Four graduate students have received fellowships in memoriam of Professor Liviu Librescu. To be eligible for the fellowship, students should have outstanding academic records and have demonstrated strong leadership potential and commitment to professional or community service. Requirements include a letter from a supervising faculty member as well as a curriculum vitae.

Bhargavi (“Manu”) Nimmala
Bhargavi (“Manu”) Nimmala

Bhargavi (“Manu”) Nimmala

Nimmala’s research bridges atmospheric modeling, dynamical systems, and plant biology to address a real and timely problem: understanding and quantifying the atmospheric transport of transgenic pollen and its implications for agricultural biosecurity. Her work stands out not only for its technical rigor but also for its societal relevance. Manu’s first-author publication was selected as one of Scientific Reports’ Top 100 papers of 2024. She serves as the Professional Development Chair of the Graduate Engineering Mechanics Society has mentored undergraduate students.

According to her award nomination letter, she consistently uplifts others by offering help, encouragement, and thoughtful insight. Her intellectual curiosity is contagious, and she models an attitude of persistent inquiry, reflection, and willingness to rethink assumptions in light of new evidence.

 

Yogesh Phalak
Yogesh Phalak

Yogesh Phalak

Phalak is an emerging star in solid mechanics and non-linear dynamics, especially in their application to physical computing and embodied control. He is creative and committed, consistently curating new ideas to push his and his labmates’ research to the next frontier. He is also dedicated to leadership through mentorship and outreach, serving as a peer mentor and being active in the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Council and the Graduate Engineering Mechanics Society.

According to his nomination letter, Phgalak is a respected scholar, operating as a postdoc might despite having not yet completed his PhD. He has sauthored and co-authored three high-quality journal papers and two conference papers in addition to eight earlier works before Virginia Tech. 

Nathan Sambo
Nathan Sambo

Nathan Sambo

Sambo is leading multiple research projects to investigate the properties of fluid and solid coupling media that are used in focused ultrasound procedures. He has shown a very high level of productivity, with two first-author papers and other collaborative works currently in progress. He leads the Virginia Tech TEAM Malawi program to develop the first Focused Ultrasound Center in Africa, which Nathan is set to lead after completing his PhD.

According to his nomination letter, Sambo has matured into a leader in the lab, committed to serving other students locally, throughout the department, and across the globe.  He truly cares about all of his colleagues whether they are faculty collaborators or undergraduate students coming to the lab for their first day of training.

Mostafa Zakeri
Mostafa Zakeri

Mostafa Zakeri

Zakeri's research path began in fluid mechanics and machine learning and he now applies those principles to complex problems in biomechanics and soft tissue mechanics. His intellectual flexibility, showing a capability to move seamlessly between fields while maintaining depth and rigor, reflects the same curiosity and cross-disciplinary mind set that characterized Librescu’s work. 

According to the nomination letter,  Mostafa's steady academic progress, broad intellectual curiosity, and quiet dedication to research and learning are notable. His willingness to step in, take ownership, and see things through has repeatedly made a difference. He can always be counted on when something needs to get done.