CE-CERT is proud to recognize the recipients of its 2026–27 Scholarship Awards. These awards support students conducting research in air quality, transportation, energy, and environmental science. We congratulate this year's recipients on their achievements and thank the generous donors who make these opportunities possible.
Graduate Awards
Lintong Cai
Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Esther F. Hays Graduate Fellowship
Lintong studies airborne particles in environments ranging from wastewater facilities to the sub-Arctic atmosphere. Using particle measurements, microscopy, and aircraft observations, Lintong investigates where these particles come from and how they change as they travel through the atmosphere. This research helps scientists better understand air pollution and its environmental impacts. Lintong plans to continue researching atmospheric science as a postdoctoral researcher and eventually pursue a career as a university professor.
Elizabeth DeFrance
Chemical and Environmental Engineering
William Pierson/Ford Graduate Fellowship
Elizabeth studies a source of vehicle pollution that often goes unnoticed: particles and gases released as brakes and tires wear down. Through laboratory experiments and on-road measurements, she is helping researchers better understand these currently unregulated emissions and their potential effects on human health. Motivated by the need to address environmental challenges, Elizabeth hopes to continue studying emerging air quality concerns and contribute to solutions that protect public health.
Zixuan Gong
Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Colin E. Hackett Research Award
Zixuan is a second-year Ph.D. student investigating pollution produced by vehicle brake and tire wear. By measuring the physical and chemical properties of these emissions, Zixuan's research helps identify their effects on air quality and supports stronger pollution control strategies. Inspired by opportunities to study emissions from different types of engines, Zixuan hopes to continue experimental emissions research, particularly examining how truck exhaust changes chemically after entering the atmosphere.
Kyah Gracia
Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Salim Khan Fellowship
Kyah's interest in air quality engineering began in a class that revealed how scientific research can directly influence environmental regulations. Today, Kyah studies emissions from marine vessels, evaluating new engine technologies and pollution control systems. This work helps inform policies that protect air quality, particularly for communities near busy ports. Kyah hopes to work for a state regulatory agency, helping translate scientific findings into stronger environmental protections.
Edison Li
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Esther F. Hays Graduate Fellowship
Edison is a second-year Ph.D. student developing technologies that help vehicles and transportation infrastructure communicate and make better decisions. His research explores artificial intelligence, automated intersection navigation, and cooperative vehicle control to reduce crashes, congestion, and energy consumption. Working with real vehicles at CE-CERT strengthened his interest in applying engineering research to everyday transportation challenges. Edison hopes to pursue a research career advancing connected and automated transportation systems.
Kasra Mazarei Saadabadi
Electrical Engineering
2026–27 CE-CERT Scholarship Award
Kasra develops intelligent control systems that help buildings, electric vehicles, and other energy resources work together to support the power grid. His research explores ways to reduce electricity demand, improve resilience during outages, and restore power more fairly to affected communities. Fascinated by how complex systems operate, Kasra hopes to continue researching grid modernization at a national laboratory or in industry, with the long-term goal of leading his own research group.
Elavarasi Ravichandran
Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Esther F. Hays Graduate Fellowship
Elavarasi's fascination with clouds and the changing seasons began in childhood and eventually led to a career studying atmospheric science. Her research investigates how tiny airborne particles influence cloud formation, helping improve the accuracy of climate and precipitation models. Her findings on cloud droplet formation were published in Science Advances. Elavarasi hopes to continue studying aerosol-cloud interactions as a research scientist, contributing knowledge that supports more reliable climate predictions.
Diana Rodriguez
Environmental Sciences
Colin E. Hackett Research Award
Growing up in Colombia, a country known for its extraordinary biodiversity, inspired Diana to pursue research that protects ecosystems from climate change. As a third-year Ph.D. student, she studies greenhouse gas emissions from dairy manure treatment systems, measuring whether practices such as vermicomposting can reduce harmful emissions. Diana hopes to continue researching climate mitigation and adaptation, particularly in regions where environmental changes threaten communities and natural resources.
Mehak Saleem
Electrical Engineering
Colin E. Hackett Research Award
Mehak is a third-year Ph.D. student working to make autonomous vehicles safer and more reliable. She has developed a system that combines driver eye-tracking with vehicle sensors to provide collision warnings while reducing unnecessary alerts. Her research also explores how automated vehicles can recognize when their sensor information may be unreliable. Motivated by the potential to prevent accidents, Mehak hopes to pursue a research career developing trustworthy artificial intelligence for transportation safety.
Ashley Trevino
Chemical and Environmental Engineering
J. Miller and T. Durbin Graduate Research Award
Ashley's desire to improve air quality in underserved communities inspired her to pursue environmental research. As a first-year Ph.D. student, she studies particles released by vehicle brakes and tires, using laboratory and real-world measurements to better understand how brake wear and temperature affect emissions. Her findings can help automotive manufacturers make more informed decisions about vehicle design and public health. Ashley hopes to apply her research in the automotive industry.
Yanyu Zhang
Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Colin E. Hackett Research Award
Yanyu's interest in air quality began with childhood experiences of respiratory illness and exposure to severe air pollution in Beijing. Now a Ph.D. student, she combines laboratory experiments and atmospheric modeling to investigate how gases from natural and human-made sources form harmful fine particles. Her findings can improve pollution predictions and inform air quality policies. Yanyu hopes to become a university professor, continuing her research while mentoring future scientists and engineers.
Ziyan Zhang
Electrical Engineering
Esther F. Hays Graduate Fellowship
Ziyan is a third-year Ph.D. student exploring how freight vehicles and transportation infrastructure can work together to reduce congestion and energy consumption. His research combines traffic signal coordination, freight routing, and energy-efficient driving strategies to make goods movement more efficient. Inspired by the potential of engineering to solve everyday transportation challenges, Ziyan hopes to develop intelligent transportation technologies that can be deployed in cities to improve mobility and reduce emissions.
Undergraduate Awards
Tanyon Herrera
Environmental Engineering
Jim Guthrie Research Award
Tanyon's passion for environmental engineering grew from childhood experiences exploring nature and learning from inspiring science and engineering teachers. As a fourth-year undergraduate, Tanyon has worked on improving how researchers remotely access and manage laboratory equipment and data, helping simplify research operations. Tanyon plans to pursue a master's degree in chemical and environmental engineering at UCR and eventually work in the public sector, focusing on water or air pollution control.
Let us help you with your search