Student Awards

Every year during commencement, the Hajim School presents exceptional students with endowed awards and prizes that recognize their extraordinary achievements in academics, research, and service.

Charles L. Newton Prize

Recognizing engineering students who show a special proficiency in an engineering subject and have conducted research, given a presentation, or published a paper that has special merit.

Recipients:

2025:

  • Allie Tay, biomedical engineering
  • Devin Wong, biomedical engineering

2024:

  • Thomas Xue, biomedical engineering
  • Kendall Kohout, biomedical engineering
  • Alexander Martin, computer science

2023:

  • Nicholas Achuthan, optics
  • Nugzari Khalvashi-Sutter, mechanical engineering
  • Henry Welles, computer science

2022:

  • Helena Schreder, mechanical engineering
  • Zihao Li, optical engineering

2021:

  • Daniel Troyetsky, mechanical engineering
  • Ethan Fahnestock, interdepartmental engineering

2020:

  • Logan Bashford, mechanical engineering
  • George Klimiashvili, electrical and computer engineering
  • Aime Laurent Twizerimana, chemical engineering

2019:

  • Jackson Abascal, computer science
  • Andrew Howard, optical engineering
  • Chantelle Lim, biomedical engineering
  • Reem Mislati, electrical and computer engineering 
Donald M. Barnard Prize

Awarded to engineering students based on personal qualification and high academic achievement.

Recipients:

2025:

  • Theo Taylor, optical engineering
  • Victoria Usachev, optical engineering
  • Yash Santosh Waikar, biomedical engineering
  • Yunqi, Yoyo) Liu, biomedical engineering
  • Anakin de la Cruz Flecha, biomedical engineering
  • Megan Bell, biomedical engineering
  • William Knoff, electrical and computer engineering
  • Dominic Lippa, chemical engineering

2024:

  • Megan Fallon, optical engineering
  • Madeleine LaChance, optical engineering
  • Santino Lupica-Tondo, mechanical engineering
  • Elizabeth McGinn, biomedical engineering
  • Christian Voloshen, biomedical engineering
  • Sikhulile Vilane, biomedical engineering
  • Hanna Costa Carvalho, biomedical engineering
  • Paul Williams, chemical engineering
  • Yutong Wen, audio and music engineering

2023:

  • Charbel El Haddad, electrical and computer engineering
  • Stelios Halioris, mechanical engineering
  • Sydney Haupt, audio and music engineering
  • Anna Hazelwood, biomedical engineering
  • Lingyun Huang, mechanical engineering
  • Mitchell Kershner, biomedical engineering
  • Phuong Le, biomedical engineering
  • Gabriel Medina, optics
  • Icel Sukovaty, optics
  • Yufei Zhao, computer science

2022:

  • Yichen Shen, optics and electrical and computer engineering
  • Peter Francis, electrical and computer engineering
  • Cassius Close, audio and music engineering
  • John Bates, biomedical engineering
  • Helen Shammas, biomedical engineering
  • Ava Giorgianni, biomedical engineering
  • Amanda Adams, biomedical engineering
  • Levi Sunday-Lefkowitz, chemical engineering
  • Liying Lin, mechanical engineering
  • Chenhao Jian, mechanical engineering

2021:

  • Sylvia Zhong, biomedical engineering
  • Mark Volkin, chemical engineering
  • Yiyang Su, computer science
  • Alaina Attanasio, electrical and computer engineering
  • Nick Pomianek, mechanical engineering
  • Chris Pressimone,  optical engineering
  • Warish Orko, biomedical engineering
  • Kamaldeen Raji, chemical engineering
  • Charles Chimera, electrical and computer engineering
  • Alyssa Ho, optical engineering

2020:

  • Arjun Ashok,  biomedical engineering
  • Noah Chartier, mechanical engineering
  • Jake Gilman,  biomedical engineering
  • Maxwell Kearns, chemical engineering
  • Jacob Melchi, audio and music engineering
  • Charles Patterson, biomedical engineering
  • Hao Yin,  mechanical engineering
  • Jiacheng Zhao, optical engineering

2019:

  • Robert Crews, biomedical engineering
  • Mattie Eckerstrom, chemical engineering
  • Muhammad Hadi, mechanical engineering
  • Tasneem Khan, electrical and computer engineering
  • Anna Olsen, biomedical engineering
  • Jake Rosvold, optical engineering
  • Ben Schmitz, audio and music engineering
  • Tianyu Shou, electrical and computer engineering
Richard Eisenberg Engineering Award

Recognizes a hard-working undergraduate with an interest in metallurgy or materials science, with high ethical standards.

Recipients:

2025:

  • Sicheng (JD) Qian, mechanical engineering

2024:

  • Yifan Wei, mechanical engineering/computer science
  • Teona Taseskam chemical engineering

2023:

  • Katie Broun, biomedical engineering
  • Danielle Getz, chemical engineering 

2022:

  • Befikadu Mekonnen, biomedical engineering

2021:

  • Ahmad El Gazzar, chemical engineering
  • Ognjen Bosic ‘22, mechanical engineering

2020:

  • Bianca Dyer, chemical engineering 

2019:

  • Alec Tapia, mechanical engineering
G. Harold Hook Prize

Awarded to a student who has demonstrated a strong affinity for engineering.

Recipients:

2025:

  • Natalie Shank, mechanical engineering

2024:

  • Arabella Meacham-Snyder, optical engineering
  • Loralai Crawford, biomedical engineering

2023:

  • Melanie Earle, mechanical engineering
  • Erin Gibson, computer science

2022:

  • Tram Nguyen, biomedical engineering
  • Suet Chan, optical engineering

2021:

  • Gaetan Foisy, mechanical engineering
  • Emma Mantel, biomedical engineering

2020:

  • Elana Antoine, optical engineering
  • Tresa Elias, biomedical engineering

2019:

  • James Savino, chemical engineering
  • Seth Schaffer, mechanical engineering
Lisa Norwood Student Enrichment Prize

Established in 2023, the prize recognizes students who have shown commitment and service to the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences by building community and belonging.

Recipients:

2025:

  • Brendon Habert ‘26, optical engineering
  • Madison King, electrical and computer engineering

2024:

  • Tochukwu Iyke-Nzeocha, biomedical engineering
  • Natalie Fullerman, optical engineering

2023:

  • Zaynab Dantsoho, biomedical engineering
  • Justin Pimentel, computer science
Tau Beta Pi Prize

Awarded to a senior who, through academic achievement, proven leadership and character has excelled and inspired fellow students. 

Recipients:

2025:

  • Megan Bell, biomedical engineering
  • Steven Kang, mechanical engineering

2024:

  • Aasim Hawa, biomedical engineering
  • Kendall Kohout, biomedical engineering

2023:

  • Humfrey Kimanya, mechanical engineering
  • Christopher Lu, biomedical engineering

2022:

  • Helena Schreder, mechanical engineering
  • Ognjen Bosić, mechanical engineering

2021:

  • Baris Eser Ugur, chemical engineering

2020:

  • Kathleen Desmond, mechanical engineering
  • Kate Korslund, mechanical engineering

2019:

  • Chantelle Lim, biomedical engineering
Outstanding Dissertation Award

Chosen by a panel of faculty reviewers, the award is a testament to the exceptional quality, rigor, and impact of scholarship in pursuit of a PhD. 

Recipients:

2025:

  • Michael Taylor, optics: New Hamiltonian Formalisms for Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics

2024:

  •  Michael Chavrimootoo, computer science: Separations and Collapses in Computational Social Choice and Complexity Theory

2023:

  • John Cognetti, biomedical engineering PhD
  • Sedigheh Sheykholeslami, mechanical engineering PhD

2022:

  • Alec Salminen, biomedical engineering: Microvascular Mimetics for the Advanced Study of Endothelial Dysfunction and Leukocyte Extravasation in Inflammation

2021:

  • Bochen Li, electrical and computer engineering: Multi-modal analysis for music performance

2020:

  • Fernando Zvietcovich, optics: Dynamic Optical Coherence Elastography
Robert L. Wells Prize

Awarded each fall to senior engineering students for demonstrated competence in both engineering and the humanities.

Recipients:

2026:

  • Stefan Wang, computer science and philosophy dual degree
  • Kyra McCracken, biomedical engineering with Spanish minor
  • Sophia Wang, audio and music engineering with studio arts minor

2025:

  • Sarah Mammen, computer science and philosophy double major
  • Allie Jia Hui Tay, biomedical engineering with minor in journalism
  • Kaela Brunner, geomechanics minor in American Sign Language

2024:

  • Adam Cummings, mechanical engineering with American Sign Language minor
  • Qiyuan (Yvonna) Feng, computer science and brain and cognitive sciences with digital media studies minors
  • Riley Prewett, chemical engineering with Spanish minor

2023:

  • Valerie Battista, CSC and music dual degree
  • Jameson Morris, audio and music engineering with philosophy and music minors
  • Danielle Getz, chemical engineering with environmental humanities minor

2022:

  • George Funkenbusch, optics with Japanese minor
  • Helena Schreder, mechanical engineering with studio arts minor
  • Yiyao Yu, computer science with philosophy minor

2021:

  • Sofia Guarnieri, biomedical engineering with Spanish minor
  • Yujin Nakamoto, electrical and computer engineering, math, and classics dual degree
  • Jiayin Zhang, mechanical engineering with minors in art history and physics

2020:

  • Nathan Nickerson, mechanical engineering with a minor in art history
  • Jarrod Young, computer science and Spanish
  • Melissa Wen, computer science and brain and cognitive sciences with a minor in studio arts

2019:

  • Andrew Howard, optical engineering
  • Yiting Zhang, audio and music engineering
  • Oliver Xu, computer science and applied music