CDME represented among 2021 Distinguished Faculty Award winners

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Vimal Buck
CDME's Vimal Buck was part of a cross-disciplinary team that earned the Lumley Interdisciplinary Research Award.

Each year, The College of Engineering honors excellence in teaching, innovation and service. Faculty, researchers and partners are recognized for distinguished contributions in several areas.

Recipients of the 24th annual Distinguished Faculty Awards are:

 

Harrison Faculty Award for Excellence in Engineering Education

Carlos Castro, associate professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering — For establishing an entirely new and transformative field within structural DNA nanotechnology that is focused on nanoscale mechanisms and machines implemented using DNA self-assembly.

Established in 1983 with a gift from Doris and Stanley Harrison (’58, electrical engineering), this award honors an early to mid-career faculty member’s excellence in teaching and qualitative aspects of teaching, exceptional research, or contributions to engineering or architecture concepts.

 

The Clara M. and Peter L. Scott Faculty Award for Excellence in Engineering Education

Bhavik Bakshi, Richard M. Morrow Professor, William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering — For his contributions as a thought leader in sustainable engineering—a field of profound global significance—who has demonstrated outstanding scholarship, teaching and mentoring.

In honor of Peter Scott, a 1949 Ohio State graduate in electrical engineering who received an honorary doctoral degree in 1995, this award recognizes a senior faculty member who has achieved both national and international status as a leading educator and researcher. 

 

Dean’s Meritorious Service to Students Award

Michael Winfield, ’62, chemical engineering — For over 45 years of demonstrated commitment to student success through recruiting, mentoring, guest lectures, scholarship funding and volunteer leadership efforts culminating in new facilities.

This award recognizes an individual or group from outside the Ohio State community for exemplary service to students of the College of Engineering or Knowlton School of Architecture. 

 

Dean's Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Lecturer

Doreen Close, senior lecturer, Department of Computer Science and Engineering — In recognition of her tremendous devotion to her students, her innovative pedagogy and her excellence in teaching.

Established in 2015, this award honors an individual lecturer, senior lecturer or other auxiliary faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in their teaching within the college.

 

David C. McCarthy Engineering Teaching Award

Vicky Doan-Nguyen, assistant professor, and Tyler Grassman, assistant professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering — In recognition of their design and implementation of the innovative undergraduate laboratory, MSE 5532: Harnessing the Power of Materials for Energy.

This award recognizes the contributions of College of Engineering junior faculty and staff to create more innovative and effective teaching and learning. 

 

Ralph L. Boyer Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Engineering Innovation

Tanya Nocera, associate professor – clinical, Department of Biomedical Engineering — For elevating biomedical engineering students’ career preparedness through innovative laboratory curricula, creation of a medical product development master’s program and research that supports career attainment.

Named for the late Ralph L. Boyer (’24, mechanical engineering), the award is presented to a faculty team or to an individual faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to the improvement of undergraduate engineering education. 

 

Faculty Mentoring Award

Umit Ozkan, chair and professor, William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering — For her passionate commitment, and extraordinarily caring support and excellence as a role model that has encouraged faculty to excel and mentor others in turn.

Giorgio Rizzoni, Ford Motor Company Chair and professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering — For his impact on helping faculty advance their careers, creating better educators, scholars, researchers and members of the academic community at Ohio State.

This award recognizes an individual faculty member in the college for demonstrated excellence in the mentoring of one or more early-career faculty members within the college.

 

The BEWEL Leadership in Innovation Award

Asimina Kiourti, assistant professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering — For her contributions to bio-electromagnetics and her outreach efforts towards boosting females’ persistence to pursue careers in engineering.

The Buckeye Engineering Women in Executive Leadership (BEWEL) award was created in 2019 and is presented to a junior or mid-career female faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in research, innovation and/or scholarship.

 

Dean's Award for Distinguished Outreach Achievements

Vicky Doan-Nguyen, assistant professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering — For strengthening Ohio State educational partnerships with the Columbus community and beyond, leading to a stronger, diverse pipeline of scientific and engineering leaders.

Established in 2015, this award recognizes an individual faculty member who has demonstrated significant and longstanding achievement of positive community impact through outreach activities or programs within the college.

 

Distinction in Safety Award

Gregg Chapman, assistant professor-clinical, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering — For his dedicated efforts to ensure the successful continuation of the department's laboratory program, which serves over 1,000 students per semester.

Established in 2020, this award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated a longstanding commitment and contribution to safety.

 

Faculty Diversity Excellence Award

Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska, associate dean for research and professor, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering/Engineering Administration — For advancing the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering’s mission in research and teaching through a commitment to diversity in faculty hiring.

This award recognizes an individual or team demonstrating excellence and success in the development and implementation of models, strategies, practices and programs that foster and enhance diversity in the college.

 

Innovators Award

Perena Gouma, Edward Orton Jr. Chair in Ceramic Engineering and professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering — For revolutionary materials processing and use as selective sensing elements for the detection of biomarkers of COVID-19 disease in breath.

This award recognizes the achievements of an individual or team whose innovation has successfully translated the research emanating from our laboratories into new products and/or technologies that can be used by the public at large.

 

“Building Bridges” Excellence Award

Andrew Bowman, associate professor, Department of Veterinary Preventative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine; and Matthew Exline, professor-clinical, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine — For their work with the College of Engineering to validate medical sensor nanotechnology used in a COVID-19 breathalyzer.

This award is presented each year to a non-COE faculty member at Ohio State who demonstrates excellence and accomplishment in the development and implementation of collaborative activities and programs between his or her academic unit and the College of Engineering. 

 

Honda – Ohio State Partnership Award

David B. Williams, dean emeritus and special advisor to executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge enterprise — For embodying the best example of visionary leadership to create true university-industry collaboration. The Honda – Ohio State Partnership is stronger today because of his exemplary service.

The Honda - Ohio State Partnership Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to promoting and strengthening this historic partnership.

 

Charles Ellison MacQuigg Award for Outstanding Teaching

Carolin Fink, assistant professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering — For being exemplary in developing her students as engineers and professionals. Called “one of the most influential educators I have had," by one of her students, Prof.  Fink prioritizes helping and bonding with students.

Neil Kirby, senior lecturer, Department of Computer Science and Engineering — For his commitment to his students, especially during virtual learning. Called a life coach by one of his students, Professor Kirby's interactive teaching style encourages students to thrive. 

Named for the late Dean of the College of Engineering, this award is presented annually to faculty members who have demonstrated, in a superior manner, their interest in and willingness to help students and outstanding teaching ability. 

 

Spectroscopic sensor for screening nutritional and quality traits of field crops
An inside look at the novel spectroscopic sensor for screening nutritional and quality traits of field crops.

Lumley Interdisciplinary Research Award

Christopher Ball, research scientist, ElectroScience Laboratory; Vimal Buck, senior researcher, Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence; and Luis Rodriguez-Saona, professor, Department of Food Science Technology, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences — For their innovation and realization of a handheld spectroscopic sensor that can measure chemical constituents and bulk properties of food and agricultural products allowing for in the field measurements.

Jeff Chalmers, professor, William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Payal Desai, associate professor – clinical, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine; Maryam Lustberg - assistant professor, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine; Andre Palmer, professor, William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Monica Venere, assistant professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine; Maciej Zborowski, staff, Cleveland Clinic; David Irwin, associate professor, University of Colorado, Denver College of Medicine; and Paul Buehler, professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine — For their innovative research on the interaction of magnetic forces and cells, and its applications to medical diagnostics and therapeutics.

Natalia Higuita-Castro, assistant professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Safdar Khan, associate professor - Clinical, Department of Orthopaedics, College of Medicine; and Devina Walter, assistant professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering — For their outstanding contributions to the development of non-addictive, nanotherapeutics for low back pain and for integrating diversity into collaborative research to develop the most impactful therapies.

Named for John H. Lumley (’27, ceramic engineering), this team award recognizes interdisciplinary research accomplishments of the college’s faculty and research staff. 

Lumley Research Award

  • Kannan Athreya, associate professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
  • Marat Khafizov, associate professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Jung-Hyun Kim, assistant professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering;
  • Andrew May, assistant professor, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering
  • Eduardo Reátegui, assistant professor, William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
  • Keith Redmill, research associate professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Rengasayee Veeraraghavan, assistant professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
  • Julia Zhang, assistant professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Hongping Zhao, associate professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Lumley Engineering Research Awards are presented to a select group of outstanding researchers in the College of Engineering who have shown exceptional activity and success in pursuing new knowledge of a fundamental or applied nature.