On April 27, 2018, the School of Engineering Education recognized graduate students who have received awards at the school, college, university, and national level over the past academic school year. We were fortunate to have so many types of awards that they can be divided into five groups: research, service, teaching, special university awards, and national awards.
Research Awards
Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship
This year's recipients are Zahra Atiq and Juan David Ortega-Alvarez. This fellowship provides support (up to one year) to outstanding PhD candidates in their final year of a doctoral degree. Selected students are chosen for their superior academic abilities and scholarly achievements. We are proud to have two recipients in the School of Engineering Education.
College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award
Avneet Hira was awarded this honor for her excellence in research through peer-reviewed papers, awards for research, potential to contribute to the field and society, her leadership activates, academic achievement, and participation in professional societies. It should also be noted that Avneet received the Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship (mentioned above) in 2017 along with Molly Goldstein (ENE PhD '18).
Service Awards
College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student Service Award
Richard Aleong received this honor in recognition as a top academic performer and 'has contributed over time to the quality, reputation, or success of the graduate student community, school, college, and/or university.'
School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Service Award
Rohit Kandakatla received this years honor. The ENE Graduate Student Service Award is given to an ENE Ph.D. student who has contributed in multiple ways, over an extended period of time, to the quality of the graduate experience for students in the School of Engineering Education. The awardee is one who has made a positive and lasting change in the ENE graduate student culture and has served as a role model for others. (Pictured here - right - with Dr. Audeen Fentiman on left)
Teaching Awards
College of Engineering Magoon Excellence in Teaching Award
Matilde Sanchez-Pena (center) received this honor for the 2017-18 academic school year. Eligible candidates must have a half-time or more appointment as a graduate instructor or graduate teaching assistant for at least one semester in the past calendar year. Matilde has helped us greatly with the First-Year Engineering course load and we are appreciate her drive to step up and help while balancing her graduate research activities.
School of Engineering Education Graduate Student
ENE also gives a teaching award acknowledging the outstanding educational contributions of our graduate students through teaching-related activities relevant to their role as a graduate student. This award, given this year to Avneet Hira, recognizes both the extent and quality of contributions.
Teaching Academy Graduate Teaching Award
Nathan Hicks received the Teaching Academy Graduate Teaching Award presented by the Center for Instructional Excellence. This award honors graduate students with teaching responsibilities from across campus for their dedication to Purdue students and their outstanding teaching contributions. Recipients are selected by each academic department for their commitment to undergraduate education. Departments may select one recipient for every 50 graduate teaching assistants they support. The Graduate Teaching Award is sponsored by the Teaching Academy and the Office of the Provost.
Special Awards
Walk the Talk Award from the University Office of Ethics and Compliance
Richard Aleong
This award is presented to those individuals who most exemplify strong ethical character in their dealings with others, champion ethical practices or programs, or apply personal values in a manner that demonstrates integrity and high standards of excellence. This annual recognition goes to one faculty member, one staff member, and one student.
Ford Foundation Fellowship
Chanel Beebe
Only seven other Purdue graduate students have received this award and has been 5 years ago since a Purdue graduate student has been selected for the fellowship. It is a first for ENE. Through their fellowship program, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. By receiving this fellowship, Chanel will be eligible to attend the Conference of Ford Fellows, “a unique national conference of a select group of high-achieving scholars committed to diversifying the professoriate and using diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. (Ford).” A full press release is due out in June 2018.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP)
Coined the “gold standard of national fellowships,” this program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based Master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions. With over 12,000 applications, NSF awards 2,000 fellowship offers. Julianna joins notable GRFP alumni including numerous Nobel Prize winners and Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin.
Applied Management Principles Scholarship
This scholarship provides funding to attend Purdue’s mini-MBA to gain practical management training.
