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The Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology held its annual MMAE Student Research Poster Competition and departmental awards ceremony on March 22, 2024. 

The MMAE Student Research Poster Competition is a longstanding tradition of the department, drawing keen interest and wide participation among students, faculty, and the Illinois Tech community.

This year 22 MMAE students representing all degree levels presented posters displaying their completed research. Participants were evaluated for the originality and relevance of the research, as well as their overall presentation skills. Two separate panels judged the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate students’ posters.

The judges included members from the MMAE External Advisory Board, in addition to representatives from academia and industry. The department awarded a certificate and monetary prize to top-scoring presenters from each academic level. 

Additional departmental awards were presented to faculty and students to recognize their outstanding contributions to research and teaching. 

During the event, the MMAE 2024 distinguished alumnus, Mathieu Joerger (M.S. MAE ’02, Ph.D. MAE ’09), Assistant Professor in the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech, delivered a lecture, 

Congratulations to the following winners:

DEPARTMENT AWARDS 

2024 MMAE Distinguished Alumni Award—Mathieu Joerger (M.S. MAE ’02, Ph.D. MAE ’09)

2024 MMAE Excellence in Teaching Award—Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Scott Dawson

2024 MMAE Excellence in Research Award—Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Boris Pervan

2024 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award—Joseph Borrelli (AE ’22, M.S. MAE 2nd Year) in the fall 2023 MMAE 315 course taught by Assistant Teaching Professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering John Bernhardt 

2024 Outstanding Research Assistant Award—Hossein Khodavirdi (M.S. ME ’21, Ph.D. ME Candidate) in Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Ankit Srivastava's research group

2024 MMAE Outstanding Service Award—Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Ankit Srivastava

2024 MMAE Outstanding Service Award—Laboratory Director Russ Janota

POSTER COMPETITION WINNERS 

First Place (Bachelor’s and Master’s Category)—Manav Tailor (EE, M.S. ASR 4th Year) advised by Assistant Professor Nelson Rosa

Second Place (Bachelor’s and Master’s Category)—Michael Fenelon (M.S. ME 2nd Year) advised by John G. and Jane E. Olin Endowed Department Chair in Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering Louis Cattafesta

First Place (Doctoral Category)—Kana Nagai (ME ’19, M.S. MAE ’22, Ph.D. MAE Candidate) advised by Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Boris Pervan

Second Place (Doctoral Category)—Nickolas Payne (Ph.D. MAE Candidate) advised by John G. and Jane E. Olin Endowed Department Chair in Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering Louis Cattafesta 

Third Place (Doctoral Category)—Barbara Lopez-Doriga Costales (M.Eng. MAE ’19, Ph.D. MAE Candidate), advised by Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Scott Dawson  

Image: Group photo from the MMAE Student Research Poster Competition