Exceptional leadership, mentorship, service, and undergraduate research are being recognized this year as The Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering at UC Santa Barbara announces the recipients of its prestigious Hynes-Wood and Tirrell awards.
Presented annually, the awards recognize graduating seniors who have made lasting contributions to the college community through leadership, mentorship, professional development, and research excellence. The recipients will also be honored during the college’s Commencement, which will take place at 9 AM on Friday, June 12 von Commencement Green.
Hynes-Wood Award: Ava Smith and Nikhil Kapasi
Ava Smith and Nikhil Kapasi are co-recipients of The Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering’s Hynes-Wood Award, which recognizes students for outstanding contributions to student activities and helping others with professional growth and development. The award is named for Jacqueline Hynes, the former assistant dean for academic programs in engineering, and the late Roger Wood, a beloved electrical and computer engineering professor and former associate dean for academic affairs.
Smith, a mechanical engineering major from Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, said that the award is especially meaningful because of her commitment to supporting the UCSB engineering community.
“Receiving the Hynes-Wood Award is incredibly meaningful to me because of how deeply I care about this program and the students within it,” Smith said. “I value the strong sense of community at UCSB, and being able to support others as they navigate their career goals and next steps has been one of the most rewarding parts of my experience.”
In addition to the Hynes-Wood Award, Smith also received a University Service Award in acknowledgement of her broad involvement in several different areas of campus life.
Throughout her four years at UCSB, Smith served in leadership positions with Engineers Without Borders (EWB); her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma; and the Student Affairs Student Cabinet, while also working as a campus tour guide. She contributed to EWB’s solar energy projects in Guatemala and fundraised for Mental Health America as philanthropy chair for her sorority.
Her undergraduate research experiences included working on nickel-titanium biomedical materials research in the lab of mechanical engineering professor Sam Daly through the Material Research Laboratory’s Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE) Program. She also participated as an intern in the Cooperative International Science and Engineering Internships (CISEI) program where she completed computational nanoindentation research at Trinity College Dublin.
“What motivates me most is seeing the positive impact that encouragement and support can have on other students,” Smith said. “Supporting my peers not only helps them grow, but also enriches my own experience and learning.”
Smith credited Daly and her research advisor, Andrew Christison, for their ongoing support and mentorship throughout her undergraduate experience.
After graduation, Smith will move to Bellingham, Washington to work as a rotating equipment engineer at Phillips 66’s Ferndale Refinery.
Read full article here: Recognizing Excellence in Leadership, Service, and Research