Celebrating Student Excellence 2026

Every year, students are honored with awards recognizing exceptional scholarly accomplishments and their invaluable service to both the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and the wider university community. This year, 20 students are recognized across our undergraduate and graduate programs.

Undergraduate Awards

Tyler Gong ‘26is a recipient of the Albert P. Godsho Engineering Prize. This is awarded to the graduating senior who has displayed the best grasp of the mathematical principles underlying the profession of engineering.

Ngaatendwe Manyika ‘27 is the recipient of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Award. This award is given to a student in MEAM in recognition of their outstanding efforts and accomplishments on behalf of the Student Chapter at Penn.

Lindsay Fabricant ’26, Madison Fort ’26 and Vanessa Gong ‘26 are the recipients of the Exceptional Service Award, which is given by Penn Engineering faculty to recognize and honor outstanding students for their service to the University.

Peyton Jenkins ’26 and Josh Leshinskie ‘26 are the recipients of the Hugo Otto Wolf Memorial Prize. It is awarded to senior(s) who by the thoroughness and originality of their work, meets with the greatest approval of the professors in charge.

Marissa Teitelbaum ‘26 is a recipient of the Madison “Maddie” Magee Award for Undergraduate Excellence. The award is given annually to a Penn Engineering senior who best exemplifies the energy, enthusiasm and excellence that was Maddie.

Lauren Lee ‘26 is the recipient of the Ralph Teetor Award. This award is given to a MEAM senior who in the opinion of the department’s faculty has demonstrated the qualities of ingenuity, creativity, scholarship, and service.

Kayleen Smith ‘27 is the recipient of the Victor W. K. Ku Memorial Award. This award is given to a student who, at the end of their junior year, best exemplifies the ideals of high scholarship, personal discipline, and service to others for which Victor is remembered.

Master’s Awards

Benjamin Aziel ‘26 is the recipient of Penn Engineering’s Outstanding Academic Award for excellence in coursework and overall academic performance. Rishvandh Kalaivani Prabu ‘26 is the recipient of an Honorable Mention.

Mateusz Jaszczuk ‘26 is the recipient of Penn Engineering’s Outstanding Research Award for significant contributions to faculty supervised research projects. Jingshuo Li ‘26 is the recipient of an Honorable Mention.

Neel Mulay ‘26 is the recipient of an Honorable Mention for Penn Engineering’s Outstanding Service Award for significant contributions that enhanced the social well-being of other Penn Engineering students.

Doctoral Awards

Cole Nagata is the recipient of the Penn Engineering’s Outstanding Service Award. This award recognizes significant contributions that enhance the social well-being of other Penn Engineering students.

Mateus da Silva Cardoso is the recipient of Penn Engineering’s Outstanding Teaching Award for his significant contributions to teaching in MEAM 2100 Statics and Strength of Materials.

Gulzhan Aldan (Spring 2024) and Shawn Koohy (Fall 2025) are recipients of MEAM’s Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. This award is nominated by MEAM faulty and given to students whose teaching assistant service has been exemplary.

Yifei Ren is the recipient of the John A. Goff Prize. This prize is awarded annually to a graduate student in the MEAM Department who has been selected by the faculty on the basis of criteria of scholarship, resourcefulness and leadership.