Each year, the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science recognizes Ph.D. students who demonstrate extraordinary achievement in academics, research, leadership and service with the awarding of the Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award. Students who are nominated for this honor reflect UVA Engineering’s strengths in both research and education, united by a common goal: engineering for the greater good.
This year, each degree program nominated its top student from the Class of 2026 and alumni who graduated in fall 2025. One overall winner was presented with the 2026 Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award on May 15 at a ceremony on the front lawn of Thornton Hall.
Dean Jennifer L. West and Matthew B. Panzer, associate dean for graduate education and postdoctoral affairs, presented the award, in addition to recognizing all of the nominees.
Debashish Sur, Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering
Rare Research Skills Lead Materials Scientist to UVA
Debashish Sur is a 2025 Ph.D. graduate in materials science and engineering. He came to UVA after earning a bachelor’s degree in metallurgy and materials engineering and a master’s degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Florida.
Sur’s distinguished work prior to his arrival at UVA, including at the Indian Academy of Science and the National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi, earned him the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship, India’s highest Ph.D. scholarship program.
UVA awarded Sur the Department of Materials Science and Engineering’s Greg Olsen One-Year Graduate Fellowship as an incoming scholar with outstanding credentials.
At UVA he became an integral part of a prestigious multidisciplinary research team known as “Percolation to Passivation (P2P)” funded by the Office of Naval Research Multi-University Research Program. His research explored synergies between specific components and the connection between atomic arrangements in novel alloys and their aqueous passivation properties. The focus was on compositionally complex alloys forming solid solutions that cannot be controlled at the nanoscale to form atomic clusters, become ordered, or form a random solid solution.
“These materials can exhibit extraordinaire properties heretofore not seen,” said John R. Scully, the Charles Henderson Chaired Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Sur’s advisor.
Scully noted Sur contributed substantially to 19 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals with six more in review. He also co-authored a manuscript published in Acta Materialia, one of the most prestigious journals in the materials science community. His research articles at UVA have accrued more than 90 citations in just two years, Scully said.
In 2024, Sur presented at the prestigious Gordon Research Seminar on his thesis examining the elemental synergy between aluminum and chromium in compositionally complex alloys containing iron, cobalt and nickel, or how the two metals combine to create a material that is both significantly stronger and more corrosion-resistant than either metal alone.
“This is a rare feat because there is room for only three speakers from around the world,” Scully said.
While at UVA, Sur also taught an introduction to materials science course, mentored undergraduate researchers and served as a local science fair judge.
Sur served a term as an academic chair on UVA’s Graduate Engineering Student Council and helped organize the University of Virginia Engineering Research Symposium, the council’s flagship annual event.
He also is a Raven Society member.
Matthew Hoch, Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering
Improving Care Through Cutting-Edge Research
Matthew Hoch is a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering with a perfect 4.00 GPA, but that is not the most impressive fact about him. In his nomination letter, his department expressed “confidence in his truly exceptional abilities across all evaluation criteria.”
Hoch distinguished himself through his scientific ability, research productivity, doctoral work, success in obtaining funding — including a prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship — and leadership qualities.
Among numerous accomplishments in the laboratory, he pioneered the use of quantitative susceptibility mapping, or QSM imaging — an advanced MRI technique — to track drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier. His research fundamentally changed how ultrasound treatments are designed.
Hoch published nine first-author or co-first-author papers in high-impact journals, including Radiology, with six more under review, and won the Best Science Award at UVA Radiology Research Week in 2024. He also developed and shared open-source MRI analysis code, achieving complete technical self-sufficiency.
He has received three grants for his work and helped other students complete their theses, all while serving as a teaching assistant.
“Matthew Hoch exemplifies the interdisciplinary excellence, collaborative spirit and translational impact that these awards were designed to recognize,” wrote Donald Griffin, associate professor and graduate program director in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
“Faculty collaborators uniformly describe him as one of the very best graduate students they have mentored in their careers.”
Morgan Sanha Kim, Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering
Experimental Researcher Leads Classroom Innovation
Morgan Sanha Kim is a Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering whose research focuses on how pathogenic microorganisms infect the lungs by penetrating protective mucus.
“Sanha has excelled in all aspects of his Ph.D. program: forging new experimental platforms and computational frameworks in research, implementing innovative educational pedagogy in the classroom, and serving our institution and his peers as a leader,” said Roseanne M. Ford, professor of chemical engineering, in her nomination.
Ford said the breadth of Kim’s research is especially impressive because it includes published work in both scientific research and pedagogical scholarship. She also noted that he pursued his academic interests with support from a prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
As a teaching assistant, Kim implemented a token economy system in a fluid dynamics course to encourage student engagement and practice. His innovative approach earned both an All-University Graduate Teaching Award and a departmental Teaching Assistant Award.
He also served as a mentor to graduate and undergraduate students, academic co-chair of the Graduate Engineering Student Council, member of several other organizations, and a leader in Ford’s lab, which he helped keep “running smoothly,” she said.
“Sanha has been a tremendous servant leader and role model for my group.”
Matthew Landers, Ph.D. in Computer Science
AI Expert Blends Business Background and Scholarship
Matthew Landers is a Ph.D. candidate in computer science who came to UVA after earning a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and building a successful career as an entrepreneur and senior software engineer.
After graduating from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship and corporate innovation, Landers co-founded two companies, developing patented health technology and leading teams through significant business growth.
His research on reinforcement learning addresses fundamental challenges in large combinatorial action spaces. He has produced multiple high-impact publications, including a survey on deep reinforcement learning verification in Association for Computing Machinery Computing Surveys (2023) and several papers published through the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, International Conference on Learning Representations and other respected venues.
“Matthew Landers is an outstanding student whose work has made significant contributions to the advancement of reinforcement learning, particularly in developing methods that enable these algorithms to operate effectively in complex real-world settings,” wrote Brad Campbell, associate professor and director of the graduate program in computer science.
Landers has served as a teaching assistant for two courses, AI for Social Good and Artificial Intelligence; as a mentor in graduate student programs; and as a reviewer for leading AI conferences, including the International Conference on Machine Learning, the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems and the Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics. His honors include the 2024 University of Virginia Endowed Graduate Fellowship.
Alec Menzer, Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Leading Innovation in Computational Fluid Mechanics
Alec Menzer is a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical and aerospace engineering with a near-perfect 3.98 GPA.
His research in bio-inspired fluid dynamics, which combines advanced computational modeling and physics-based analysis, did more than impress Haibo Dong, professor and director of graduate studies in mechanical and aerospace engineering. It also earned recognition in the scientific community and in several influential journals and was selected as an editor’s pick in the American Physical Society’s Physics Magazine.
Menzer also excelled in the classroom, earning teaching evaluations that praised his ability to communicate complex material and foster an inclusive, supportive environment.
“His mentorship is hands-on and impactful, reflecting both technical expertise and a genuine investment in developing others,” Dong said.
As the primary instructor for a large undergraduate course at UVA, Menzer independently developed and delivered all course content.
Yeonbin Son, Ph.D. in Systems Engineering
Understanding Humans Through AI
Yeonbin Son is a Ph.D. candidate in systems and information engineering with a perfect 4.00 GPA. Her research seeks to understand the human mind through so-called recommender systems.
Her work develops recommendation models and human-in-the-loop frameworks that collect human feedback to evaluate and improve AI performance.
Matthew Bolton, associate professor of systems and information engineering and director of graduate studies, said Son is “in the top 1% of graduate students, has a deep understanding and appreciation of the different roles of tenure-track faculty, and is on her way to a long career of leadership and innovation.”
So far, her research has produced nine journal articles, 14 conference papers and five patents, with more publications forthcoming. It has also sparked international collaborations and attention from startup companies. Son also founded a company before coming to UVA.
She has received numerous honors, including an Endowed Graduate Fellowship from UVA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, a Best Presentation Research Award at the Korean American Scientists and Engineers Association Regional Conference, and the systems and information engineering department’s Outstanding Graduate Student Award.
A celebrated educator who also received the 2025 Graduate Teaching Award, Son will join UVA’s School of Data Science as an assistant professor this fall.
Mehdi Taghizadeh, Ph.D. in Civil Engineering
‘Truly Exceptional’ Civil Engineer Draws Global Interest
Mehdi Taghizadeh continued his postdoctoral work at UVA after earning a Ph.D. in civil engineering in 2025. He specializes in AI, flood modeling and infrastructure resilience, with multiple publications in high-impact journals that have garnered international recognition.
He has led funded projects, mentored students, contributed to teaching, and engaged in outreach and professional service. His nominators praised his leadership, innovation and broad societal impact in civil engineering and environmental systems.
“His work at the intersection of artificial intelligence, uncertainty quantification and resilient infrastructure systems has not only advanced the state of the art academically but has also attracted significant global attention from researchers, agencies and industry partners,” wrote Negin Alemazkoor, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering.
“What distinguishes Mehdi most is the exceptional visibility and real-world adoption of his work. His research has received interest from institutions around the world, including the Israel Meteorological Service, the University of Tokyo and the University of Amsterdam, all of whom have contacted our group regarding the application of his frameworks and code.”
Describing Taghizadeh as a “pillar” of the research group, Alemazkoor also highlighted his influence on proposals involving NASA researchers, national laboratory collaborators and industry partners.
“His ability to synthesize ideas across disciplines, identify research gaps and contribute to high-level strategic planning is truly exceptional.”
Song Wang, Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering
This Ph.D. Graduate Spots Potential
Song Wang is a 2025 Ph.D. graduate in electrical engineering and a tenure-track assistant professor of computer science at the University of Central Florida. His research interests include multimodal and agentic learning, trustworthy and generalizable AI, and AI for science and health care.
He has received multiple honors, including the Pacific-Asia Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining Best Paper Award, the Louis T. Rader Graduate Research Award and the departmental Ann Lee Brown Rookie of the Year Award. He has also published more than 70 publications that have been cited more than 2,200 times.
An outstanding educator, Wang served as a teaching assistant, guest lecturer and mentor to five undergraduate and graduate students, coaching them to publish their first papers. One of those students now attends Harvard University.
“Song Wang exemplifies the rare combination of intellectual depth, technical excellence, collaborative leadership, real-world impact and genuine investment in his community,” wrote Jundong Li, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, in his nomination letter.
“His arc — from UVA’s Rookie of the Year to a tenure-track faculty member with more than 2,200 citations, landmark survey contributions and a mentee now at Harvard — tells a story of sustained, compounding excellence.
“I have mentored many strong students over the years, and Song is among the very best.”
Yaochen Zhu, Ph.D. in Computer Engineering
Bridging Academia and Tech
Yaochen Zhu is a Ph.D. candidate in computer engineering. He researches how to make large language models, or LLMs, more reliable, controllable and efficient, focusing on alignment, reasoning, retrieval-augmented generation, or RAG, and interpretability.
His work has influenced key components in industrial-level LLM-based foundation models at Netflix and LinkedIn, where he interned during his time at UVA. He plans to join Netflix as a research scientist after graduation.
Jundong Li, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, described Zhu as “undoubtedly one of the rising stars in the fields of data mining and machine learning, especially in the emerging realm of generative foundation models with LLMs.”
Zhu has presented multiple first-author papers at eight highly selective international conferences covering data mining, web technology and artificial intelligence between 2023 and 2026.
He received a Best Paper Award at KDD 2025, the annual conference of the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, for his research on agentic LLM-based recommender systems.
Zhu has also been invited back as a reviewer and presenter, and his growing influence has led to collaborations with university researchers and industry partners, including Snapchat and Nokia.
As a teaching assistant, guest lecturer and mentor, Zhu has helped undergraduate and graduate students publish papers, secure internships at top technology companies and gain admission to Ph.D. programs.
“He is truly an exemplar of an extraordinary transformation from a graduate student to a rising star in academia,” Li said. “Without any doubt, he is the best Ph.D. student I have advised, and I am confident he will emerge as a leading figure in both academia and industry.”