Chemical Engineering Ph.D. student José Carlos Díaz and Assistant Professor Jovan Kamcev have been awarded the Rackham Partnerships for Access, Community, and Excellence (PACE) Fellowship. This fellowship, established under the Rackham Merit Fellowship program, recognizes exceptional graduate student-faculty pairs who demonstrate an unwavering commitment to academic excellence, diversity, and student success.
Díaz, who researches new ways to advance the efficiency of seawater desalination processeses to address global water scarcity, is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within the department. He does this through his role as an outreach officer for the Chemical Engineering Graduate Society and by leading activities for FEMMES (Women+ Excelling More in Math, Engineering, and the Sciences) to inspire young girls and students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue STEM careers. He also co-founded a workshop to guide undergraduate students through the graduate school application process.
“José’s outstanding scholarly achievements, dedication to teaching, and sustained commitment to diversity through outreach and mentorship exemplify his exceptional promise as a future leader in academia and beyond,” Díaz’s mentor, Kamcev, says. “His contributions have not only advanced his field but also fostered a more inclusive and supportive academic environment in our department and the university.”
In addition to his mentoring accomplishments, Kamcev is a leader in advancing diversity and inclusion within the department through hosting hands-on activities for local middle-school students and integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion modules into his teaching.
The PACE Fellowship honors pairs of doctoral students and their mentors with a one-term fellowship and a $2,500 award for each recipient. Both Díaz and Kamcev exemplify the values of this fellowship, as demonstrated by their contributions to research, education, and efforts to enhance the program climate and inclusivity in the field of chemical engineering.
Learn more about José Carlos Díaz and Jovan Kamcev in this article from the Department of Chemical Engineering.