2025–2026 SUNY Chancellor's Awards for Excellence Honors Mechanical Engineering Faculty
The Department of Mechanical Engineering proudly congratulates Jay Mendelson, Jie Gao, and Anurag Purwar on receiving the 2025–2026 State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor's Awards for Excellence.
Gao, Purwar, and Mendelson are among 29 Stony Brook University faculty and staff recognized this year with these prestigious system-level honors, which celebrate
consistently outstanding achievement in teaching, scholarship, and professional service
across the SUNY system.
Jie Gao - Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities
Associate Professor Jie Gao received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, which recognizes faculty who have demonstrated sustained excellence in research
and creative achievement beyond their teaching responsibilities.
Gao's interdisciplinary research in photonics and optical nanotechnology explores how light interacts with nanoscale materials to advance technologies in holographic imaging, quantum optics, optical sensing, and energy harvesting. At the time of her nomination, she had published 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, held two patents, received more than 6,000 citations, and secured approximately $4.2 million in competitive research funding from agencies including the National Science Foundation, DARPA, NASA, the Army Research Laboratory, ORAU, and the U.S. Department of Education. Her research is helping advance next-generation integrated photonics, quantum technologies, and precision optical sensing.
Gao expressed gratitude for the recognition and the support that has enabled her research, stating:
"I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the Chancellor’s recognition and for the invaluable research support and opportunities provided by the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stony Brook University. I look forward to continuing to make meaningful contributions to the academic community."
Jay Mendelson - Excellence in Adjunct Teaching
Lecturer Jay Mendelson received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching, recognizing his outstanding commitment to student learning and professional preparation.
Drawing on more than 31 years of industrial design and engineering management experience, Mendelson prepares students for engineering careers through the department's Mechanical Engineering Senior Design sequence, where teams guide projects from concept to prototype while completing the full engineering design process through technical research, design, testing, documentation, and professional presentations. He also pioneered the department's Industrial Partners Program, giving students the opportunity to complete senior design projects for local companies and gain valuable real-world engineering experience. In addition to Senior Design, Mendelson also teaches courses in machine design, vector mechanics, and electric vehicles.
Mendelson offered the following remarks upon receiving the award:
"I would like to thank my colleagues and the students of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stony Brook University for their support and encouragement in my 10 years of teaching there."
Anurag Purwar - Excellence in Teaching
Associate Professor Anurag Purwar received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching for his exceptional leadership in engineering education, student mentoring, and innovative
STEM instruction.
Purwar’s teaching of MEC 101: Freshman Design Innovation has created a hands-on, project-based learning experience that introduces students to engineering through design, robotics, and creative problem solving. His NSF-supported educational innovations led to the development of the Snappy-XO robotics kit and MotionGen software, now used by more than 80,000 students in 150 countries. Alongside his educational leadership, Purwar is an active researcher, entrepreneur, and mentor whose work has earned numerous honors for excellence in teaching and STEM education.
Purwar shared his appreciation for the recognition:
"I am deeply honored to receive the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. I have always believed that teaching and research are inseparable: my research continually enriches what I bring into the classroom, while my students' curiosity and ideas inspire new directions in my work. This is reflected in the creation of MEC101: Freshman Design Innovation class, whose students motivated me to create a design-driven robotics kit and design apps like MotionGen. I am grateful to my students, colleagues, and the Stony Brook community for making this recognition possible."
Celebrating a Tradition of Excellence
The recognition of Gao, Mendelson, and Purwar reflects the Department of Mechanical Engineering's continued commitment to excellence in research, teaching, and student success. Their achievements highlight the breadth of the department's impact—from internationally recognized scholarship and educational innovation to mentorship that prepares the next generation of engineers.
Department Chair P. Scott Carney praised both the recipients and the collaborative culture that makes their accomplishments possible.
"I'm deeply grateful to the Chancellor for recognizing the excellence in Mechanical Engineering, but I am even more grateful for the amazing work done every day by the faculty, staff and students of the department. The spotlight shone on Jie Gao for her outstanding scholarship illuminates as well the work of those around her who are happy to have a brilliant colleague and who support her success. The dedication to teaching recognized in Anurag Purwar is endemic to the department and visible in the careful preparation of labs and lectures, the long hours spent with students, and the excitement in the faculty who get to teach. Finally, with a growing department and diverse intellectual pursuits we simply must have great adjunct instructors and I am thrilled to see Jay Mendelson acknowledged for the outstanding work he does for us."
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