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Read news online at cse.umn.edu/cege/newsDAVID PRIEST (BCE 1983, Structural Design; B.Arch.; Registered Architect, California) is an Associate Principal at JWDA Architects, California. Priest was born and raised in Duluth. He moved to California after graduating from UMN and worked for the celebrated Hope Consulting Group. His work at JWDA Architects has involved programming, construction documentation, construction administration and project management. He is passionate about architecture and enjoys being able to communicate with engineers on building projects. STUDENTSMAYA ADELGREN (a master%u2019s student advised by Ray Hozalski) received the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and an Advanced Degree Scholarship from the Minnesota Section of the American Water Works Association.Ph.D. candidate PEGAH AZIZI, advised by Stefano Gonella, received the 2025-2026 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship from the University of Minnesota Graduate School. This award allows our most accomplished Ph.D. candidates an opportunity to devote full-time effort to an outstanding research project by providing time to finalize and write a dissertation during the fellowship year. Azizi%u2019s topic is %u201cDuality and Fragile Topology in Kagome Metamaterials.%u201dPEGAH AZIZI, STEFANO GONELLA, and their partners in Illinois and Michigan are bringing metamaterials technology closer to widespread adoption in engineering design through their article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. MOHAMMAD CHARARA (Ph.D. 2024, advised by Stefano Gonella) was selected as the winner of the University of Minnesota%u2019s Best Dissertation Award in the Physical Sciences and Engineering category. Upon receiving news of his award, Charara commented, %u201cThis would not have been possible without the supportive community at UMN CEGE (which I miss very much!) and, of course, Stefano Gonella's invaluable guidance and mentorship. This recognition is a testament to that!%u201d Charara is now a postdoctoral researcher at MIT working with Professor Carlos Portela investigating the vibration behavior of micro-scale metamaterials. KATHARINE (KATE) A. FABER, advised by Bill Arnold, was selected as a 2025 Ellen Gonter Graduate Student Research Paper Awardee. This is the highest award given to students by the Division of Environmental Chemistry of the American Chemical Society. She was honored with a monetary reward and an invitation to present her paper as part of the C. Ellen Gonter Environmental Chemistry Awards Symposium in Washington DC in August 2025 at the ACS meeting. YUAN LI (Ph.D. student advised by Judy Yang) received the 2025 Heinz G. Stefan Fellowship. Her thesis, %u201cRemoval of Harmful Algal Cells through Clay-Algae Flocculation,%u201d addresses using clay flocculation to remove cyanobacterial blooms that produce toxins that contaminate drinking water and harm aquatic ecosystems. Her study also investigates how turbulence influences clay-cell floc formation, a critical factor for real-world application in Minnesota%u2019s variable water conditions.TWO NEW SCHOLARSHIPSGEORGE AND JOANN HAGEN SCHOLARSHIPEstablished by CEGE alumnus George Hagen (BCE 1961) and his wife Joann Hagen to support undergraduate students interested in civil or environmental engineering with a preference for those who graduated high school in Fillmore or Houston counties in Minnesota. The Hagens generously created this scholarship to express gratitude for the important role that a University of Minnesota education played in his life and career and to inspire future generations of students in the College of Science and Engineering. JOHN S. GULLIVER TRAVEL AWARDSt. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL) is working to establish a permanently endowed travel award to commemorate the academic excellence, leadership, teaching, and mentorship of Professor John Gulliver (MS 1977, Ph.D. 1980). Gulliver always encouraged his students and staff to attend and present at academic meetings and conferences, to build their professional networks, and to learn what others are researching. The John S. Gulliver Travel Award will cover travel expenses for conferences and learning experiences for graduate and undergraduate students studying at SAFL. The goal is to raise $50,000 so it can be awarded to students each year in perpetuity. To contribute, contact Shannon Wolkerstorfer (swolkers@umn.edu, 612-625-6035).University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering||DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND GEO- ENGINEERING 17 DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND GEO- ENGINEERING 17