From international programming competition and student venture awards to scholarships, fellowships and research recognition, College of Engineering students are earning recognition beyond the classroom.
Michigan State University College of Engineering students earned recognition this spring in competition, entrepreneurship, scholarships, fellowships and research. Their work spans computer science, civil engineering, biosystems engineering, electrical and computer engineering, materials science and engineering, and student entrepreneurship.
Research, competition and leadership
- Ambikesh Dwivedi and Raja Jaladurgam , graduate students in civil engineering; Nathan Hicks, Jarryn Vissagie and Alexander Huston, undergraduate students in civil engineering; and Soham Inamdar, undergraduate student in mechanical engineering
- The MSU ASCE Geotech RSO, advised by Surya Sarat Chandra Congress, represented the university at Geo-Congress 2026 in Salt Lake City and earned second place in GeoPrediction, an honorable mention in GeoVideo and a top-16 finish in GeoWall. Dwivedi also gave a podium presentation, and Jaladurgam presented a research poster.
- Glen Scully, computer science with a minor in economics
- Scully graduated in spring 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a minor in economics. He helped MSU Debate secure its first Front Royal Cup win in program history.
Entrepreneurship
- Benjamin Meyer, applied engineering sciences, and Uzair Mohammed, computer science
- Meyer, who graduated in May 2026 in applied engineering sciences, and Mohammed, who earned a master’s degree in computer science, received fifth place in the Burgess New Venture Challenge for Sapt. The platform is designed to help teams bring AI tools, memory and workflows into one shared workspace.
- Kaniz Fatema Promee, mechanical engineering with an aerospace engineering concentration and a minor in business
- Promee graduated this spring with a degree in mechanical engineering, a concentration in aerospace engineering and a minor in business. She received the Social Impact Award in the Burgess New Venture Challenge for DryX, an automated dish-drying machine designed to improve hygiene and reduce cross-contamination in kitchens.
Scholarships, fellowships and research awards
- Grace Gramza, biosystems engineering
- Gramza is a rising junior in biosystems engineering with a dual concentration in ecosystems and energy. She was nominated by MSU for the Udall Scholarship and is working in the Hydro Water Quality Lab under Subhasis Giri while also serving as a research intern with Fraunhofer studying PFAS degradation.
- Aiden Niemiec, materials science and engineering
- Niemiec, an undergraduate student in materials science and engineering, received a NASA Michigan Space Grant Consortium Undergraduate Research Grant after placing in the top five of 36 proposals. His project examines abnormal grain growth in copper and copper-alloy systems, with applications in aerospace manufacturing and other high-performance settings.
- Ethan Neitzke, electrical and computer engineering
- Neitzke, a graduate student in electrical and computer engineering, received a 2026 AFRL/DAGSI fully funded award. He was one of two fully funded award recipients selected from 44 applications.
- Thomas Bonnen, electrical and computer engineering
- Bonnen, a doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering, received a gold-level Roger Pollard Student Fellowship in Microwave Measurement. The award includes $7,500 and is presented through the Automatic RF Techniques Group.
- Minh Nguyen, Hoang Phuc Nguyen and Duc Hung Luong, computer science and engineering
- MSU’s programming team, led by H. Metin Aktulga, qualified for the 50th Annual International Collegiate Programming Contest World Finals, which will be held in Dubai in November. The team also placed second in the OpenAI Challenge at the 2026 ICPC North America Championship, and all three students are rising seniors expected to graduate in May 2027.
These recognitions reflect the range of ways College of Engineering students are participating in research, competition, entrepreneurship and professional development.
Written by Austin Witt.
MSU College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page