Congratulations to Assel Aitkaliyeva, Ph.D., recipient of the 2022-2023 Doctoral Dissertation Advisor/Mentoring Award from the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. Dr. Aitkaliyeva is an associate professor in the Nuclear Engineering Program housed within the Department of Materials Science & Engineering. 

“Advising and mentoring graduate students, from recruiting and guiding them through the first challenging year of graduate school to completing their degrees, is a rewarding experience and one of the primary reasons why I wanted to pursue a career in academia,” Dr. Aitkaliyeva said. “I genuinely enjoy working with students and helping them grow, and I am incredibly proud of every single student I have advised or mentored since joining UF in 2017. I am deeply thankful to the college for this honor.” 

Dr. Aitkaliyeva’s current research interests focus on material performance improvements in nuclear fuels and structural materials, in addition to 2D materials and their stability in extreme environments.

The Doctoral Dissertation Advisor/Mentoring Award recognizes excellence, innovation and effectiveness in doctoral student advising and mentoring. Dr. Aitkaliyeva will be formally acknowledged during the College’s awards ceremony later this spring. 

Dr. Aitkaliyeva is also the recipient of Idaho National Laboratory Early Career, Fuel Cycle Research and Development Excellence, and Department of Energy Early Career Awards, in addition to The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society Young Leaders Professional Development, UF Pramod P. Khargonekar and Faculty Excellence, and American Nuclear Society Mary Jane Oestmann Women’s Professional Achievement Awards.