The Tarafder Lab is proud to share that Fatima Elzahra Essassi (Zahra), PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at South Dakota State University, received an Honorable Mention 🌟 at the Graduate Student Poster Competition during the 2026 Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Day (SRSCAD), jointly hosted by the Graduate School and the Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College.

This recognition comes from a highly competitive field of nearly 100 graduate posters, with only one Top Graduate Poster 🥇 award, one Honorable Mention 🌟, and one Best Application of Artificial Intelligence in Research 🤖 award—highlighting the significance of Zahra’s accomplishment.

This achievement also reflects the continued momentum of the Tarafder Lab. In the previous year, PhD student Hasan Rafsan Jani received the Top Graduate Poster 🥇 award in the same competition and participated again this year.

These accomplishments underscore the dedication, creativity, and scientific rigor of our students and highlight the growing impact of our research program in biomaterials and mechanobiology at South Dakota State University.

Congratulations to Zahra and all the awardees on their outstanding achievements! 👏