2026 Student Awards

The Department of Environmental Health Science has selected  students from among those nominated by faculty members, to receive the 2026 Outstanding Environmental Health Science Student Awards. This year’s winners were chosen for their academic achievements, community service and leadership roles.

Student	Award	About
.	ENHS Ph.D. Student of the Year Award: Mahbub Alam	Mahbub Alam earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of South Carolina in 2026, maintaining an outstanding academic record. His doctoral research focused on the characterization and transformation of incidental nanomaterials and environmentally persistent free radicals in wildland-urban interface fires. Throughout his doctoral studies, he demonstrated exceptional research productivity, contributing to numerous peer-reviewed publications, including four first-author research articles, and presenting his findings at national and international scientific conferences. Beyond his research accomplishments, he demonstrated leadership through student organizations, scholarly peer review, and mentoring activities. In recognition of his exemplary academic achievements, impactful research, and demonstrated potential for leadership and service, he received the 2026 ENHS Ph.D. Student of the Year Award. He currently serves as an Environmental Engineer at Siemens Energy while continuing his scholarly contributions as a Research Affiliate in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of South Carolina.