Texas A&M Announces 2022 Association of Former Students’ Distinguished Graduate Student Award Recipients

The awards honor outstanding contributions in research or teaching

COLLEGE STATION, April 4, 2022 – The Graduate and Professional School and The Association of Former Students have recognized 18 Aggies as Distinguished Graduate Students for 2022. The Distinguished Graduate Student Award represents one of Texas A&M’s highest honors for outstanding achievements by graduate students in research or teaching. 

“Since 1965, The Association of Former Students has proudly recognized the achievements and admirable contributions of Texas A&M graduate students with the Distinguished Graduate Student Award,” said Porter S. Garner III ’79, President and CEO of The Association of Former Students. “As teachers and researchers, the demonstrated excellence of this year’s honorees brings prestige to our university, embodies our Aggie Core Values, and reflects honorably upon the entire Aggie Network.”

Karen Butler-Purry, Associate Provost and Dean of the Texas A&M Graduate and Professional School thanked the Association of Former Students for supporting the Distinguished Graduate Student Awards: “Graduate students do so much to enhance the intellectual spirit of our university, contribute to our research and teaching missions, and advance scholarship in their fields of study. I am grateful to The Association of Former Students for their support in helping us recognize 18 of our most exemplary graduate students this year,” Butler-Purry said.

Awardees will be presented with an engraved watch and a framed certificate at a ceremony in Rudder Forum on April 25. 


The 2022 Distinguished Graduate Student research and teaching award recipients, along with their departments, colleges, and faculty advisors are as follows:
 

Research Awards

Huseyn Abdulla, Information and Operations Management, Mays Business School
Faculty Advisor: Dr. James D. Abbey

Ali Akbari, Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Roozbeh Jafari

Hananeh Alambeigi, Industrial and Systems Engineering, College of Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Anthony McDonald

Kaivalya Deo, Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Akhilesh Gaharwar

Sagnika Ghosh, Biochemistry and Biophysics, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Vishal M. Gohil

Swarn Jha, Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Hong Liang

Xiaoqiang (Jack) Kong, Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Yunlong Zhang

Asim Maity, Chemistry, College of Science
Faculty Advisor: Dr. David C. Powers

Tanmay Mathur, Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering 
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Abhishek Jain

Sakina Mohammed Mota, Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering 
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kristen Maitland

Raiyan Seede, Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering 
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ibrahim Karaman

Teaching Awards

Priyanga Ganesan, Mathematics, College of Science
Faculty Advisors: Dr. Eric Rowell and Dr. Michael Brannan

Jalia Joseph, Sociology, College of Liberal Arts
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mary Campbell

Hyunjung Kim, English, College of Liberal Arts
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mikko Tuhkanen

Rafael Martinez, Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jessica L. Leatherwood

Anthony Ramirez, Communication, College of Liberal Arts
Faculty Advisors: Dr. Srividya Ramasubramanian and Dr. Antonio La Pastina

Rose Siuta, Psychological & Brain Sciences, College of Liberal Arts
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mindy Bergman

Hyunjoo Yu, English, College of Liberal Arts
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ira Dworkin




Media contact: Rob Dixon, Texas A&M University Graduate and Professional School, rdixon@tamu.edu or (979) 845-3631.