2023 Honors & Awards Ceremony

Posted: 

Welcome to the 2023 Honors & Awards Ceremony page. Awardees will be listed under their award category. Congrats to all of our winners!

Here are pictures from the event.

Awards photo

Outstanding Research and Leadership Award

The purpose of the Outstanding Research and Leadership Award is to recognize students for their research contributions within the department.

Outstanding Researcher and Leader

John Meaden


Outstanding Research

The purpose of the Outstanding Research Award is to recognize students for their research contributions within the department.

Outstanding Researcher

Owen Shiflett
Riley Damm
 


Mechanical Engineering Outstanding Academic Achievement Awards

The Outstanding Academic Achievement Awards are given to students who excel in academics among others in their graduating class. It is to reward them for their hardwork and efforts in their classes.

Top Academic Award - Mechanical Engineering Major

Avi Balakirsky
Bennett Brabrand
Gus Cordonnier
Rohan Deshpande
Aymane Erraki
George Hajjar
Debbie Hodson
Drew Katz
Mitch Oinonen
Joey Onderko
Robert Orr
Brandon Paul
Tommy Polakowski
Amy Sarle
Stacey Savchenko
Lara Schober
Aidan Stalker
David Szoke
Cathy Wang


Aerospace Engineering Outstanding Academic Achievement Awards

The Outstanding Academic Achievement Awards are given to students who excel in academics among others in their graduating class. It is to reward them for their hardwork and efforts in their classes.

Top Academic Award - Aerospace Engineering Major

Cesar Aoun
Gene Harada
Jonathan Martin
Hefei Xu
Jordan Bechtol
Spenser Eason
Noah Hiler
Nick Maggs


Aerospace Engineering Outstanding Senior Award

The Outstanding Senior in Aerospace Engineering is presented to an aerospace engineering student who has not only excelled academically, but has also demonstrated a great deal of leadership and community involvement.

Outstanding Senior

Victoria Murnieks


Rob Wolf Outstanding Senior Award

Each year this award is presented to a senior mechanical engineering student in memory of Rob Wolf, a 1997 graduate of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. It was created to recognize students who excel academically while taking an active role in department, college, university or community organizations. The award is sponsored annually by the Wolf family.

In order to be considered for the award, students must have a 3.0 minimum cumulative point-hour ratio and meet at least two of the following criteria: be active in a professional or honorary society; have demonstrated leadership in a campus activity or done community service; have participated in campus-wide activities; and have worked during academic year to defray costs.

Each year a committee is formed to select two finalists and one awardee.

Rob Wolf Outstanding Senior Award Finalists

James Dobrozsi
Elise Kemper
 

Rob Wolf Outstanding Senior Award Winner

Trace Nguyen


Graduate and Undergraduate Teaching Associate Award

These awards are intended to recognize exceptional teaching provided by a graduate teaching associate and undergraduate teaching associate in mechanical or aerospace engineering.

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Associates

Anna Lebron
 

Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Associates

Christopher Johnson


Stillman Robinson Lifetime Achievement Award

The Stillman Robinson Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to retired or emeritus alumni who have distinguished themselves over their lifetimes by contributing to the advancement of their chosen profession. Robinson joined Ohio State in 1878, and was the founding chairperson of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.  He was also one of the founders of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and received an Honorary Doctorate of Science degree from Ohio State in 1896. This was previously known as the Charles Kettering Lifetime Achievement Award.

2023: Mark Bartman


Rudolph Charles Edse Award in Space Engineering

The Rudolph Charles Edse Award in Space Engineering is presented to Aerospace Engineering Program alumni who have made significant contributions to successful engineering and/or scientific advances in space related products or programs.  Edse moved to Ohio State in 1950, becoming the director of the Rocket Research Laboratory. His research developed several possible propellant combinations, and determined their combustion characteristics and combustion stability limits.  He was also one of the first to study cryogenic rocket propellants.

2023: Carolyn Mercer


Garvin L. Von Eschen Award for Leadership in Aeronautical Engineering

The Garvin L. Von Eschen Award for Leadership in Aeronautical Engineering is presented to Aerospace Engineering Program alumni who have demonstrated technical and administrative excellence in leading successful aerospace projects and organizations. Von Eschen joined Ohio State in 1946 as the first chairman of the newly established Department of Aeronautical Engineering. During the next three decades, he provided vision and guidance to the growing department as it established highly rated undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as laboratories for aerodynamic and rocket research.

2023: Joe Manter


Thomas French Achievement Award

The Thomas French Achievement Award will be presented to alumni who have distinguished themselves as scholars and educators. French, a 1895 graduate of Ohio State, served as a professor of engineering drawing at his Alma Mater, introduced new teaching methods, and authored a popular textbook. He was awarded the Lamme Medal in 1943 for his achievements.

2023: Sudipto Mukherjee


Ralph Boyer Young Achiever Award

The Ralph Boyer Young Achiever Award is presented to alumni who have risen rapidly in their chosen profession, and made significant contributions to engineering products and/or programs before the age of 40. Boyer, a 1930 graduate of Ohio State, achieved chief engineer status, and contributed significantly to his company while still a young man.

2023: David Hoelzle & Arpit Mittal


Marion Smith Service Award

The Marion Smith Service Award will be presented to alumni who have distinguished themselves by providing a level of service to the community, the university, and/or society above and beyond what is expected in their position as they made significant career contributions.  Smith received his master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1947 from Ohio State.  He served for more than 37 years as a faculty member and associate dean of the College of Engineering, giving generously of his time to students and alumni.

2023: Lisa McCauley


E.G. Bailey Entrepreneurship Award

The E.G. Bailey Entrepreneurship Award is presented to alumni who have demonstrated exceptional entrepreneurship as they invented new products, processes, or procedures that have been successfully manufactured, adapted, or utilized. This award honors E.G. Bailey, a 1903 graduate of Ohio State, and inventor of the Bailey meter. Bailey left an engineering job to develop and manufacture his meter which dramatically improved boiler efficiency and has been used world-wide.

2023: Brian Reese


Alan Gregory Loofbourrow Business Achievement Award

The Alan Gregory Loofbourrow Business Achievement Award is presented to alumni who have been recognized for their significant contributions in guiding a successful product or service business, major industrial organization, or government entity. Loofbourrow, a 1925 graduate of Ohio State, was elevated to chief engineer of the Chrysler Division by 1945.  Continual advances took him to the position of vice president and director of engineering, to vice president in charge of quality and reliability, and to Chrysler’s Vice President of Engineering, from which he retired.  During his career, he was one of the industry’s foremost spokespersons for the engineering profession.

2023: Denis Garagic


Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award

The Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award recognizes the exceptional support and guidance to Mechanical Engineering graduate students in classroom teaching, graduate curriculum development, thesis advising, and professional development and mentoring exhibited by the following faculty in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. This award is selected by the members of the Mechanical Engineering External Advisory Board.

2023: Datta Gaitonde


Michael J. Moran Excellence in Teaching Award (Mechanical Engineering)

Excellence in teaching undergraduates is essential to fulfill the growing engineering requirements of industry. The Michael J. Moran Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes the exceptional dedication to teaching exhibited by Michael J. Moran throughout his career. In his honor we recognize the following faculty who have exhibited similar dedication and excellence in undergraduate teaching of mechanical engineering in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of The Ohio State University. This award is selected by the members of the Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board. Prior to 2012 this award was known as the Excellence in Teaching Award.

2023: Richard Vasques


Gerald M. Gregorek Excellence in Teaching Award (Aerospace Engineering)

Excellence in teaching undergraduates is essential to fulfill the growing engineering requirements of industry. This award recognizes the exceptional dedication to teaching exhibited by Professor Emeritus Gerald M. Gregorek throughout his career. In his honor the following faculty who have exhibited similar dedication and excellence in undergraduate teaching of aerospace engineering in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering are recognized.

2023: Clifford Whitfield


MAE Award for Distinguished Service to the Department

This award recognizes exceptional service to the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Established in 2018, the award aims to recognize outstanding effort put forth by faculty and staff in enabling student success. It is presented by the department's External Advisory Board.

2023: Jake Rahe