Duke Engineering Celebrates the Class of 2020
We proudly recognize more than 800 undergraduate and graduate engineering students who were awarded academic degrees from Duke this month.
The Pratt School of Engineering proudly recognized more than 800 undergraduate and graduate engineering students who were awarded academic degrees from Duke University this month. Despite a delayed commencement due to the coronavirus pandemic, school faculty, staff, alumni and fellow students celebrated the graduates’ achievements during the May 10 launch of Duke University’s global multimedia experience, “Marking the Moment: Duke 2020.“
20 Memories + 20 Wishes for Our 2020 Graduates
There are 283 members of the undergraduate Duke Engineering Class of 2020—including those who earned degrees last September and December. Those earning school and departmental awards, graduating with departmental distinction, and as Pratt Research Fellows, BME Design Fellows and NAE Grand Challenge Scholars were honored through special announcements from faculty to their students. Browse Class of 2020 awards and honors
For the 2019-2020 academic year, Pratt School of Engineering graduate students were awarded:
- 83 PhDs
- 222 Master of Science (MS) degrees
- 168 Master of Engineering Management (MEM) degrees, in both on-campus and distance programs
- 71 Master of Engineering (MEng) degrees
Altogether, the Duke Engineering Class of 2020 includes 827 graduates.
Congratulations from Dean Bellamkonda
“As you look ahead, maybe in the short term you see some turbulent waters. But please know, you are Duke Engineers. You are precisely the kind of people that the world needs today—well-informed, creative, analytical, thoughtful, skillful and most of all, able to put knowledge in service of society. I have no doubt you will be productive, happy and successful, no matter what you choose to do or where you choose to do it. And you will always be part of the Duke family.”
—Dean Ravi Bellamkonda
Awards and Honors
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PhD Awards
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Doctoral Dissertation Award
- Bridget M. Crawford
- Joshua Black
- Michael Dzuricky
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Outstanding Scholar Award
- Amalia Turner
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Outstanding Dissertation Award
- Joseph Andrews
- Junfei Li
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
Doctoral Dissertation Award
- Rudy Geelen
- Luis Navarro
Student Leadership Award
- Amy King
Mentoring & Teaching Award
- Betul Teymur
Model Researcher Award
- Kevin McHugh
- Peiran Zhang
Leadership Awards
Outstanding Service to the Engineering Graduate Student Council
- Samagya Banskota
- Mao Mao
- Trisha Lee Dupnock
- Aarthi Sridhar
- Savannah Volkoff
- Yaying Feng
- Amy King
- Michael Lee
- Weston Allan Ross
- Matthew Tedesco
Outstanding Service to PhD Plus
- Michael James Dzuricky
- Mao Mao
Master’s Awards
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Excellence in Master of Science Studies
- Xingrui Mou
Excellence in Master of Engineering Studies
- Tong Shen
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Outstanding Master of Engineering Student Award
- Linzhan Tang
Outstanding Master of Science Student Award
- Ying Zu
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Outstanding Master’s Student Award
- Xinyi Gong
- Simiao (Ben) Ren
Undergraduate Awards
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.
- Samantha Rebecca Archer
- Sarah Catherine Bland
- Claire Jie Dong
- Ian Keith Eldridge-Allegra
- Angus Li
- William Ming Tian
- Chris Jiayang Zhou
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.
- Feroze Kamal Mohideen
- August Tianyin Ning
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.
- Iris Yuting Chang
- Samuel Robert Lester
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.
- Claire Jie Dong
- Angus Li
- William Ming Tian
- Chris Jiayang Zhou
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.
- Chris Jiayang Zhou
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.
- Aditi Madan Pilani
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.
- Bradley Robert Foster
Civil and 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.
- Rachael Ellen Lau
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.
- Alexander William Weck
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 and Environmental Engineering.
- Kathryn Anne White
Eric I. Pas Award
Established in 1998 in memory of Dr. Pas, former director of undergraduate studies in Civil and 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.
- Tiffany Michelle Wei
Electrical and 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.
- Joshua Robert France
- Aditya Prasad Mathur
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.
- Feroze Kamal Mohideen
- Junyu Liang
Charles Ernest Seager Memorial Award
Recognizes the most outstanding undergraduate research project and presentation, as judged by the faculty in Electrical & Computer Engineering as part of the Graduation with Distinction presentation session. Established in 1958 by the widow and friends of Charles Ernest Seager, a graduate of the Class of 1955.
- Samantha Rebecca Archer
- Siyuan Chen
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.
- Kerry Marguerite Castor
- Grant Ethan Mak
Mechanical Engineering and 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.
- Kaijie Chen
- Benjamin Zachary Edelstein
- Katherine Carey Tighe
Mechanical Engineering and 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.
- Zachary Bernstein
- Ian Keith Eldridge-Allegra
- Kathleen VanderKam
Raymond C. Gaugler Award in Materials Science and Engineering
- Jiwoo Song
Graduated with Departmental Distinction
Biomedical Engineering
- Beepul Bharti
- Kendyl Claire Bree
- Jason Jeh-Sen Chou
- Jackson Mitchell Dozier
- Bradley Robert Foster*
- Jay Gupta
- Anthony-Fayez Haddad
- Adrienne Alice Hawkes*
- Aimee Joanmarie McVey
- Aditi Madan Pilani
- Sabrina Wei Qi*
- Matthew James Salvino
- Maya Uday Sheth*
- Maria terWeele
- Eric Robert Wahlstedt*
- Benjamin Robert Wesorick
- Alexander William Wilson*
- Andrew Ho-Fai Yeung*
- Stephanie Renée Zelenetz
- Chris Jiayang Zhou
* The Howard G. Clark Award
Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Camden McLaughlin Ford
- Winston Frederik Lindqwister
- Tiffany Michelle Wei
Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Samantha Rebecca Archer
- Siyuan Chen
- Katelyn Hefter
- Jeremy Star Morgan
- August Tianyin Ning
- Virginia Grace Pan
Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
- Rohan Agarwal
- Mihai Cimpuieru
- Thandolwethu Zwelakhe Dlamini
- Spencer Heath Perkins
- Alejandro R. Sevilla
- Jiwoo Song
- Kathleen VanderKam
Undergraduate Fellowships and Honors
Pratt Research Fellows
- Zachary Bernstein
- Beepul Bharti
- Kendyl Claire Bree
- Jason Jeh-Sen Chou
- Mihai Cimpuieru
- Thandolwethu Zwelakhe Dlamini
- Bradley Robert Foster
- Zongyu Li
- Soomin Myoung
- Aditi Madan Pilani
- Jose Carlos Rivera
- Matthew James Salvino
- Jiwoo Song
- Maria ter Weele
- Kathleen VanderKam
- Ajay Kaushik Varadhan
- Eric Robert Wahlstedt
- John Chalres Wahlstedt
- Tiffany Michelle Wei
- Andrew Ho-Fai Yeung
- Stephanie Renée Zelenetz
Katsouleas NAE Grand Challenge Scholars
- Neel Bakshi
- Jason Jeh-Sen Chou
- Emilia Anna Grzesiak
- Jay Gupta
- Katelyn Hefter
- Rachael Ellen Lau
- Samuel Barry Osheroff
- Ryan Richard Piersma
- Rachel Leigh Sit
- Gaurav Uppal
- Kathryn Anne White
- Tenzin Yangkey
- Stephanie Renee Zelenetz
- Chris Jiayang Zhou
BME Design Fellows
- Mariana Alvarez Machado
- Kerry Marguerite Castor
- Lauren Collier
- Jackson Mitchell Dozier
- Emilia Anna Grzesiak
- Jay Gupta
- Anthony-Fayez Haddad
- Adrienne Alice Hawkes
- Cassandra Jade Ingram
- Aliza Marry Kajani
- Cooper Larkin Lair
- Venezia Rose Leone
- Grant Ethan Mak
- Aimee Joanmarie McVey
- Sarah Elizabeth Putney
- Sabrina Qi
- Ben Wesorick
- Zohair Zia
Tau Beta Pi
Tau Beta Pi is the oldest engineering honor society and the second oldest collegiate honor society in the United States. It honors engineering students in American universities who have shown a history of academic achievement as well as a commitment to personal and professional integrity.
- Samantha Rebecca Archer
- Andrew Scott Arnold
- Zachary Bernstein
- Beepul Bharti
- Sarah Catherine Bland
- Emily Chang
- Iris Yuting Chang
- Jason Jeh-Sen Chou
- Tanios Wadih Dagher
- Alice Dai
- Neil Dhar
- Claire Jie Dong
- Ian Keith Eldridge-Allegra
- Joshua Steven Engel
- Yodit Getnet Gebretsadik
- Khian Wei Goh
- Aryaman Gupta
- Jay Gupta
- Katelyn Hefter
- Aliza Marry Kajani
- Cooper Larkin Lair
- Angus Li
- Lucas Tiger Liu
- Aimee Joanmarie McVey
- Feroze Kamla Mohideen
- Soomin Myoung
- Trishul Patel Nagenalli
- August Tianyin Ning
- Samuel Barry Osheroff
- Virginia Grace Pan
- Ryan Richard Piersma
- Caroline Rose Potts
- Sarah Elizabeth Putney
- Wei (Vivian) Qi
- Shicheng Rao
- Matthew James Salvino
- Julia May Saveliff
- Jiwoo Song
- Madelyn Louise Stoddard
- Maria ter Weele
- William Ming Tian
- Katherine Carey Tighe
- Carl Christpoh Dietrich Tribull
- Kathleen VanderKam
- Kathryn Anne White
- Madeline Rose Wilkinson
- Chris Jiayang Zhou
- Sabrina Wei Qi
- Benjamin Robert Wesorick
- Zohair Nadeem Zia
Commissioned Officers in the Armed Forces
- 2nd Lt. Ethan Eichelman, United States Army
- Ensign Alyssa Rucker, United States Navy