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GRADUATE
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J. Charles Tobin, an ECE graduate student co-advised by ECE Chair Patrick O'Shea and Professor Rami Kishek of the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, was awarded the Distinguished Performance Award at the International Accelerator School for Linear Colliders. The International Linear Collider is a research project aimed at giving physicists a new “cosmic doorway” to explore energy technology beyond the reach of today’s accelerators. ECE graduate student Seokjin Kim won the best student paper award at Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ AUTOTESTCON, the world's only conference focused primarily on automated tests for integrated systems technology aimed at military, government and aerospace applications. Seokjin won the award for a paper he co-authored with his advisor, ECE Professor Martin Peckerar, and Radmil Elkis of Hughes Network Systems, titled "Device verification testing of high-speed analog-to-digital converters used in satellite communications systems." Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) graduate student Jason "Jae" Hattrick-Simpers has been awarded a fellowship from the prestigious NIST/NRC Postdoctoral Research Associateships Program. The program provides two-year temporary appointments for outstanding scientists and engineers chosen through a national competition administered by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. Hattrick-Simpers won for his proposal titled "A New Quantitative Metrology and Combinatorial Thin Film Approach for the Measurement of Hydrogen Storage Properties." Gayatri Cuddalorepatta, a mechanical engineering (ME) graduate student working with Professor Abijit Dasgupta (ME), was awarded the 2007 Charles Hutchins Educational Grant from the Surface Mount Technology Association and Circuits Assembly magazine. The $5000 grant is awarded annually to a graduate-level student pursuing a degree and working on thesis research in electronic assembly, electronics packaging, or a related field. ME graduate student Steven DeCaluwe was awarded the 2007-2008 Litton Industries Graduate Fellowship in Engineering Education. He is advised by Associate Professor Greg Jackson (ME). The award is available to full-time Ph.D. candidates in electrical or mechanical engineering who intend to pursue careers as full-time engineering faculty members. BioE graduate student Marina Chumakov was invited to present her work at the 3rd Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) International Meeting in Madrid, Spain. Her talk, "On the Novel Use of Nitroxides and alpha-Tocopherol as Radiolytically-Produced Free Radical Scavengers in UHMWPE," was co-authored with her advisor, MSE Professor Mohamad Al-Sheikhly. The research centers around strengthening and extending the lifespan of artificial joints, and reducing the risk of tissue inflammation in patients in which they are implanted. ECE graduate student Aswin Sankaranarayanan, advised by Professor Rama Chellappa (ECE/University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies/computer science), was chosen to participate in IBM's 2007 Watson Emerging Leaders in Multimedia Workshop. Sankaranarayanan's research is primarily aimed at problems in computer vision and pattern recognition, including visual tracking and particle filtering. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering graduate student Ayan Ghosh has been awarded the Harry K. Wells Endowed Fellowship. The award was established to provide annual fellowships for Clark School graduate students working on energy engineering and alternative energy sources in conjunction with the University of Maryland Energy Research Center. Ghosh is advised by Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BioE) Professor Peter Kofinas. Elnaz Kermani (ME) was the recipient of the Barbara Hulka Fellowship in support of her research towards the "Cooling of Photovoltaic Arrays for High Efficiency Solar Energy Conversion Systems," to establish a more economic and eco-friendly power generation base. Kermani is advised by Professor Michael Ohadi (ME). Graduate student Juanjuan Xiang (ECE) won the best student poster award in the neuroscience category at the University of Maryland's BioScience Day event. Xiang, an advisee of Prof. Jonathan Z. Simon (ECE/ISR/biology), won for her poster titled "Neural and behavioral correlates of attention." UNDERGRADUATE
AE undergraduate Vivek Kuppusamy won the Ira Berlin Writing Award from the College Park Scholars (CPS) program. The award recognizes demonstrated excellence in writing through an assignment required for a CPS colloquium, supporting course, or introduction to writing course. Kuppusamy is in the CPS Environmental Studies Program.
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Several aerospace engineering (AE) students took home awards from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Region I Young Professional, Student and Education Conference. Nick Rosenfeld and Kunal Kothari tied for the first-place graduate student paper award. Both are advised by Associate Professor Norman Wereley. Ted Bubert, another Wereley advisee, took second place. Michael F. Gentry, also advised by Wereley, took second place in the undergraduate paper category and Ryan J. Murphy (advised by Assistant Professor Sean Humbert) took third in the undergraduate category. 
Electrical and computer engineering (ECE) Ph.D. student Stephan Koev was one of the recipients of the 2007 American Vacuum Society's Graduate Research Award, a prestigious prize that draws nationwide competition each year. Koev is advised by Associate Professor Reza Ghodssi (ECE/Institute for Systems Research). Koev is the third student advised by Ghodssi to be honored with the award in five years. Ghodssi coincidentally won this same award when he was a graduate student.
Two AE graduate students received awards from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Josh Johnson won the Willy Z. Sadeh Graduate Student Award in Space Engineering and Space Sciences. Justin Richeson won the Orville and Wilbur Wright Graduate Award. Both conduct research in the Space Vehicle Technology Institute. 
AE graduate student Vanessa Gentzen is the first recipient of the Aerospace Corporation Graduate Fellowship Award. The award recognizes graduate students who are either veterans or children of veterans. Gentzen is advised by Associate Professor Norman Wereley (AE) and AE Chair Darryll Pines.
As an intern at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL), AE student Aaron Harrington published a research paper in the ARL’s scientific journal and received second place honors including a $300 cash prize.
Undergraduate research by ME students Alvin Yew, Dan Chinn and Elvis Nditafon received an honorable mention in the Student Paper B.S. level Competition at the 2007 American Society of Mechanical Engineers Bioengineering Conference. Their paper, titled "Thermal Therapy Protocols for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia," won the mention in the Solid Mechanics, Design, and Rehabilitation category. The research was directed by Senior Lecturer Chandrasekhar Thamire (ME).
The Terps Racing baja vehicle team took on the Baja SAE course at the Rochester Institute of Technology, placing 15th overall. Of the 140 universities registered, 126 made it to the competition. In specific categories, the Clark School placed 10th in the hill climb, 17th in the suspension and traction event, 19th in the acceleration event, 28th in design, 32nd in cost and 44th in maneuverability. The formula vehicle team also competed in the Formula SAE® West races at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. The Clark School again placed 15th in this race out of 80 registered teams. By category, they placed 5th in the Acceleration competition and 1st in Fuel Economy.