GW Engineering’s world-class faculty and graduate assistants are dedicated to educating tomorrow’s leaders and innovating solutions to society’s grand challenges—contributions celebrated annually at GW’s Faculty Honors Ceremony. This year, GW Engineering honorees included Professors Kartik Bulusu, Xitong Liu, Danmeng Shuai, Adam Aviv, and graduate assistant Guanan Zhang, who received their awards at the ceremony on April 24 in the Jack Morton Auditorium.
Because school representation varies from year to year, this broad recognition is especially significant. The awards honor recipients’ exceptional contributions to teaching, research, and service at GW, each based on specific criteria. For instance, the Morton A. Bender Teaching Award goes to faculty who go above and beyond to engage students.
GW Engineering’s Bender Award recipient, Bulusu, brings this mission to life by anchoring his teaching in real-world applications and emphasizing teamwork, diligence, and open-mindedness to prepare students for the workforce. He consistently reinforces to his students the importance of perseverance as a catalyst for creativity and developing a growth mindset.
“My job is to uncover a student’s hidden potential in the visible spectrum,” said Bulusu. “My commitment to their success involves creating a learning environment emphasizing self-awareness and empowerment. They receive my undivided attention wherever I encounter them, whether that is in classrooms, hallways, or during rides on the metro.”
The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) presents a slate of honors for excellence in research and scholarship, including the Early Career Researcher Award, for which Liu was among the recipients. Liu’s research blends nanotechnology, interface and colloid science, and electrochemistry to address urgent environmental challenges such as water scarcity and sustainable extraction of critical resources.
Such impactful work rarely happens in isolation but rather alongside a dedicated team guided by a supportive mentor like Shuai and Aviv, who are this year’s OVPR Research Mentorship Award recipients. Recent work showcases their mentorship in action, including publications co-authored by Shuai with students and Aviv’s mentee being named a Google PhD Fellow.
“Nothing has brought me more joy in my academic career than working with students and mentoring them in their research. I am deeply honored to have even been nominated, let alone win, this award, as the nomination comes from my mentees themselves. As a mentor, I always seek to create opportunities for success and failure by ensuring they are working on projects that fit their needs, interests, and skills,” said Aviv.
The ceremony also celebrated other key contributors to the university. Zhang, of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, received the Writing in the Disciplines Distinguished Graduate Student Teaching Award, and Roger Lang, a retired faculty member of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, was inducted into GW’s Society of Emeriti.
Altogether, these awards not only celebrate individual achievements but also reflect the collaborative and forward-thinking spirit that defines GW Engineering. We appreciate all those who submitted nominations and congratulate this year’s winners whose efforts enrich our university, school, and students while driving real-world impact.