Duke Engineering Celebrates the Class of 2023

Department of Biomedical Engineering

Doctoral Dissertation Award

• Jessica Loo
• Ren Odion

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Outstanding Service Award

• Kelsey Deaton

Outstanding Scholar Award

• Hanna Varga

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Outstanding Dissertation Award

• Jessica Centers
• Ang Li

Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science

Outstanding Dissertation Award

• Mark Chen
• Xing He

Engineering Graduate Student Council Service Award

• Kat Horvath
• Andrew Middleton
• Gergory Spell
• Jake Ulrich
• Roujia Wang

PhD Plus Program Service Award

• William Huffman
• Rachel Katz
• Shawn Li
• Yining Liu

Pratt School Awards

Walter J. Seeley Scholastic Award

Presented annually by the Engineering Student Government to the member of the graduating class who has achieved the highest scholastic average in all subjects, and who has shown diligence in pursuit of an engineering education. Initiated to honor the spirit of academic excellence and professional diligence demonstrated by the late Dean Walter J. Seeley.

• Jared Steven Bank
• Reed River Chen
• Dane Theodore Erickson
• Felix Jiang
• Shaan Gondalia
• William Zheng-Yu Guo
• Jacob Aaron Manders
• Michael McCullom Jr.
• Andy Qiao
• Paul Bureau Truitt

Otto Meier, Jr. Tau Beta Pi Award

Presented in recognition of Dr. Meier’s leadership in establishing the North Carolina Gamma Chapter on January 10, 1948, and his continuous service until April 19, 1975, as the chapter advisor. Given annually to the graduating member of Tau Beta Pi who best symbolizes the distinguished scholarship and exemplary character required for membership.

• Luke Kevin Turkovich

Pratt School of Engineering Student Service Award

Established in 1978 and given to graduating seniors who, by contributions of time, effort and spirit, have significantly benefitted the community of the Pratt School of Engineering.

• Katherine Dianne Drinkwater

Biomedical Engineering

da Vinci Award

Presented to the Biomedical Engineering senior with the most outstanding academic record, as determined by a faculty committee. Commemorates the contributions of Leonardo da Vinci in laying the foundation of the mechanistic study of human life.

• Reed River Chen
• Andy Qiao

Helmholtz Award

Given to a graduating senior who presents the best research project, as judged by department faculty. Commemorates the work of Hermann von Helmholtz in laying the foundation of biomedical engineering.

• Sophia Leigh Vincoff

Edward D. “Ned” Light Memorial Award

Given to a Pratt Research Fellow in biomedical engineering with the best engineering design project, as judged by a faculty committee. Established in 2012 in memory of Ned Light, who worked for at Duke 22 years—pioneering research in real-time 3D ultrasound imaging and mentoring a host of undergraduate students both in the lab and in life skills.

• Reed River Chen

Theo C. Pilkington Memorial Award

Established in 1993 by the Whitaker Foundation as an endowment award in memory of Dr. Pilkington, founding chairman of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. The recipient is selected at the end of the junior year and the award is given in recognition of outstanding perseverance and accomplishment in the study of biomedical engineering.

• Skylah Connelly

Civil & Environmental Engineering

American Society of Civil Engineering Outstanding Senior Prize

Presented annually to a graduating civil engineering senior in recognition of an exceptional, positive impact on the Duke student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineering.

• Dea Muca
• Arthur Tsang

William Brewster Snow Environmental Engineering Award

Established in 1979 and presented annually to seniors who have demonstrated academic excellence, interest, and enthusiasm in the study of environmental engineering.

• Alexandra Rivera

Aubrey E. Palmer Award

Established in 1980 and presented annually to a civil engineering or environmental engineering senior in recognition of outstanding academic achievement. Selection is made by the faculty of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.

• Arthur Tsang

Eric I. Pas Award

Established in 1998 in memory of Dr. Pas, former director of undergraduate studies in Civil & Environmental Engineering, and presented to the graduating civil or environmental engineering senior judged by the faculty to have conducted the most outstanding independent study project.

• Matthew Edward Brune
• Alexandra Rivera

Electrical & Computer Engineering

David Randall Fuller Prize for Achievement in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Presented annually to the graduating senior who has shown the most improvement in academic performance over the first three years.

• Riddhi Ranjithkumar

George Sherrerd III Memorial Award in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Awarded annually to the senior in electrical and computer engineering who, in the opinion of the Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty, who has attained the highest level of scholastic achievement in all subjects and has simultaneously has rendered significant service to the Pratt School of Engineering and the university at large. Established in 1958 by the parents of Class of 1955 graduate George Sherrerd III, to recognize outstanding undergraduate scholarship.

• Felix Jiang
• Cathylin Wen Wang

Marie Foote Reel Undergraduate Research Award

Awarded each year to the most outstanding undergraduate research project and presentation as judged by the faculty in Duke Electrical & Computer Engineering as part of the Graduation with Departmental Distinction presentation session. Established in 2021 in honor of electrical engineer Marie Foote Reel ’46, one of the first women to graduate from Duke’s College of Engineering.

• Erin Liu

Charles Rowe Vail Memorial Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award

Established in 1997 by former students and colleagues of Charles Vail, a graduate of the Class of 1937, a professor from 1939-1967, and chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering from 1956-1964, recognizes the most outstanding undergraduate teaching assistant in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering.

• Colin Mitchell Bernstein
• Eric Jiayuan Qi

Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science

Pi Tau Sigma Scholarship Award

Established in memory of T.C. Heyward, Sr., and presented annually by Pi Tau Sigma to an outstanding senior in Mechanical Engineering at Duke. Selection by a committee of the engineering faculty is based on academic excellence, engineering ability, and leadership.

• Katherine Dianne Drinkwater
• Tanner James Zachem

Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science Faculty Award

Presented annually in recognition of academic excellence to the graduating Mechanical Engineering seniors who have attained the highest level of scholastic achievement, as determined by the faculty.

• Thomas Albert Livesay
• Jacob Aaron Manders

Raymond C. Gaugler Award in Materials Science & Engineering

The Raymond C. Gaugler Award in Materials Science and Engineering recognizes the senior who made the most progress in developing competence in materials science or materials engineering. The basis for selection is scholarship record, research or design projects completed at Duke, and interest in a materials-related career. The award was established by Patricia S. Pearsall in memory of her grandfather, who was president of American Cyanamid Company prior to his death in 1952.

• Andrew Liu
• Richard Sheng

Biomedical Engineering

* The Howard G. Clark Award

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science

A. James Clark Scholars

• Himani Bhat
• Devin Alexander Ellis
• Alexa Nicole Goble
• Gloria Grace Odenyo
• Marcus James Ortiz
• Jessica Virginia Wey

Pratt Research Fellows

Katsouleas NAE Grand Challenge Scholars

Biomedical Engineering Design Fellows