CNSE Students, Faculty and Staff Earn Excellence Awards

Professor Mohammed Agamy shakes hands with Thenkurussi Kesavadas.
Professor Mohammed Agamy was honored an an inventor and researcher. (Photos by Zach Durocher)

By Andrew McMains 

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 26, 2026) — A dozen professors, students and staffers from UAlbany’s College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering were recognized for excellence during the University’s Research & Entrepreneurship Week.

The honorees spanned four CNSE departments: Computer Science, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Environmental & Sustainable Engineering and Nanoscale Science & Engineering.

“We’re proud of our honorees and all that they’ve achieved,” said CNSE Dean Michele Grimm. “Each contributes to our mission of solving problems through technology and using science to serve society.”

Collectively, the group represented nearly a third of the awards that the University bestowed during a ceremony at the Campus Center Ballroom. Here are the CNSE winners by category:

Lu Li holds an award with university leaders on either side of her.
Lu Li 

Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement

  • Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Assistant Professor Lu Li
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Bariscan Yonel

Inventor 

  • Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Mohammed Agamy: Protection circuit for MEMS operation
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering Doctoral Student Lennox Apudo: Real-time intercalibration of heterogeneous CubeSat radiometer constellations using frequency domain coherent power ratios, with Associate Professor Mustafa Aksoy and Doctoral Student John Bradburn
  • Nanoscale Science and Engineering Doctoral Student Eiljah Feret: Method and device for fabricating step-index hydrogel optical fibers using hydrodynamic microfluidic focusing, with Professor Susan Sharfstein and Professor Yubing Xie 
Ciaran Mckenzie shakes hands with Thenkurussi Kesavadas.
Ciaran Mckenzie
  • Nanoscale Science and Engineering Associate Professor Spyros Gallis: Quantum photonic components, including nanostructures and methods of forming nanostructures
  • Nanoscale Science and Engineering Graduate Assistant Ciaran Mackenzie: Methods for mitigating ultraviolet radiation-induced shrinkage of photoresists during plasma processing, with Associate Professor Gregory Denbeaux and Professor Christophe Vallee
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Seetal Potluri: Learning weight perturbations during neural network training, with Doctoral Student Sachintha Kavishan Jayarathne. 

Outstanding Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity

Xin Li holds award with university leaders on either side of him.
Xin Li 
  • Nanoscale Science and Engineering Assistant Professor Walid Redjem

Excellence in Research Services Staff

  • Nanoscale Science and Engineering Innovation Lab Manager Bryant Colwill

Beyond the awards, two CNSE researchers delivered talks on their pathbreaking research: Electrical and Computer Engineering Associate Professor Dola Saha and Computer Science Professor Xin Li. 

In addition, the Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering hosted the 2026 Albany Nanotech Symposium at its home base of the NY Creates Albany NanoTech Complex. Indeed, it was a proud R&E Week for CNSE.