College of Engineering recognizes researchers of the year

Mijia Yang, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, has been named the 2025 College of Engineering Kessler Excellence in Research Award winner.

Yang is a prolific researcher whose scholarly output, innovative research directions and impactful grant achievements have made substantial contributions to the fields of civil and structural engineering. His work exemplifies the spirit of this award through sustained excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration and a profound commitment to advancing engineering knowledge.

Yang’s research portfolio spans a diverse and highly technical set of domains, including impact and blast protection, smart materials in infrastructure, sandwich mechanics and structural health monitoring. His specialized focus on advanced composites and the multi-scale modeling of concrete and smart materials positions him at the leading edge of structural optimization and materials engineering.

Since joining NDSU in 2011, Yang has secured more than $4 million in research funding, been awarded multiple patents and has advised more than a dozen graduate students. He was named the College of Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award winner in 2022.

Uma Tida, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, also was honored for his research.

Tida was awarded the 2025 Early Career Researcher of the Year for his work investigating critical aspects of integrated chip design in monolithic 3D integration and providing new directions to the monolithic 3D area.

Since joining NDSU in 2019, he has established a robust and vibrant research program. Earlier this year, Tida received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, considered the agency’s most prestigious award in support of early-career faculty. The CAREER project is focused on advancing a design automation framework for 3D integrated circuits with the aim of creating more efficient, reliable and compact computer designs while addressing crucial issues that impact performance, manufacturability and integration.

The College of Engineering’s final research award, Graduate Student Researcher of the Year, was presented to Biraj Saha, a doctoral student in the civil, construction and environmental engineering department.

Saha’s research explores emerging contaminants such as PFAS and microplastics in complex systems like landfill organics, compost, agricultural soil and marine biomass. His groundbreaking studies have revealed previously undocumented PFAS distribution in landfill waste and compost, and he has pioneered low-cost, scalable PFAS removal technologies including a membrane electrochemical reactor.

Saha is a two time recipient of the prestigious North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute Fellowship and one of only a handful of students nationwide awarded the Environmental Research and Education Foundation Doctoral Scholarship.

Yang, Tida and Saha will be will be honored at the College of Engineering’s Scholarship and Awards Reception on Oct. 30.