Each year MSE faculty honor students in Materials Science & Engineering. Likewise, students honor outstanding teachers and mentors.
Student Awards
William E. Quist Award for an Outstanding Senior - Academic Achievement
For the senior who best demonstrates the academic achievement and the potential for professional leadership that Dr. Quist showed throughout his career. Academic achievement is based on cumulative GPA through winter quarter.
- 2026: John McQuaid
- 2025: Benjamin Van Aken
- 2024: Katherine Hinds
- 2023: Claire Anderson
- 2022: Taylor Juenke, Evan Truesdale
Richard L. Norris Award for an Outstanding Senior - Potential for Professional Leadership
For the senior who best demonstrates academic achievement and the potential for professional leadership. Academic achievement is based on cumulative GPA through winter quarter.
- 2026: Ethan Jorde
- 2025: Octavia Prosser
- 2024: Veronica Lapitan
- 2023: Wyatt Blevins
- 2022: Michael Holden, Logan Oster
James I. Mueller Scholarship Award for an Outstanding Junior - Leadership
For academic performance during the junior year. Provides a $750 stipend to attend the American Ceramic Society meeting in the next academic year. Honors academic achievement, professional activities, and exemplary qualities of leadership. Academic achievement is based on cumulative GPA through winter quarter.
- 2026: Caitlynn Wohlford and Elle Ceaser
- 2025: Owen Varang
- 2024: Celine Lityo
- 2023: Max Zipperer
- 2022: Drew Burky
Stephen P. Harris Memorial Award - Most Improvement in Academic Achievement
For the senior in whose academic record shows the greatest improvement during the preceding 5 quarters, through winter quarter of the current year.
- 2026: Cade Teets
- 2025: Lisa Omdal
- 2024: Michael Peters, Logan Snider
- 2023: Anita Korchemniy
- 2022: Griffin Chase
Douglas and Barbara Allan K-12 Outreach Award
One $2500 award to a graduate student and a second $2500 award to an undergraduate student. These awards recognize students who perform outstanding outreach to K-12 students.
- 2026 Undergraduate award: Hadi Almisbaa
- 2026 Graduate award: Ian Campbell
- 2025 Undergraduate award: Zoe Blumenkranz
- 2025 Graduate award: Mallory Parker
- 2024 Undergraduate award: Sophia Ceteznik, Alex Vass
- 2024 Graduate award: Chaman Gupta, Hareesh Iyer
- 2023 Undergraduate award: George Fennell
- 2023 Graduate award: Taylor Juenke
- 2022 Undergraduate award: Emmy Markgraf
- 2022 Graduate award: Jimin Qian
MSE Chair's Award
One $1000 award to an undergraduate student and a second $1000 award to a graduate student for academic excellence, societal engagement, and commitment to enhancing diversity in the Materials Science and Engineering department.
- 2026 Undergraduate award: Caitlynn Wohlford
- 2026 Graduate award: Meng-Yen Lin
- 2025 Undergraduate award: Vanessa Bradshaw
- 2025 Graduate award: Ian Campbell
- 2024 Undergraduate award: Michel Bernardo
- 2024 Graduate award: Colin Marquis
- 2023 Undergraduate award: Kai Davis
- 2023 Graduate award: Guanyou Lin
- 2022 Undergraduate award: Brandon Lou, Victoria Wagner
2022 Graduate award: Ian Campbell, Gwendolyn Janda
Teaching and Mentoring
MSE students vote to honor faculty and graduate student mentors in Materials Science & Engineering with the following awards.
Graduate Mentor of the Year
Selected by a vote of all MSE undergraduates for the graduate student who has provided outstanding contributions to the education and guidance of undergraduate students outside the classroom. Such mentoring may happen as part of engineering competitions or research projects, or may involve contributions such as explaining concepts, giving advice on improving grades or showing students how to find answers for themselves. Whatever their particular contributions, the recipients of the Graduate Mentor of the Year award are recognized for their efforts to enhance the undergraduate experience in the department.
- 2026: Katherine Tang
- 2025: Brandon Lou
- 2024: Colin Marquis
- 2023: Colin Marquis
- 2022: Chaman Gupta
Teaching Assistant of the Year
By a vote of the junior class:
- 2026: Jianxi Huang
- 2025: Abigail Sohm
- 2024: Katherine Tang
- 2023: Colin Marquis
- 2022: Chaman Gupta
Teaching Assistant of the Year
By a vote of the senior class:
- 2026: Wenhao Zhou
- 2025: Paulina Portales
- 2024: Katherine Tang
- 2023: Chaman Gupta
- 2022: Katherine Tang
Faculty of the Year
By a vote of the junior class:
- 2026: Quansan Yang
- 2025: Hanson Fong
- 2024: Hanson Fong
- 2023: Matt Yankowitz, Eleftheria Roumeli
- 2022: Peter Pauzauskie
Faculty of the Year
By a vote of the senior class:
- 2026: Luna Huang
- 2025: Navid Zobeiry
- 2024: Dwayne Arola
- 2023: Eleftheria Roumeli
- 2022: Dwayne Arola
Faculty of the Year
By a vote of the AMP graduate students:
- 2026: Guozhong Cao
- 2025: Guozhong Cao, Juan Carlos Idrobo
- 2024: Peter Pauzauskie
- 2023: Juan Carlos Idrobo
- 2022: Di Xiao
Faculty of the Year
By a vote of the Ph.D. graduate students:
- 2026: Eleftheria Roumeli
- 2025: Dwayne Arola
- 2024: Kannan Krishnan, Eleftheria Roumeli
- 2023: Eleftheria Roumeli
- 2022: Dwayne Arola, Eleftheria Roumeli, Di Xiao