The Holcombe Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 department-wide student awards, recognizing exceptional achievement in academics, research, leadership, and service across all levels of study.
Undergraduate Awards
Rhodes Award – Outstanding Students in Computer Engineering
Awarded to the most outstanding junior and senior Computer Engineering students for exceptional academic performance, leadership, and service.
Junior: Samuel Quan
Samuel is an Honors student engaged in Dr. Calhoun’s research through the REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program. He contributes to Clemson’s supercomputing team, CyberTigers, and the CATALYST Challenge. He is also a member of Eta Kappa Nu and the Quantum Club.
Senior: Kristen Guernsey
Kristen has devoted the past three years to high-performance computing research and serves as the student lead for Clemson’s supercomputing team, CyberTigers. Her portfolio also includes work on robotics and automation with Dr. Jia at CU-ICAR. Beyond her technical achievements, Kristen is President of both the Clemson Sexuality and Gender Alliance and IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu, helping foster community and professional growth within the ECE department. She is also a member of the Society of Women Engineers.
Kristen is the recipient of both the university’s 2025 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Student Award and the CECAS Phi Kappa Phi Certificate of Merit.
https://news.clemson.edu/nine-outstanding-students-to-be-honored-at-2025-university-spring-awards-program/
W.M. Riggs Award – Outstanding Students in Electrical Engineering
This prestigious honor is awarded to the top junior and senior Electrical Engineering students who have demonstrated outstanding academic performance, leadership, and service.
Junior: Owen Wall
A double major in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Owen has spent the past two summers interning at the Naval Information Warfare Center in Charleston. An active member of both Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu, he is also an Honors student contributing to Dr. Afghah’s O-RAN project. Owen plans to pursue a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering with a focus on communication systems.
Senior: Alec Chalfant
Alec serves as a Residential Community Mentor with Clemson Home, where he supports and guides fellow students. With multiple summer internships under his belt, Alec is also involved in Tau Beta Pi, the Nintendo Club, and the Art Club. He has also successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam.
George G. Miler, Jr. ’62 Memorial Award – Top Sophomore Students
Electrical Engineering: Lorand Bukszar
Lorand’s goal is to invent groundbreaking technology—a passion that led him to Electrical Engineering. He has collaborated with a team at MIT’s Beaver Works Summer Institute and was a top performer in the SC Kangaroo Math Competition during high school. He is currently a member of the Clemson Rocket Engineering Student Organization.
Computer Engineering: Lucas Veenstra
Driven by a passion for accessibility, Lucas plans to use his degree to design devices that serve people with disabilities. He works part-time as an undergraduate TA in General Engineering and leads outreach for Clemson LIFE through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
Graduate Student Awards
Now in their 40th year, the Holcombe Graduate Student Awards recognize exemplary graduate students in research, teaching, and service.
Outstanding Graduate Researcher: Ali Moghassemi
Nominated by Dr. Chris Edrington, Ali Moghassemi has been recognized for his prolific and impactful research. A Ph.D. candidate in Electrical Engineering, Ali recently defended his dissertation: Real-Time Active Thermal Management and Degradation Forecasting of Power Electronics Building Blocks in All-Electric Ships.
His work spans power electronics, renewable energy, electrified transportation, and more. Since joining Clemson in 2022, Ali has authored at least 29 publications—13 journal articles and 16 conference papers, many in top-tier IEEE journals. He is widely respected for his collaborative, multidisciplinary research approach and is on track to graduate this May.
Ali is also the recipient of the university’s 2025 Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award.
https://news.clemson.edu/nine-outstanding-students-to-be-honored-at-2025-university-spring-awards-program/
Outstanding Graduate Laboratory Teaching Assistant: Christopher Webb
This award is determined based on evaluations by undergraduates enrolled in ECE laboratory courses, as well as assessments by faculty supervisors.
Chris Webb is a master’s student in Electrical Engineering, working in the Intelligent Systems and Wireless Networking (IS-WiN) Laboratory under the direction of Dr. Fatemeh Afghah. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Clemson in 2024 and currently serves as the TA for Electronics IV Lab, where he has earned praise for his enthusiasm, preparedness, and accessibility.
Dr. Tehseen Raza, the faculty lab coordinator, commended him: “Mr. Webb was not only technically competent for the Electronics II lab but has worked hard to be well-prepared for teaching the lab effectively. Throughout the semester, Mr. Webb has been providing effective and timely feedback to the students. He has been very actively posting preparatory materials on canvas to help prepare students for the lab activities. He has been holding office hours and been constantly replying to students’ questions through emails and canvas notifications. He has been performing his task enthusiastically and going above and beyond to enhance students’ learning.”
Please join us in congratulating all of this year’s award winners! These students represent the very best of Clemson Engineering—innovative, dedicated, and ready to lead in their fields.
