Soumyajit Rajak Wins Prestigious AVS Morton M. Traum Award
Introduction
Graduate student Soumyajit Rajak, a member of Prof. Nan Jiang’s research group, has won the 2025 Morton M. Traum Surface Science Student Award from the American Vacuum Society (AVS). The award was presented at the 71st AVS International Symposium in Charlotte, North Carolina, in recognition of his outstanding original research in the field of surface science.
From a highly competitive pool of applicants, five finalists were selected to compete at the symposium. Among them, the judges unanimously chose Soumyajit as the winner. His presentation provided new insights into the fundamental processes that govern single-site catalysis and product selectivity in coupling reactions.
Established in 1981, the Morton M. Traum Award is one of the most prestigious student honors in the AVS community. Presented annually by the AVS Surface Science Division, the award recognizes the best student presentation at the AVS International Symposium. Finalists are chosen to present their work during the Surface Science poster session. The award includes a cash prize, a certificate, and recognition of the winner’s name in future symposium technical programs, on the AVS website, and on a plaque on display at the Symposium."