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Fall 2025
Volume 3 Issue 1
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Dear Washkewicz Community,
As we open the doors to a new academic year, I extend a warm and hearty welcome to our new and returning students, faculty, and staff. I hope your summer was both restorative and inspiring. Here at Cleveland State University, it was a season of robust activity. Our labs, classrooms, and centers were alive with research breakthroughs, faculty accomplishments, student achievements, and industry collaborations that continue to strengthen our College’s reputation for innovation and impact.
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This fall, we are excited to build upon that momentum. Our faculty are bringing fresh ideas into the classroom, new research awards are expanding the boundaries of knowledge, and our student organizations are preparing for another year of leadership and service. Together, we will continue advancing our mission to prepare engineers and computer scientists who not only excel technically but also lead with integrity, creativity, and a commitment to solving society’s most pressing challenges.
To our new students: welcome to the Washkewicz family. You are joining a community where curiosity, collaboration, and excellence are celebrated every day. To our returning students: welcome back. We look forward to seeing how you will build on your experiences and continue to grow as scholars and leaders.
Let’s make this year one of discovery, achievement, and shared success.
Best wishes for a productive and fulfilling semester.
Richard T. Schoephoerster, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor, Washkewicz College of Engineering
Cleveland State University
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Matthew Kleps Receives the ASCE Y. C. Yang Civil Engineering Scholarship Award
| Mattthew Kleps, senior Civil Engineering major and ASCE student chapter president, received the national ASCE Y.C. Yang Civil Engineering Scholarship award. He is also manager of Assistant Professor Srinivas Allena's research lab, department of Civil Engineering. Read more here. | | | |
Congratulations to Jackson Nester, Horizon League Scholar-Athlete of the Year!
This award is in addition to the Cecil N. Coleman Medal of Honor, Horizon League Winter Scholar-Athlete, and CSCAA Scholar Athlete honors, which he has received throughout his collegiate career. Read more here
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New Chair of the Department
of Computer Science
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Stefan Andrei, Ph.D. newly appointed Chair of the Department of Computer Science
and Director of the Center for Computing Education and Instruction
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Cleveland State University is pleased to announce Stefan Andrei, Ph.D. as the new Chair of the Department of Computer Science and the executive director of the CSU Center for Computing Education and Instruction (CCEI). Dr. Andrei is an internationally recognized expert in computer science education, a prolific researcher, an experienced administrator and a visionary leader.
Dr. Andrei joins CSU after serving as professor and chair of the Department of Computer Systems, Engineering Technology at the Oregon Institute of Technology. Prior to his role there, he served as professor and chair at Lamar University. Read more here.
| | | Awards, Patents and Research | | | |
Dr. Navid Goudarzi Receives Prestigious NSF CAREER Award
Dr. Navid Goudarzi, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (MCE), has received a five-year, $550,000 Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support his research to improve modeling of urban environments.
Dr. Goudarzi leads the Multiscale Multiphysics Modeling and Data-Driven Analysis of Thermofluids (M3TFluiD) Lab and is Co-Director of the Center for Integrated Modeling for Energy, Resiliency, and Sustainability (IERS). His research focuses on multi-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD), reduced-order modeling, and machine learning applied to energy systems, high-performance buildings, urban air mobility, and climate-responsive urban microclimates. Read more here.
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Liqun Ning Receives NSF ERI Award
Dr. Liqun Ning, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (MCE), has been awarded a two-year, $200,000 Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) award from the National Science Foundation for his project titled “ERI: Investigating Scaffold Degradation for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration: From Mechanism to in vivo Application.” The ERI program supports new investigators as they initiate their research programs and advance in their careers as researchers, educators, and innovators. Read more here.
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Shaowei Yang Receives NSF Engineering Research Initiation Award
Dr. Shaowei Yang, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (BME), has been awarded a two-year, nearly $200,000 Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) award from the National Science Foundation for his project titled “ERI: Engineering Amino Acid-Anchored 2D Silicoaluminophosphates and Aluminosilicates for Advanced Adsorption and Biomedical Applications.”
Dr. Yang’s research focuses on developing functional materials for energy and biomedical applications. With the ERI funding, he will study materials that are only a few atoms thick and are referred to as two-dimensional (2D). Read more here.
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The Patent Review Committee approved an invention disclosure submitted by Metin Uz
Dr. Metin Uz, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (CBE), was awarded a patent for his invention, "Polymer Casting and Water Immersion-Based Large Area Graphene Transfer for Flexible Electronics Fabrication."
The novel technology has the potential to greatly streamline the fabrication of large-area graphene sheets and allow the scaling of current commercial applications. Graphene sheets are currently used in electronics, energy storage, composites, and biomedical fields.
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The American Society of Biomechanics (ASB) recognizes Dr. Brian L. Davis as Fellow for his professional achievements and service.
Read more about the award here
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Learn more about the Washkewicz College of Engineering Research here.
| | | Washkewicz College of Engineering offers many program and activities to assist current and prospective students scale up their academic experience at Cleveland State University. Click titles below to be directed the respective website. | |
DIVISION OF CONTINUING
& EXTENDED EDUCATION
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Microgrids Systems Certificate Level 1 Foundations Course
Registration closes on 9/29. Scan QR Code to register now!
Course Dates: October-November -- Registration closes September 29, 2025
Synchronous, Online: October 3, 10, 17, 24, and the 31st. Optional In-person Lab Day, November 7th from 1-5 p.m.
Cost and Registration: $995 Introductory Pricing October Cohort Only. Standard pricing after the October cohort is $1,540. Click for Registration.
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Engineering Microcredentials
Cleveland State University’s Division of Continuing and Extended Education (DCEE), in partnership with the Washkewicz College of Engineering, is proud to offer a new suite of engineering microcredentials designed to build technical foundations and spark interest in high-demand STEM fields. These short-form programs are ideal for high school graduates, career changers, and anyone preparing to pursue an engineering degree. More programs may be found by visiting: csuohio.edu/continuing-education/pre-engineering-certificates
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