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Dear Cullen College of Engineering Faculty,</div>
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<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As you know that the Cullen College of Engineering holds a competition for Best Dissertation Award. Each department within the College selects the best dissertation for judging at the
College level. Here are this year’s winners:</p>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Swapnil Sharma, Chemical Engineering graduate has won the first-place award for his PhD dissertation,</span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">“Analysis of Natural Convection Effects in Insulation Layers of Cryogenic Storage Tanks.” Dr.
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">Vemuri Balakotaiah</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> was his advisor. Swapnil will receive a plaque and a check for $1,000.</span></p>
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Theophilus Kaaya, <span style="font-size: 11pt;">Mechanical Engineering graduate</span> has won the<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> second-place award for his PhD Dissertation “Dielectric Elastomer Tubular Actuators: Modeling, Control, and Biomedical Applications.”
Dr. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">Zheng Chen</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> was his advisor. Theophilus will receive a plaque and a check for $500.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Congratulations to both the award winners and their advisors.</p>
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<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Suresh Khator</p>
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<span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 15pt; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);"><img alt="University of Houston logo" id="x_Picture_x0020_1" width="55" height="51" style="width: 0.5763in; height: 0.5416in; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" data-outlook-trace="F:1|T:1" src="cid:image001.png@01DB1A52.74D554E0"></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);">Suresh K Khator, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow IISE<br>
Senior Associate Dean (Graduate)</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);">Professor, Industrial Engineering<br>
Cullen College of Engineering<br>
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(200, 16, 46);">University of Houston</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);"><br>
Office (713) 743-4205<br>
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(200, 16, 46);"><a href="mailto:skhator@uh.edu" style="color: rgb(200, 16, 46); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" id="OWA13583e73-9dbc-a13f-9d64-f65a0ae66c74" class="OWAAutoLink">skhator@uh.edu</a></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);"><br>
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(200, 16, 46);"><a href="https://uh.edu/" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(200, 16, 46); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" id="OWAa7ac065e-519d-7c50-22ac-00176972e52c" class="OWAAutoLink">https://uh.edu</a></span></p>
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