2009 Outstanding Graduate finalists announced

The Polytechnic Institute of NYU alumni association has announced the finalists for the 2009 Outstanding Graduate Award: Jose Garcia, Eran Geva, Lamia Iftekhar, and Tamara Khaimchayev (see finalists’ profiles below).

Since 1992, the alumni association has been recognizing members of each NYU-Poly graduating class with this important award. Finalists are selected for their demonstration of academic excellence, co-curricular involvement, personal potential, and commitment to giving back to NYU-Poly after graduation.

Academic and administrative offices nominate students who are asked to write a series of essays and answer questions submitted by a panel of alumni judges from the association’s Scholarship Committee. The Committee selects the finalists.

The winner of the 2009 Outstanding Graduate will be announced at Commencement on June 1.

2009 Outstanding Graduate Finalists

Jose Garcia
Major: Computer Engineering
High School: East New York Transit Technology High School
Honors: Dean’s list – five semesters, TRIO Academic Award, Inno/Vention Competition Finalist
Activities: Orientation leader, Polywog Yearbook, Society for Human Resource Management, SWE
People who had an impact: Nina Weber, Ellen Daniels, Nicole Johnson and the TRIO program, Professor Yao Wang, Professor Ramesh Karri, Professor Harold Kaufman, Professor Haldun Hadimioglu




Eran Geva
Major: Biomolecular Sciences (BS) and Biotechnology & Entrepreneurship (MS)
High School: The New High School, Tel Aviv, Israel
Honors: Honors Program, Dean’s list – all semesters, Undergraduate Summer Research Grant, Wechsler Summer Internship Grant, Raymond E. Kick Award for freshman chemist
Activities: Tutor – YES program, Admissions Ambassador, Volunteer – Protein Engineering Lab
People who had an impact: Professor Bruce Garetz, Professor Iraj Kalkoran, Myra Ortiz

Lamia Iftekhar
Major: Electrical Engineering (BS and MS)
High School: Maple Leaf International School, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Honors: Honors Program, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, William L. Everitt Award of Excellence
Activities: Tutor – Math department, SWE, Honors Student Council
People who had an impact: The Mathematics Department, the Office of Student Development, Professor Farshad Khorrami, Professor Iraj Kalkhoran

Tamara Khaimchayev
Major: Chemical and Biological Engineering
High School: Townsend Harris High School
Honors: Honors Program, Dean’s List – all semesters, Bernard and Pauline Lee Scholarship, NYSTAR Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Activities: Tau Beta Pi, Alchemists Anonymous, SWE, Volunteer at New York Hospital
Someone who had an impact: Professor Stavroula Sofou



For more information on the Outstanding Graduate Award, contact Donald Ivanoff, Director of Alumni Relations divanoff@poly.edu.