The University of Florida Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is celebrating back-to-back national honors after two of its students received the U.S. Department of Energy’s Outstanding Achievement in Energy by an Industrial Assessment Center Student award in consecutive years. This national award recognizes students who have made significant contributions to energy efficiency through their work in the Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) program.
Mahsa Farzaneh, Ph.D., received the award in 2024. In 2025, Arash Shad, Ph.D., was honored, continuing the department’s record of excellence. Both completed their doctoral degrees under the guidance of professors S.A. Sherif and S. Balachandar and made major contributions to both academic research and hands-on industrial energy assessment.
Dr. Arash Shad
Shad, who earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering in 2025, joined UF in 2020. His research focused on simulating atmospheric icing on aircraft wings using a novel Eulerian two-phase model. He also contributed to large-scale simulations of droplet airflow and collection on NACA airfoils, supporting improvements in aerospace safety.
As part of the UF Industrial Assessment and Training Center, Shad led more than 55 on-site energy audits for Florida manufacturers. He delivered over 10 detailed reports to the center’s field manager, helping identify energy-saving strategies across a variety of industrial systems. His leadership and technical work earned national recognition from the Department of Energy.
Shad also serves as president of UF’s student chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, where he helps bridge disciplines and expand student engagement in energy-related work.
“Training local manufacturers in the latest energy optimization technologies is essential for enhancing operational efficiency,” Shad said. “We strive to make a meaningful impact through our work.”
Dr. Mahsa Farzaneh
Farzaneh, who graduated with her Ph.D. in mechanical and aerospace engineering in Spring 2025, conducted research in high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics.. Her work included modeling frost formation and heat transfer in turbulent flows and developing a direct numerical simulation framework to study frost behavior on heat exchangers using high-performance computing systems.
As student center lead for the UF IAC, Farzaneh conducted more than 60 energy audits at manufacturing facilities throughout the state. Her work focused on evaluating mechanical systems and identifying cost-effective energy and process improvements. She also served as vice president of the UF ASHRAE student chapter, organizing technical events and outreach.
In addition to the DOE’s Outstanding Achievement in Energy award, Farzaneh received multiple national honors, including:
- The DOE’s Outstanding IAC Student Award
- Best poster awards at the 75th and 77th American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics meetings
- Recognition as Florida representative in water power technology at the 2023 DOE EnergyTech University Competition
“Working with the UF Industrial Assessment Center has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my Ph.D.,” she said. “I gained invaluable hands-on experience by applying my engineering knowledge to help manufacturers save energy, reduce costs and improve their processes.”
A Shared Commitment
Farzaneh and Shad exemplify the innovation, academic rigor and public service that define the UF Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Their groundbreaking work tackles global challenges — from making air travel safer to helping industries become more energy efficient and sustainable. Married and deeply committed to their fields, they are partners in both life and research, representing the very best of what UF aims to cultivate: bold thinkers, dedicated leaders and engineers committed to real-world impact. The department is proud to celebrate their achievements and excited to see the difference they will continue to make in the years ahead.
On Excellence and Mentorship
“I am so proud of the research that Arash and Mahsan did on their Ph.D. dissertations. Mahsan worked on frost formation on the surfaces of freezer coils, while Arash worked on ice accretion on aircraft wings. Mahsan’s research has direct impact on energy savings in supermarkets and food distribution warehouses, while Arash’s research is directly tied to aviation safety.” – SA Sherif Ph.D.
“It has been a real pleasure to have Dr. Mahsa Farzaneh and Dr. Arash Shad working in the UF Industrial Training and Assessment Center (UF-ITAC) for about 5 years. As the UF-ITAC Assistant Director, and as we went to energy audits and prepare reports for the US-DOE, I saw them grow in expertise and knowledge as we workedwith industry solving real world engineering problems, and in mentoring new UF-ITAC students. Cumulatively, through their collaborative work and ideas,they saved over $3.0 million dollars to industry in energy savings, increase in productivity and on waste recycling/disposal. Because of their achievements we nominated Mahsa and Arash to receive the prestigious US-DOE Outstanding Achievement award, which they both received.” – Cristian E. Cardenas-Lailhacar, Ph.D.
Story & Editing by: Katherine Canev, Gina Schoenfeld, & Christi Swiers
UF Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
July 1, 2025