Awardees Shine at 2025 Engineering Employee & Faculty Awards Night

photo of people talking with drinks in hand

(Scott Holstein/FAMU-FSU College of Engineering)

On Thursday, November 13, 2025, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering gathered at the Parkview at Cascades Ballroom to celebrate excellence across our college community.

The annual College Awards Night recognized the outstanding contributions of faculty and staff members who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to education, research, student support, and service. Through innovation, leadership and dedication to our mission, these individuals exemplify the excellence that defines our college.

Here are the winners for 2025:

Administrative Staff Member of the Year

Elizabeth McGhee, Business Manager, AME Research Center


Student-Centered Employee of the Year

Maribel Amwake, Director of Student Engagement

employee award maribel amwake
(right) Maribel Amwake, Director of Student Engagement, won the 2025 Student-Centered Employee of the Year Award (Scott Holstein/FAMU-FSU College of Engineering)

Technical Staff Member of the Year

Richard Crisler, Senior Engineer, Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering


2025 Excellence in Education Award

Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering

employee awards kamal tawfiq
(right) Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, won the 2025 Excellence in Education Award (Scott Holstein/FAMU-FSU College of Engineering)

Rising Star Faculty Award

Bayaner Arigong, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering


Outstanding Research Accomplishment Award

Hoyong Chung, Ph.D., Professor of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering

employee awards hoyong chung
(right) Professor Hoyong Chung, Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, won the 2025 Outstanding Research Accomplishment Award (Scott Holstein/FAMU-FSU College of Engineering)

Inaugural Danfoss Faculty Fellows

Dean Suvranu De used the awards banquet to announce the seven recipients of the 2025 Danfoss Faculty Fellowship and Graduate Research Fellowship Program, a prestigious initiative designed to foster international research collaborations between the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Danfoss, and the University of Southern Denmark. This program is made possible through the generosity and foresight of Danfoss Turbocor, our Innovation Park neighbor and strong collaborative partner in engineering research and education.

 

  1. Ebrahim Ahmadisharaf, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering – “Promoting indoor air quality and healthy commercial buildings under various weather conditions.”
  2. Ryan Gosse, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering – “Development of Implicit Time-Marching Methods and Meshing for GPU Acceleration.”
  3. William S. Oates, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering – “Digital Twins of Complexity: Monitoring and Analyzing Advanced Systems.”
  4. Bayaner Arigong, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering – “Programmable Analog Circuits for Control Miniaturization and Reliability.”
  5. Zhibin Yu, Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering – “Novel labyrinth seal with 3D printed high-entropy ceramics for next-generation Turbocor compressors.”
  6. Hui Wang, Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering – “Predictive Maintenance and Contamination Diagnostics in HVAC and Refrigeration Systems Given Incomplete Data.”
  7. Subramanian Ramakrishnan, Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering – “Advanced Materials and Manufacturing of Integrated Thermocouples and EMI Shielding Materials.”

Simon Ostrach Professor in Engineering

Yan Li, Professor of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, was named the endowed Simon Ostrach Professor, recognizing her invaluable accomplishments and contributions to the joint college.

yan li employee awards simon ostrach professor
(right) Yan Li, Professor of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, was named the Simon Ostrach Professor in Engineering by Dean Suvranu De (left). (Scott Holstein/FAMU-FSU College of Engineering)