella Tortorici
This award was established in 2001 and is given to an outstanding undergraduate student engaged in activities related to bioengineering. Professor John C. Chato joined the faculty of mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois in 1964 and retired in 1996. He was instrumental in establishing the campus-wide Bioengineering Program and was the first chairman of its executive committee. Elizabeth Chato earned a B.S. degree in zoology from the University of Cincinnati in 1954 and later worked as a Laboratory Technician with the Department of Horticulture at Illinois.

A.G. Friederich Memorial Scholarship in Mechanical Engineering
Matthew Bianchi
This award is given to a junior or senior in mechanical engineering or engineering mechanics who has a special interest in machine design.

Seichi Konzo Memorial Award
Lilian Abbed, Greg Kwan, Shreyas Malladi, Nathan Stalder, Benjamin Tsao, and Jordan Westphal
The Seichi Konzo Memorial Award is given to an outstanding undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering.

Helmut H. and Rudi K. Korst Award
Jon Coonley and Finnley Ryan
This award, established in 1984, is presented in honor of Professor Helmut H. Korst and is funded by the Korst children. Professor Korst served on the faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering from 1948 to 1984 and as head of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from 1962 to 1974. This award is presented to a senior in mechanical engineering who displays excellence in thermal science courses and in overall scholarship.

Fred B. Seely TAM Merit Award
Ashwin Manur
Established in the early 1980s by the former Theoretical and Applied Mathematics Department, this award honors a student's special contributions to engineering mechanics programs and activities. The TAM Merit Award is not an annual award, but rather, is given when a student's contributions during the year are determined to have been significant.

Alfred B. Swanson Endowed Fund in Environmental Research
Alan (Jialin) Lu
This award is presented to a student who has demonstrated significant interest in working to protect the earth’s ozone layer and stabilizing the global climate by working with technologies that reduce emissions of ozone-depleting fuels, to use fossil fuels more efficiently, and to produce energy from non-fossil fuels. 

Kenneth J. Trigger Award (in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering)
Zachary Balakrishnan, Madison Garcia, Greg Kwan, Marit Ley, Eron Mahmudi, Jeff Panella, Asaiah Rock, and Joseph Symanski
The Kenneth J. Trigger Award, in honor of Professor Trigger, is presented to a senior in mechanical engineering or engineering mechanics who has displayed an interest in manufacturing and has demonstrated excellence in that area, as well as overall scholarship.

Patrick B. and Janet A. Flanagan ASME Senior Leadership Award
Rose Menichini and Henrique Teixiera
Each year, a senior in the student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is selected by the organization’s faculty adviser. This award was established in 1974, and selection is based upon leadership within the society.

J. W. Bayne Award for Outstanding Senior in Pi Tau Sigma
David Gibek, Ben Haake, and Matt Poteshman
James W. Bayne attended the University of Illinois and earned both his BSME and MSME from the former Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department. During his career in engineering education, Professor Bayne dedicated himself to fostering the careers of young people with an interest in engineering. This award is presented to an outstanding senior in Pi Tau Sigma determined by scholarship, activities, and service.

ASME Junior Leadership Award
Lilian Abbed and Joyce Shim Kim
Established in 1975, this award is given to a junior studying mechanical engineering and is based upon achievement and leadership within the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Pi Tau Sigma Sophomore Award
Rouhan Bhojan and Manav Chopda
The Pi Tau Sigma Outstanding Sophomore Award is selected by the Illinois Alpha chapter of Pi Tau Sigma, a national mechanical engineering honors fraternity.  This award was established in 1962 and is given to the most outstanding sophomore in mechanical engineering each year.

General Motors Philip W. Leistra Jr. Scholarship
Clayton Kessler
This award was funded by General Motors in memory of Philip W. Leistra, Jr.  Mr. Liestra earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois in 1969.  While working at General Motors, he was instrumental in acquiring financial resources from GM to support many Formula SAE race teams. The award is presented each year to an outstanding member of the SAE Student Chapter who is also a student in MechSE.