Nine Fulton Schools students named ARCS scholars for 2026–27

Nine doctoral students from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering are among 24 Arizona State University graduate researchers selected as recipients of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists, or ARCS, award for 2026–27. Chosen by the ARCS Foundation Phoenix Chapter, the support gives them greater flexibility to advance their research, pursue innovative ideas and invest in their professional development.

Chartered in 1975, the ARCS Foundation Phoenix Chapter has since provided more than $8.4 million to graduate students in science, engineering and medical research at ASU, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. ARCS Scholars receive $8,500 in unrestricted funding to support their research, with the award administered by the ASU Graduate College.

The Fulton Schools ARCS Scholars represent research across a wide range of engineering fields. Among this year’s recipients, students are redesigning power converters, developing models of neurodegenerative disease, building robots capable of operating in less-structured environments and developing new ways to recover critical minerals from mining waste streams.

“Graduate school is one of the first opportunities that students have to conceptualize their own research projects, and those related experiences shape their impression of research overall,” says Jennifer Bekki, interim associate dean of graduate programs in the Fulton Schools. “Research also isn’t always predictable, and resources, like those offered through the ARCS Foundation, let graduate students have more flexibility to respond to what their research requires. That ability to explore important questions with fewer constraints can be what turns a promising student into someone who decides to dedicate their career to research.” 

Rethinking power conversion

Jacob Anderson, a doctoral student in electrical engineering in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, is working to make the power electronic converters used in technologies such as solar inverters, electric vehicle chargers, consumer electronics and data centers smaller and more efficient.

His research focuses on single-phase AC/DC power electronic converters, with the goal of increasing their power density, allowing them to deliver the same or greater power using smaller, lighter hardware. This work is essential to systems ranging from solar inverters and electric vehicle chargers to consumer electronics and data center power supplies.

Anderson conducts the work in the Miniaturized and Advanced Power Electronics Laboratory led by Mike Ranjram, an assistant professor of electrical engineering in the Fulton Schools.

“Our research seeks to facilitate a paradigm shift in the conventional approach to single-phase AC/DC power conversion, redefining the architectures and achievable performance for next-generation converters,” Anderson says.

In practical terms, higher power density could reduce the size and weight of conversion hardware used across electrified systems.

The ARCS scholarship will also give Anderson something equally valuable: time.

“By reducing the financial burden associated with graduate studies, the ARCS scholarship allows me to devote more time and effort to advancing my research goals,” Anderson says.

Studying early changes in neurodegeneration

Taylor Pennington, a biomedical engineering doctoral student in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, studies how disruptions in cellular metabolism may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Her work in the Andrews Lab, led by Fulton Schools Assistant Professor Madeline Andrews, explores metabolic pathways that regulate neural cell health and how changes in those pathways may contribute to neurodegeneration.

Studying the earliest stages of the disease has long posed a challenge because living human brain tissue is largely inaccessible, while many existing models rely on rare inherited forms of disease or post-mortem tissue collected after extensive damage has already occurred.

Pennington uses 3D organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells to help address that gap. These lab-grown models recreate key features of human neural tissue, allowing researchers to study metabolic changes throughout disease progression and investigate the early events associated with sporadic neurodegenerative disease.

“The goal of this project is to identify metabolic pathways with previously unrecognized roles in neurodegeneration and improve our fundamental understanding of disease mechanisms,” she says. “We hope this contributes to more timely, effective interventions that ultimately improve the quality of life for patients and their families.”

The unrestricted ARCS funding will help Pennington cover costs associated with presenting research at scientific conferences, where she can exchange ideas with other researchers, learn new techniques and receive feedback to strengthen her work.

“Continued support from ARCS and its generous donors allows me to pursue these opportunities to expand the impact of my research both at ASU and as a future independent investigator,” she says.

Closing the loop on waste

Avery Brewer, a civil, environmental and sustainable engineering doctoral student in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, studies how microbial processes can address economic pitfalls by remediating waste from food and mining processes into potential resources.

In the Delgado Lab, housed within the Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology and led by Anca Delgado, an associate professor of environmental engineering in the Fulton Schools, Brewer examines organic wastes such as food waste that generate carbon dioxide and methane as they decompose. She also studies mining-influenced water that can become highly acidic and metal-rich, which poses significant risks for human and environmental health.

Brewer studies how microbes can turn waste into useful resources, with a particular focus on recovering value from mining-influenced water. Her research uses bacteria to treat water that has become acidic and metal-rich while selectively recovering metals that could be reused. She also studies how microbes can convert organic waste into chemicals used in fuels, materials and other products. The processes, known as microbial electrometallurgy and microbial chain elongation, could help reduce waste while recovering materials that would otherwise be lost.

“Selective recovery of metals from mining-influenced water would be a huge win-win for the environment and industry,” Brewer says. “By adding a biotic component, we hope to design an even more effective and sustainable system.”

The ARCS scholarship will give Brewer flexibility to invest in both her research and professional development. She plans to upgrade the cloud storage and premium visualization software to streamline her work and to use some of the funds toward conferences and laboratory intensives in the future.

Advancing animal-like robotics

Eric Weissman, a mechanical engineering doctoral student in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, is developing robots designed to operate in unpredictable environments such as agricultural fields.

Most industrial robots are built for structured settings, where tasks and surroundings are tightly controlled, reducing repetitive, hazardous work and increasing productivity. Weissman’s research is inspired by animals, whose flexible, compliant bodies allow then to navigate uneven terrain and respond to changing conditions.

In the Sun Robotics Lab led by Jiefeng Sun, an assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering in the Fulton Schools, Weissman combines rigid robotic hardware with compliant, bio-inspired components powered by artificial muscles. His designs draw on mammalian movement to improve how robots navigate complex terrain.

The research could support agricultural productivity and food security while reducing physically demanding or hazardous work. It could also expand scientific understanding of legged locomotion and demonstrate how hybrid soft-rigid robotic systems outperform conventional designs in complex, real-world settings.

Because the project depends on repeated prototyping and testing, the unrestricted funding gives Weissman flexibility to direct the funding toward the evolving needs of the research.

“ARCS support will help purchase components, build prototypes and conduct the experiments needed to refine both the robot’s mechanical design and its control systems, accelerating progress toward a reliable platform with applications in agriculture and beyond,” Weissman says.

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Meet the 2026–27 ARCS Scholars representing the Fulton Schools