Distinguished Graduate Students for 2025 Honored at Faculty Affairs Spring Award Ceremony

By Kahkasha Wahab

The Texas A&M University Graduate and Professional School, in partnership with The Association of Former Students, will proudly recognize 15 outstanding graduate students with the 2025 Distinguished Graduate Student Awards at the annual Academic Awards Ceremony hosted by Faculty Affairs on April 25. The honorees, selected for their exceptional contributions to either research or teaching, represent a broad range of disciplines and colleges across the university.

“The Distinguished Graduate Student Awards continue a proud tradition of recognizing the very best among Texas A&M’s graduate students,” said Porter Garner ’79, President and CEO of The Association of Former Students. “These awards – made possible only by the generous gifts of the Aggie Network to The Association of Former Students’ Annual Fund – have been presented annually since 1965. It is indeed our privilege to honor the outstanding Aggies whose impact reaches far beyond campus, advancing Texas A&M’s global reputation as a force for good.”

Dr. Fuhui Tong, associate provost and dean of the Graduate and Professional School, thanked the Association of Former Students and praised the awardees. “We extend our deepest appreciation to The Association of Former Students for their continued support and to these exceptional graduate students for their dedication, intellect and contributions to Texas A&M University. Their achievements enrich our academic community and elevate our global reputation.”

Each awardee will receive an engraved watch and a framed certificate to commemorate their distinction.

Awards in Research

 

Kaustav Khatua, Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Wenshe Liu

Ethan Iverson, Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jaime C. Grunlan

Tiffany Sill, Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Advisor: Sarbajit Banerjee

Deep Shah, Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Huilin Gao

Sara Flores, Health Education, School of Public Health
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tyler Prochnow

Yuning You, Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Yang Shen

Alison Basel, Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Michael Golding

Ting-Ching Wang, Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tanmay Lele

Zafar Iqbal, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Robert G. Hardin

  

Awards in Teaching

 

Excellence in Teaching – Doctoral

Richard Pulos, Communication, College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Antonio C. La Pastina

Sadiq Rijiya, Geology, College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lucien Nana Yobo

Ebtihal Youssef, Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering
Faculty Advisors: Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Wahab and Dr. Mahmoud El-Halwagi

Edudzi Sallah, English, College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ira Dworkin

Claire Zak, Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Deborah Carlson

Excellence in Teaching – Master’s

Brooke Williams, Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Life Science
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sarah White-Springer