The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University has announced the winners of its departmental awards for the 2025-26 academic year. The department recognized seven undergraduate and five graduate students for excellence in research and academics. Each winner receives a monetary award as part of their recognition.
“Our student award recipients exemplify the best of Coulter BME: intellectual curiosity, commitment to excellence, and a drive to use biomedical engineering to help people,” said Alyssa Panitch, chair of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. “Their achievements in research, academics, community service, and entrepreneurship showcase the collaborative and innovative culture that makes Coulter BME the number one place for biomedical engineering.”
Undergraduate Awards
Outstanding Academic Achievement Award: Inho Lee for outstanding academic performance.
Outstanding Academic Service Award: Tanisha Chanda for contributing to the student educational experience at Georgia Tech both inside and outside the classroom.
Outstanding Community Service Award: Ashika Srivastava for making service an integral part of the college experience.
S.K. Jain Outstanding Research: Saif Khan for demonstrating outstanding research skills and sharing work with the broader research community.
Outstanding Industrial Experience or Entrepreneur: Karen Netto for performing exceptional work in, and demonstrating significant commitment to, the biomedical engineering industry through internship, cooperative education, or international work experiences and for demonstrating entrepreneurial spirit and initiative in turning innovative ideas into reality.
G. D. Jain Outstanding Senior: Neha Shahrawat for exemplifying all–around excellence through significant accomplishments.
BME/ CoE Honors: Paul Pelkowski for strong academic performance, leadership and service.
Graduate Awards
Outstanding Community Service: Taofik Suleiman for providing significant education, outreach, or community service to the larger community.
Outstanding Departmental Service: Rohan Dhamdhere for demonstrating leadership or providing academic support within the Department.
Outstanding Fundamental/Basic Research: Maria Giraldo-Castano for performing exceptional fundamental research, leading to high impact publications in non-translational-focused journals and presentations at national/international conferences.
Outstanding Entrepreneurship: Samuel Wilcox for demonstrating excellence in translational research or having an entrepreneurial spirit.
Outstanding Teaching/Mentorship: Connor White for demonstrating excellence in teaching or mentorship in the classroom, the lab, or elsewhere in the community.
