Kennesaw State University’s top researchers were honored Wednesday at the Apex Awards, an annual event that celebrates the people behind the work that fuels cutting-edge discovery.

The event, hosted by the Office of Research since 2023, gathered researchers across KSU’s nine academic colleges, with each individual college’s leadership identifying its top three researchers from the past year.

“Apex signifies the highest point, the summit,” Executive Vice President for Research Karin Scarpinato said. “It is with this spirit that we acknowledge the exemplary accomplishments of those whose work not only advances knowledge within their fields but also impacts our community and improves everyone’s lives.”

This year’s recipients exemplify KSU’s commitment to fostering intellectual curiosity and championing the transformative power of research.

From cutting-edge discoveries in the sciences and engineering, to compelling insights in education and business, in the social sciences, humanities, and the arts, these researchers seek to forge new paths and improve society for all.

– Story by Alyssa Ozment

Apex Award Recipients

Sohyun An, Bagwell College of Education

Johari Harris, Bagwell College of Education

Lateefah Id-Deen, Bagwell College of Education

Divesh Sharma, Coles College of Business

Dana Hermanson, Coles College of Business

Brian Rutherford, Coles College of Business

Sanjeev Adhikari, College of Architecture and Construction Management

Minsoo Baek, College of Architecture and Construction Management

Giovanni Loreto, College of Architecture and Construction Management

Autumn Eckman, Geer Family College of the Arts

Jeremy Speed-Schwartz, Geer Family College of the Arts

Jacqueline Springfield, Geer Family College of the Arts

Taeyeong Choi, College of Computing and Software Engineering

Rifatul Islam, College of Computing and Software Engineering

Mahmut Karakaya, College of Computing and Software Engineering

Timothy Faver, College of Science and Mathematics

Chetan Dhital, College of Science and Mathematics

Todd Pierson, College of Science and Mathematics

Kristin Horan, Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Brandon Lundy, Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Tom Rotnem, Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Beibei Jhang, Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology

Jayhyun Kwon, Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology

Muhammad Hassan Tanveer, Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology

Robert Buresh, Wellstar College of Health and Human Services

Nalani Butler, Wellstar College of Health and Human Services

Chinomso Nwozichi, Wellstar College of Health and Human Services