Mechanical Engineering Faculty Award Recipients 2026
Dr. Ali Amiri, an Associate Professor of Practice in the ME department, has received the 2026 NDSU Mentoring Excellence Award. The award, established in partnership with the NDSU Development Foundation, recognizes outstanding faculty mentoring. Awardees are honored for exceptional mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and others.
Dr. Chad Ulven, University Distinguished Professor, is the recipient of the 2026 Difference Maker Award, presented by the NDSU Dean of Students Office. The award honors faculty, staff, and campus community members who go above and beyond to support students, are strong collaborators, demonstrate grace, kindness, and empathy that truly impact the student experience.
Dr. Ulven has also been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the organization’s highest professional distinction for academic inventors. The NAI Fellows Program honors inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation through outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society. Ulven joins an elite community of academic innovators and becomes the third NDSU faculty member to receive the honor.
Dr. Yan Zhang, an Associate Professor in the ME department, has received the 2026 College of Engineering's Schoessow Excellence in Teaching Award, which honors Dr. Zhang’s sustained commitment to student learning, instructional innovation, and student mentorship. The award selection committee was impressed by Dr. Zhang’s contributions to enhancing the college’s instructional infrastructure and innovative teaching methods, thereby promoting more engaging, hands-on learning.