Annual awards 2025
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is pleased to share about the 2025 Annual Awards Ceremony, a highlight on our calendar that recognises the outstanding achievements of our students, staff, alumni, and industry partners.
This year's ceremony marked our first under the department's new name, reflecting our broadened commitment to addressing the complex challenges of sustainable infrastructure, environmental stewardship, and resilient communities.
About the Awards
Held annually, this event celebrates academic excellence, research innovation, teaching quality, and leadership within the department. It’s a chance for our community to come together and acknowledge the accomplishments that are shaping the future of civil and environmental engineering. This year’s ceremony was on Wednesday 4 June 2025 and attended by over 170 guests, an evening full of celebratory vibe.
You can view the photographs from the event here. If you would like to have an image sent to you via email, please add to the cart and enter your email address.
Award categories
Undergraduate awards
Level 1
Top student commencing Civil Engineering - Yenul Rajapaksha
For the student who enters Level 2 of the Civil Engineering degree, with the highest average across all units taken in Level 1.
Top student commencing Environmental Engineering - Louise Wynne
For the student who enters Level 2 of the Environmental Engineering degree, with the highest average across all units taken in Level 1.
Level 2
Top student in Civil Engineering - Tori Lindner Guarnera
For the student with highest average in Level 2 Engineering units.
Top student in Environmental Engineering - Alistair Wastlhuber
For the student with highest average in Level 2 Engineering units.
The Civil Contractors Federation Ian Jacka Award for Level 2 Construction Engineering - Satyanarayanan Anandakrishnan
Awarded to the student with top score in Level 2 Construction unit CIV2283
Tetra Tech Coffey Award for Level 2 Geomechanics Engineering - Minh Tam Huynh
Presented to the student with top score in Level 2 Geomechanics unit CIV2242.
WSP Level 2 Award for Civil and Environmental Engineering - Bhagesh Shetty
Awarded for the student selected by the panel through an application process
Level 3
Top student in Civil Engineering - Maximilian John Inns
For the student with highest average in Level 3 Engineering units.
Top student in Environmental Engineering - Jack Cole Grenda
For the student with highest average in Level 3 Engineering units.
Australian Steel Institute Award for Level 3 Structural Engineering - Harrison Osmond
Presented to the student with the top score in Level 3 Building structures and Technology unit CIV3221
SRIA Award for Level 4 Structural Design
Presented to the student with the best overall performance in Level 2 Traffic Engineering units.
- Hugh James McLeish
- Ze Huai Chong
Douglas Partners Award for Level 3 Geomechanics Engineering - Maximilian John Inns
Presented to the student with top score in Level 3 Geomechanics 2 unit CIV3247 and Groundwater and Environmental Geomechanics unit CIV3248
GHD Highway Design Group Award for Level 3
Presented to the group of students who submitted the best highway design project in Road Engineering unit CIV3283
Group 1
- Tanya Bhandari
- Mirabel Somtochukwu Okoli
- Alicia Pera
- Anne Lei Castor See
Group 1
- Steve Lei
- Anthony Liu
- Nick Yu
- Michael Schneider-Loos
Traffix Level 3 Traffic Engineering Award - Rakul Sridaran
Presented to the student selected by the panel through an application process
IWN Water Innovation Award for Level 3 Water Engineering - Matin Behshad
Presented to the student with the top score in the Level 3 Water Hydrology unit CIV3285
Level 4
Top student in Civil Engineering - Rachel Laura Masquiren
For the student with highest average in Level 4 Engineering units.
Top student in Environmental Engineering - Lachlan Richard Hughes
For the student with highest average in Level 4 Engineering units.
GHD Top Graduating Student in Civil and Environmental Engineering - Sophie Jayne Li
For the student with highest average in Level 4 Engineering units.
AECOM Award for Level 4 Civil & Environmental Engineering Practice
Awarded to the highest scoring group in Civil and Environmental Engineering Practice unit CIV4212
- Victor Hoang
- Laurent Kong
- Jason Le
- James Raj Narayanan
- Taylor Poon
SMEC Award for Level 4 Best Geomechanics Final Year Project
Presented for the best Geomechanics Final Year Project ENG4702/ENG4701
- Cindy Zhu
- Ponsruthi Ponnarasu
Postgraduate awards
Walker Family Award 2025 - Guan Yu Sze
Awarded to the best graduate in a Civil Engineering Masters Program 2025
2024 Mollie Holman Medal Nominee - Sadegh Khanmohammadi
This award recognises excellence in the Doctoral thesis submission and is presented to the student with the best PhD thesis.
Eric Laurenson Medal - Timothy Lim
An award for the best PhD thesis in Water research from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, acknowledging the potential impact, and excellence.
Departmental awards
2025 IAC Member of the Year Award - Khaled Elagha
In recognition of significant contribution to the Department as an Industry Advisory Committee member.
2025 Professional Staff Member Award - Christine Vozikis
Awarded to a professional staff member demonstrating a high level of technical or administrative service, improvement in these areas of service provision, outstanding contribution to the team effort and commitment to achieving the Department’s strategic and operational goals.
2025 Team Player Award - Les Bugajski
Awarded to a member of staff demonstrating exemplary contributions to supporting departmental staff, outstanding contributions to the team effort and commitment to achieving the Department’s strategic and operational goals.
2025 Occupational Health and Safety Award - Christelle Schang
An award to recognize outstanding contribution to the application of the University’s Occupational Health and Safety, policies and procedures.
2025 Award for Excellence in Teaching - Colin Caprani
This award is presented for excellence in teaching leading to improved outcomes, transferable knowledge and understanding across other units in the Department.
2025 Award for Best Teaching Associate - Tamara Herzog
This award is presented to a Teaching Associate who exemplified outstanding understanding of the unit structure and academic content, and provided highly effective assistance and support to students.
2025 Best Teaching Fellow - Thang Nguyen
For significant contribution to teaching in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2024
2025 Award for Excellence in Research - Liton Kamruzzaman
This award recognises a researcher who can demonstrate a strong publication record in high impact journals, evidence of attracting competitive research grants, successful postgraduate supervision, research collaborations and networks, invitation to present at conferences and contribution to prestigious journal editorial board.
2025 Outstanding Supervision Award - Yihai Fang
In recognition of exceptional practices deployed in the supervision of graduate research students
25 Years of Service
In recognition of 25 Years of Service
- Abdelmalek Bouazza
- Noi Souvandy
Alumnus of the Year Award
2025 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumnus of the Year Award - Mark McManamny
In recognition of significant contribution to the engineering profession and community.
We look forward to sharing this special occasion with our community and to celebrating the individuals who continue to raise the standard of excellence in civil and environmental engineering.
Thank you to all our sponsors
Further information about the awards including previous recipients can be found here.
Follow Monash Department of Civil Engineering on LinkedIn and Twitter/X.
For more information please contact: civil.admin@monash.edu.