1st, 2nd-year Education doctoral fellowship students honored at luncheon

A group of faculty and graduate students seated at a banquet table.

College of Education Fall 2025 Doctoral Student Awards luncheon (Photo/D. Starr)

November 7, 2025

The College of Education honored first-year and second-year doctoral students who received prestigious graduate fellowships at a luncheon in Marriot Hall’s John Purdue Room (Oct. 9).

Wayne Wright, associate dean for research, graduate programs and faculty development, presented the awards along with Phillip J. VanFossen, interim dean of the College.

The first and second year doctoral students who received these prestigious fellowships are:

Bukola Abiiba holding a certificate. She is surrounded by Phil VanFossen, Jasmine Begeske, and Wayne Wright.
Bukola Abiiba, Ross Fellowship (Advisor: Dr. Jasmine Begeske)
Mopinre Akinola-Olabanji holding a certificate. She is surrounded by Phil VanFossen, Katy Rusnak, and Wayne Wright.
Mopinre Akinola-Olabanji, Ross Fellowship (Advisor: Dr. Katy Rusnak)
Christabel Anumenechi holding a certificate. She is surrounded by Phil VanFossen and Wayne Wright.
Christabel Anumenechi, Frederick N. Andrews Fellowship (Advisor: Dr. Jake Burdick)
Michel Cordoba Perozo holding a certificate. He is surrounded by Phil VanFossen, Hua Hua Chang, and Wayne Wright.
Michel Cordoba Perozo, Dean’s Doctoral Fellowship (Co-Advisors: Dr. Hua Hua Chang and Dr. Anne Traynor)
Priya Dabak holding a certificate. She is surrounded by Phil VanFossen and Wayne Wright.
Priya Dabak, Ross Fellowship (Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Renn)
Fatemeh (Emma) Dadashipour holding a certificate. She is surrounded by Phil VanFossen, Jennifer Richardson, and Wayne Wright.
Fatemeh (Emma) Dadashipour, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction Four-Year Fellowship (Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Richardson)
Obasanjo Fajemirokunholding a certificate. He is surrounded by Phil VanFossen and Wayne Wright.
Obasanjo Fajemirokun, Ross Fellowship (Advisor: Dr. Amber Neal-Stanley)
Jiayi Fang holding a certificate. She is surrounded by Phil VanFossen, Chrystal Johnson, and Wayne Wright.
Jiayi Fang, Ross Fellowship (Advisor: Dr. Chrystal Johnson)
Allison Frazier holding a certificate. She is surrounded by Phil VanFossen and Wayne Wright.
Allison Frazier, Dean’s Doctoral Fellowship and Presidential Excellence Award (Advisor: Dr. Jake Burdick)
Heather Hayen holding a certificate. She is surrounded by Phil VanFossen, Melanie Kuhn, and Wayne Wright.
Heather Hayen, Ross Fellowship and Presidential Excellence Award (Advisor: Dr. Melanie Kuhn)
Nivedh Jayanth holding a certificate. He is surrounded by Phil VanFossen and Wayne Wright.
Nivedh Jayanth, Ross Fellowship (Advisor: Dr. Rebekah Hammack)
Ghan Shyam Joshi holding a certificate. He is surrounded by Phil VanFossen and Wayne Wright.
Ghan Shyam Joshi, Frederick N. Andrews Fellowship (Advisor: Dr. Jill Newton)
Nnenna Valentina Kalu holding a certificate. She is surrounded by Phil VanFossen, Eric Deemer, and Wayne Wright.
Nnenna Valentina Kalu, Dean’s Doctoral Fellowship (Advisor: Dr. Eric Deemer)
Pankaj Paul holding a certificate. He is surrounded by Phil VanFossen and Wayne Wright.
Pankaj Paul, Ross Fellowship (Advisor: Dr. Victoria Lowell)
Farhad Roodi holding a certificate. He is surrounded by Phil VanFossen, Bill Watson, and Wayne Wright.
Farhad Roodi, Purdue Doctoral Fellowship (Co-Advisors: Dr. Bill Watson and Dr. Marisa Exter)
Muhammad Sabih holding a certificate. He is surrounded by Phil VanFossen, Virak Chan, and Wayne Wright.
Muhammad Sabih, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction Four Year Fellowship (Co-Advisors: Dr. Virak Chan and Dr. Wayne Wright)
Carlos Trotman holding a certificate. He is surrounded by Phil VanFossen and Wayne Wright.
Carlos Trotman, Ross-Lynn Fellowship and Presidential Excellence Award (Advisor: Dr. Victoria Lowell)
Yichen Wang holding a certificate. She is surrounded by Phil VanFossen, Yan Ping Xin, and Wayne Wright.
Yichen Wang, Frederick N. Andrews Fellowship (Advisor: Dr. Yan Ping Xin)

Two recipients were unable to attend and are not pictured:

  • Jiaying Wang, Ross Fellowship and Presidential Excellence Award (Advisor: Dr. Toni Rogat)
  • Enzhi Zhu, Ross Fellowship and Presidential Excellence Award (Advisor: Dr. Rick Olenchak)

Congratulations, Boilermaker Educators!

Source: College of Education Office of Graduate Studies