Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Awardees 2026–2027

University of Minnesota Mechanical Engineering graphic announcing the 2026-2027 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Awardees: Sajjad Daroudi, Yun Kim, Akshat Mallya, Binit Singh, Lily Watkins, and Xiaotian Xu.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is proud to announce the 2026–2027 recipients of the Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (DDF). These exceptional students are making groundbreaking advancements in their respective fields of research.

The Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (DDF) at the University of Minnesota supports outstanding Ph.D. candidates by enabling them to focus fully on their research and dissertation writing. The fellowship provides a nine-month stipend, a tuition benefit, and an optional health insurance benefit, allowing fellows to complete their degree on time without the demands of teaching or research assistant duties. This highly competitive university-wide fellowship is a great opportunity for students to advance their academic and professional goals.

Sajjad Daroudi

Sajjad Daroudi’s research, advised by Professor Rajesh Rajamani, focuses on developing low-cost, retrofit-friendly sensing and estimation methods for off-road vehicle automation. His work combines low-cost magnetic, inertial, and ultrasonic sensors with advanced estimation algorithms to achieve accurate position estimation of hydraulic tools such as buckets, blades, and other end-effectors in real-world environments. These solutions aim to provide practical alternatives to expensive commercial displacement sensors, supporting future automation, operator-assist systems, and technology transfer in mobile hydraulics.

Professor Rajamani shared:

“Sajjad has displayed an amazing capacity to do both analytical research and hands-on electronic sensor board prototyping. His work has excited significant interest from industrial partners and has the potential to be licensed for commercialization.”

Reflecting on what this recognition means for the final stage of his doctoral work, Daroudi shares:

“Receiving this recognition is deeply meaningful to me because it supports the final and most important stage of my doctoral research. This work has been motivated by the goal of translating advanced sensing and estimation methods into practical technologies that can operate reliably in real-world, disturbance-heavy environments. The DDF recognition gives me the opportunity to focus fully on completing my dissertation, strengthening field validation, preparing journal manuscripts, and advancing the commercialization potential of this research.”

Yun Kim

Yun Kim’s research, advised by Professor Xiaojia “XJ” Wang, focuses on understanding and engineering magnetic materials using fully optimized ultrafast-laser techniques for high-performance data storage and energy-efficient memory to meet the demands of AI-driven data expansion.

Professor Wang shared:

“He has a remarkable ability to navigate the complex interaction between ultrafast lasers and magnetic materials. These projects are highly cutting-edge, and his drive to bridge fundamental physics with actual industry needs makes him the perfect recipient for the DDF. I’m proud to see both his talent and this timely research recognized.”

Reflecting on what the fellowship means for his path ahead, Kim shares:

“Receiving the DDF is a great honor that provides the financial independence to focus entirely on my dissertation during this final year. It allows me to pursue pioneering research directions and to advance my future industrial R&D career in the hard disk drive and memory industry. This support is invaluable as I work to bridge the gap between fundamental physics and real-world data storage and memory applications.”

Akshat Mallya

Akshat Mallya’s research, advised by Professor Allison Hubel, focuses on developing sustainable solutions for controlling ice formation by combining computational modeling with experimental validation. He uses these approaches to identify and optimize natural deep eutectic systems, a class of environmentally friendly materials with promising ice-control properties, with potential applications in road anti-icing and the cryopreservation of cells and tissues for biomedical use.

Professor Hubel shared:

“Akshat’s Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship is well deserved and a clear recognition of his contributions. His work on modeling deep eutectic systems (DES) has been critical in developing an extensive library of formulations, which represents the development of a technology platform. As he completes his doctoral work, I am excited to see the application of this library in impactful ways.”

Reflecting on what this recognition means to him, Mallya shares:

“I am deeply honored to receive the Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. As someone who is passionate about developing sustainable solutions to real-world challenges, it is especially meaningful to have this work recognized at the university level. The fellowship will provide the dedicated time and support needed to complete the most integrative phase of my dissertation and advance a predictive approach to designing sustainable materials for environmental and biomedical applications.”

Binit Singh

Advised by Professor Peter Bruggeman, Binit Singh focuses his research on the ultrafast, in-flight reduction of iron ore using hydrogen microwave plasma to uncover the fundamental mechanisms driving plasma-iron ore interactions.

Professor Bruggeman shared:

“Binit’s research directly tackles a critical vulnerability in modern manufacturing and resource utilization: the domestic processing constraints of essential metal and mineral ores. His work bridges the gap between plasma science and practical, scalable solutions for ironmaking. This DDF is a well-deserved recognition of Binit’s achievements and I fully share his excitement as he expands the plasma technology he is pioneering to broader critical mineral processing.”

Reflecting on how the fellowship supports his work, Singh shares:

“The DDF fellowship elevates my work beyond my standard grant-funded milestones, providing the necessary support to immediately expand my research from iron ore to other difficult-to-reduce critical minerals. This honor recognizes my efforts in developing ultrafast carbon free energy-efficient plasma reduction technologies aimed at boosting domestic iron production. I am deeply grateful for my advisor’s support and for this opportunity to contribute to advancements in both plasma technology and metallurgy.”

Lily Watkins

Lily Watkins’ research, advised by Professor Victor Barocas, proposes a novel combined computational and experimental approach to monitoring ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA) growth using measurements that could be done clinically and potentially even from home. Her work lays the foundation for more patient-available and effective monitoring of aneurysm growth, which would increase monitoring frequency and, thereby, improve quality of life and lower the fatality rate of ATAA patients.

Professor Barocas shared:

“The DDF is a great and well-deserved honor for Lily, whose aptitude, positivity, creativity, and drive make her an outstanding doctoral student. In addition, the freedom afforded by the DDF will allow her to explore new areas and develop ideas that can help people.”

Reflecting on the recognition and what it means for her research, Watkins shares:

“Receiving the DDF is a great honor that will help me focus on completing my doctoral research in developing new aneurysm growth detection methods. This award is an encouraging validation of my work, giving me more freedom in exploring ways to bring aneurysm monitoring to the patient. I am very grateful for the support from my advisor and the University of Minnesota.”

Xiaotian Xu

Xiaotian Xu’s research, advised by Professor Xiaojia “XJ” Wang, focuses on understanding thermal transport in functional materials for next-generation electronics, data storage, and energy technologies. Using ultrafast laser-based thermal measurement techniques, he studies how heat flows through thin films, organic semiconductors, and ultrawide-bandgap materials, providing insight for improving thermal management in devices such as heat-assisted magnetic recording systems, power electronics, and organic electronic devices.

Professor Wang shared:

“This DDF award recognizes Xiaotian’s outstanding achievements and the originality and impact of his research on thermal transport in functional materials. Xiaotian has demonstrated exceptional creativity and perseverance in tackling challenging problems at the intersection of thermal science and materials engineering. I am excited to see him continue making important contributions to the field as he completes his dissertation and prepares for the next stage of his career.”

Reflecting on what this milestone means for his doctoral journey, Xu shares:

“Receiving the DDF is a great honor and a meaningful milestone in my Ph.D. journey. The fellowship allows me to focus fully on completing my dissertation. It motivates me to continue pursuing fundamental research in thermal science while contributing to technologies that address real-world challenges in electronics, energy, and information storage. I am grateful for the mentorship, collaboration, and support I have received throughout the journey.”