Erin Petkus presents during the poster session at the Danfoss Graduate Research Symposium & Celebration held at the High-Performance Materials Institute (HPMI) at the Materials Research Building (MRB) at FAMU-FSU College of Engineering in Tallahassee, Florida on April 16, 2026. (Scott Holstein/FAMU-FSU College of Engineering)
Key points
- The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, in partnership with Danfoss Turbocor, hosted its first-ever Danfoss Graduate Research Symposium and Celebration on April 16, 2026.
- Graduate researchers from all six engineering departments competed, with Chemical and Biomedical Engineering doctoral student Erin Petkus earning first place overall.
- The symposium reflects the college's commitment to celebrating graduate student research and deepening its industry partnership with Danfoss Turbocor.
On April 16, 2026, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering held its first-ever Danfoss Graduate Research Symposium and Celebration at the High-Performance Materials Institute (HPMI), in partnership with Danfoss Turbocor.
The two-part event began with departmental symposia earlier in the month, during which top scholars were selected to represent their departments and advance to the college-wide final.
“We are thrilled to be able to host our first graduate student research competition, which highlights the amazing research our graduate students do,” said Kari Evans, assistant dean for graduate studies. “Thanks to our continued partnership with Danfoss Turbocor, we have been able to support numerous graduate students with career and academic development initiatives, such as the research competition. We are proud of all of the students who participated and look forward to being able to host events like this in the future.”
About the Competition
The Graduate Research Competition brought together researchers from across engineering disciplines, each presenting projects at the forefront of their fields. Erin Petkus, a doctoral student in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, earned first place and was selected as the top presenter among all department participants.
Bruce R. Locke, chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and Petkus' doctoral advisor, spoke to the quality of participants and the significance of the recognition.
“Erin is an excellent student, and we congratulate her on this outstanding accomplishment,” Locke said. “We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to Dr. Cesar Rodriguez (FSU College of Medicine) for co-supervision of Erin, and to Dr. Radha Bulusu, Dr. Dongheon Lee, and Dr. Robert Wandell for their collaboration on her project. Support from the USDOE is greatly appreciated.”
What does earning first place at this competition mean for graduate students?
For doctoral and master’s students in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, this recognition offers visibility across departments and direct connection to an industry partner invested in their careers. Competing at the college level—after advancing through a departmental symposium—also gives students valuable experience presenting research to interdisciplinary audiences.
Competition Results
Department Symposia First Place Winners
- Erin Petkus — Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering
- Shrikant Fulari — Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
- Mia Reynolds — Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
- JohnPaul Adimonyemma — Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering
- Gargi Dashora — Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
- Santiago Lazarte — Department of Materials Science & Engineering
College of Engineering Graduate Research Competition
- 1st place: Erin Petkus — “Coupling Nonthermal Gas-Liquid Plasma Reactors with Bioreactors for Wastewater Treatment”
- 2nd place: Santiago Lazarte — “Tribological Properties of High Temperature H2-Aged DLC Coatings”
- 3rd place: Shrikant Fulari — “Modeling Post-Landfall Traffic Dynamics Using Connected Vehicle and Sensor Data with a Deep Learning Approach”
- Finalists: JohnPaul Adimonyemma, Gargi Dashora, Mia Reynolds
Industry Partnership
Rogerio Federici, CEO of Danfoss Turbocor, highlighted what the collaboration means for both the company and the students it supports.
"Our partnership with the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering reflects Danfoss’ commitment to advancing innovation, and the students’ presentations today reaffirm just how powerful that collaboration can be," Federici said. "I was truly impressed by the depth, rigor, and creativity of their research. These emerging engineers represent a future we are proud to help support."
How does the Danfoss partnership benefit engineering students at FAMU-FSU?
The multiyear relationship between Danfoss Turbocor and the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering funds graduate student career development, academic initiatives and, now, a college-wide research competition. For students, it creates a direct bridge between graduate research and industry—with an executive audience evaluating their work at the final event.
The college looks forward to building on this inaugural event with future competitions and more opportunities to celebrate student achievement.
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