SPE® Announces Winners of ACCE & Rehkopf Scholarships To Be Honored at Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition

Press release submitted on behalf of SPE®.

The organizing committee for the SPE Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition (ACCE) announced the winners of the group’s annual SPE ACCE scholarships and the Dr. Jackie Rehkopf scholarships from a fund that has been set up to honor the long-time SPE ACCE committee member, SPE Automotive Division board member, and automotive composites researcher. SPE ACCE and Rehkopf scholarship winners will be honored at the SPE ACCE, Sept. 4 – 6, 2024 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan, US. ACCE scholarship winners will plan to present the results of their research at the next year’s SPE ACCE event, Sept. 3 – 5, 2025. Rehkopf scholarship winners will present the results of their research at next year’s SPE ACCE or publish them in an SPE journal. Both scholarships are administered as part of the SPE Foundation (www.4spe.org).

The ACCE Scholarships (a total of $6,000 USD) are sponsored by the SPE Automotive and SPE Composites Divisions. Five ACCE Scholarships ($500 – $2,000 USD each) are awarded to students pursuing advanced studies in a composites-related field. The five winners of the SPE ACCE scholarships are Kuthan Celebi, a PhD student in Materials Engineering at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, (https://www.ubc.ca/) awarded $2,000; Uday Kiran Balaga, a PhD student in focused on Composites Recycling at the University of Delaware Center for Composite Materials in Newark, Delaware, US, (https://www.ccm.udel.edu/) also awarded also awarded $2,000; Md Amay Amif, a PhD student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, USA (https://www.baylor.edu/) awarded $1,000; Seyedshahabaldin Amirabadi, a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto, in Toronto, Canada, (https://www.utoronto.ca/) awarded $500; and Elife Kildali, a PhD student in Bioengineering at the Bursa Technical University in Bursa, Turkey (https://www.btu.edu.tr/) also awarded $500.

The Dr. Jackie Rehkopf Scholarships are sponsored by the SPE Automotive Division, the SPE Composites Division and the generous donations of friends and family. Three winners selected this year for the Rehkopf Scholarship ($1,250 – $2,500 USD each) are Paula Hohoff, Chief Engineer of the Polymer Engineering Center at UW-Madison in Madison, Wisconsin, USA (https://pec.engr.wisc.edu/) awarded $2,500; Meng Jiang, a Taohist and a chemist at Worch Lab at Virgina Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA (https://worchlab.chem.vt.edu/) awarded $1,250; and Dhanashree Shinde a PhD student at the University of Delaware Center for Composite Materials in Newark, Delaware, USA (https://www.ccm.udel.edu/) also awarded $1,250.

Kuthan Celebi
PhD Candidate, Materials Engineering
University of British Columbia
2024 ACCE Scholar

Kuthan Çelebi is a PhD student in Materials Engineering at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Kuthan graduated from the same university in 2022 with his Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Engineering, a unique program combining Mechanical and Materials Engineering. His Ph.D. project focuses on compression molded discontinuous long-fiber reinforced composites (DLFC). He is developing machine learning models to analyze the mechanical properties and damage characteristics of this promising material, using data that can be feasibly obtained in industrial applications. Kuthan’s previous experience includes teaching assistantships and internship roles at a composites research lab and various companies in the aviation and consumer electronics sectors.

Uday Kiran Balaga
PhD Candidate, Composites Recycling
University of Delaware Center for Composite Materials
2024 ACCE Scholar

Since childhood, Uday Kiran Balaga has focused on applying knowledge practically rather than just aiming for high grades. This mindset led him to pursue a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, expanding his opportunities to explore advanced technologies. His interest in practical applications took him to Germany for a Master’s degree, where he specialized in composites research. Conducting his thesis at the Center for Composite Materials in the United States deepened his involvement in this field. This journey led to securing a PhD position focused on composites recycling, a sustainable solution for manufacturing. He is eager to contribute to innovative solutions and advancements in this vital field.

Md Admay Amay
PhD Candidate, Mechanical Engineering
Baylor University
2024 ACCE Scholar

Md Admay Amif received his BS in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and his MS in Mechanical Engineering from Baylor University. Currently, he is pursuing his PhD in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Baylor University. His research is focused on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP), conventional and Phased Array (PA) ultrasonic inspection, analysis of fracture mechanisms with structural testing and Finite Element Analysis. He has served SPE at Baylor University for two years as General Secretary and President. Besides, he enjoys travelling, outdoor activities, and sports. He grew up in Nilphamari, Bangladesh.

Seyedshahabaldin (Shahab) Amirabadi
PhD Candidate, Mechanical Engineering
University of Toronto
2024 ACCE Scholar

Seyedshahabaldin (Shahab) Amirabadi is a PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto. He did his MSc. and BSc. in Chemical Engineering at Laval University and Shiraz University, respectively. His PhD research is about developing nano-fibrillated flame-retardant polymer composites and foams. During his PhD, he obtained various experiences in polymer processing techniques including extrusion systems, injection molding, compression molding, and fiber spinning (e.g., spun bond). Furthermore, he notably gained exposure to the fabrication and characterization of microcellular structure, as well as nanofibrillar composites. He also experienced fabricating nanocomposites using various nanomaterials for fire retarding applications.

Elife Kildali
PhD Candidate, Polymer Engineering
Bursa Technical University
2024 ACCE Scholar

Elife Kildali is a bioengineer and works at Bursa Technical University as a research assistant. She has a bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering from Adana Alparslan Türkes Science and Technology University. Elife received her Master’s degree from Bursa Technical University’s Bioengineering program in December 2021 and is currently enrolled in the Bioengineering Ph.D. program. She aims to research engineering polymer composites with improved properties for thesis. Elife continues her research and education on polymeric materials in order to improve herself. After graduation, her main goal is to advance polymeric composite materials, which is a very important part of the automotive industry.

Paula Hohoff
Chief Engineer, Polymer Engineering Center at UW-Madison
2024 Rehkopf Scholar

Paula Hohoff is the Chief Engineer of the Polymer Engineering Center at UW–Madison. She graduated with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from RWTH Aachen University in Germany. Her research includes modeling fiber microstructure in polymer flows with a passion to drive innovations for sustainable solutions around plastics materials. Her industrial experience in modeling injection molding processes and project management makes her fundamental research an asset to industrial applications. She was honored with the Springorum medal for outstanding graduate students from RWTH Aachen University and is engaged in various professional networks covering plastics industries, female leadership, and social responsibilities.

Meng Jiang
Taoist and Chemist, Worch Lab at Virginia Tech
2024 Rehkopf Scholar

As a Taoist and a chemist, Meng is interested in observing nature, recording patterns (and/or proposing theories), and predicting future events based on these patterns. She has previously worked in the fields of inorganic chemistry and computational chemistry before joining Worch Lab. After intensively working in different fields of natural science, with initial conflicts and later uniformity in thoughts, she has developed a somewhat atypical view of science and life. Her current research focuses on creating programmable and recyclable polymeric and composite materials using dynamic covalent chemistries. In the process of generating new materials, she is also interested in deciphering the connection between theoretical understanding of microscopic level chemistry and measurable material properties.

Dhanashree Shinde
PhD Candidate, University of Delaware Center for Composite Materials
2024 Rehkopf Scholar

Being a first-generation PhD student, Dhanashree Shinde noted she has come a long way thanks to her parents’ support. She completed her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology, India. Although she always wanted to pursue a PhD immediately after her undergraduate studies, she sought industry experience first. This led her to earn a Master’s in Plastics Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, driven by her interest in polymer processing. She then worked in the plastics industry for two years. Her desire for deeper knowledge in composite material development, especially for automotive applications, inspired her to pursue a PhD.

About ACCE:
Held annually in suburban Detroit, the ACCE draws 500 speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees and provides an environment dedicated solely to discussion, education and networking about advances in transportation composites. Its global appeal is evident in the diversity of exhibitors, speakers, and attendees who come to the conference from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia/Pacific as well as North America. About one-third of attendees work for automotive and light truck, agriculture, truck & bus or aviation OEMs and another 25% represent tier suppliers. Attendees also work for composite materials processing equipment, additives, or reinforcement suppliers; trade associations, consultancies, university and government labs; media; and investment banks. Since 2001, the show has been produced by the SPE Automotive & Composites Divisions.The mission of SPE is to promote scientific and engineering knowledge relating to plasticsworldwide and to educate industry, academia, and the public about these advances. SPE’s Automotive Division is active in educating, promoting, recognizing, and communicating technical\ accomplishments in all phases of plastics and plastic-based composite developments in the global transportation industry. SPE’s Composites Division does the same with a focus on plastic-based composites in multiple industries. Topic areas include applications, materials, processing, equipment, tooling, design, and development. For more information see www.speautomotive.com and www.specomposites.org. For more information on the Society of Plastics Engineers, see www.4spe.org.