The Holcombe Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is proud to announce the recipients of the 2026 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: Matt Esposito
Matt has extensive professional experience through multiple internships, including developing software tools for Clemson’s research computing infrastructure and improving workflows in industry settings. He has also contributed to award-winning research, helping develop a first-place autonomous robot for the IEEE SoutheastCon Hardware Competition. In addition, he is an active member of engineering honor societies and student organizations, supporting both academic and professional communities.
Senior: Samuel Quan
Samuel is a senior in Computer Engineering student double majoring in Physics. He has gained advanced research and industry experience through internships at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Clemson, focusing on high-performance computing and data compression. Samuel is highly active in student organizations, contributing to quantum computing research, competitive hackathons, and Clemson’s supercomputing team. His accomplishments include multiple first-place awards and previous recognition as the Most Outstanding Junior in Computer Engineering.
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: Sophia Voulgaris
Sophia is a junior in Electrical Engineering with a a minor in Mathematical Sciences, demonstrating strong academic performance. She has gained valuable technical experience through an internship at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where she designed PCB hardware and worked with FPGA systems. Sophia is actively involved in research across multiple areas, including optical materials, cybersecurity, and quantum computing, with recognition in national competitions. She also serves as president of the Clemson ReCyclery, leading sustainability initiatives that provide accessible transportation to students, and as an undergraduate ambassador for the ECE department’s student recruitment efforts.
Senior: Cameron Nowell
Cameron is a senior in Electrical and Computer Engineering minoring in Computer Science. He has gained practical experience through an internship with Merrick & Company, contributing to electrical design and system documentation. Cameron is also actively involved in research, developing software for unmanned ground vehicles and working on advanced laser systems for spectroscopy experiments. He serves as Social Media Chair for the IEEE Clemson Student Branch, helping organize events and engage fellow students.
George G. Miler, Jr. ’62 Memorial Award – Top Sophomore Students
Electrical Engineering: Ella Reece
Ella is a sophomore in Electrical Engineering with a perfect 4.0 GPA, reflecting her strong academic commitment. Ella balances her studies with two campus jobs, including serving as an area desk assistant and a Cadence Student Ambassador providing technical support. She has gained practical experience through an internship with McCall Thomas Engineering, contributing to substation grounding design and fiber optic project documentation. She is also involved in several student organizations and participates in STEM outreach for K–12 students.
Computer Engineering: Jeshua Espiritu
Jeshua is a Sophomore in Computer Engineering with a perfect 4.0 GPA, reflecting his strong academic excellence. He has gained hands-on experience through a co-op with MITRE, contributing to research and developing advanced computer hardware technologies. Jeshua is also involved in robotics research, helping design and program a competition robot for the SoutheastCon Hardware Competition. In addition, he serves as a Residential Community Mentor, supporting and building community among fellow students.
Graduate Student Awards
Now in their 41st year, the Holcombe Graduate Student Awards recognize exemplary graduate students in research, teaching, and service.
Outstanding Graduate Researcher: Kanak Kanti Bhowmik
Nominated by his advisor, Dr. Lianfeng Zhao, Kanak Bhowmik has been recognized for his prolific and impactful research. A Ph.D. candidate in Photonic Science and Technology program, his research spans an impressive range of topics, including organic LEDs, solar cells, lasers, photodetectors, memory devices, bi-directional optical communication, and metal halide perovskites—a class of materials with a distinctive crystal structure that are driving advances in solar cells and next-generation electronic and photonic technologies.
Kanak has served as a research assistant since arriving at Clemson in August 2023. Prior to that, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. In less than three years, Kanak has demonstrated remarkable research productivity, contributing to at least seven papers. These include three journal publications as lead author, with a fourth currently under review, as well as additional collaborative work and two conference papers as lead author. His work has appeared in several high-impact journals, including ACS Nano and Advanced Photonics Research.
In his nomination letter, Professor Zhao described Kanak as an exceptionally productive and innovative researcher. One notable example is his work on electrically pumped perovskite lasers, where he has engineered materials to significantly improve photoluminescence lifetime. This achievement represents an important step toward energy-efficient, next-generation light sources. As Professor Zhao’s first Ph.D. student, Kanak has also played a key leadership role in building their research laboratory from the ground up, while mentoring three junior Ph.D. students.
Outstanding Graduate Laboratory Teaching Assistant: Tim Reid
This award is determined based on evaluations by undergraduates enrolled in ECE laboratory courses, as well as assessments by faculty supervisors and .
Tim Reid is a master’s student in Electrical Engineering, also working as a research assistant in the Photonics Technology Laboratory under the direction of Dr. Hai Xiao. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Clemson in 2025 and currently serves as the TA for Electronics II Lab, where he has earned praise for his enthusiasm, preparedness, and accessibility.
Dr. Tehseen Raza, the faculty lab coordinator, commented that in his teaching position, he has consistently received positive feedback from both students and faculty, and is known for his knowledge and hard work. Students’ evaluations of his lab sections remark on his teaching skills as well as his ability to help students succeed.
Holcombe Graduate Student Award for Outstanding Graduate Service: Precious Eyabi
This award recognizes a full-time graduate student in electrical or computer engineering who has demonstrated exceptional service to the department. Recipients are selected by the Department Chair with the consent of the ECE Advisory Committee, based on contributions that enhance the educational, professional, and collegial experiences of our students and support the broader mission and outreach efforts of the department.
Precious is a direct-entry Ph.D. student in Electrical Engineering working with her advisor Dr. Jon Calhoun and earned her B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Clemson in 2025.
Precious has played an important role in recruiting students from General Engineering into our Electrical and Computer Engineering programs by participating in multiple Major Discovery Nights—an event where alumni, current students, advisory board members, and faculty share their experiences and help guide students in choosing their academic paths.
Precious has done an outstanding job representing the department at these events. Several students shared that hearing from Precious changed their perspective and inspired them to pursue ECE after learning about the exciting career opportunities in the field. These moments are critical in shaping the future of the programs, and her contributions have made a meaningful impact.
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.
