Xue Wang, PhD in chemical engineering, is the Fall 2025 winner of the Dr. Bhakta Rath and Sushama Rath Research Award.
The honor, which recognizes the Colorado School of Mines doctoral graduate whose thesis demonstrates the greatest potential for societal impact, was presented during 2025 Midyear Graduate Commencement on Dec. 19. At the ceremony, Mines awarded 96 doctorates and 301 master’s degrees to December and August graduates.
Wang’s dissertation, “Understanding of Plasma Surface Interactions During Plasma Etching of Silicon-Based Dielectrics for Semiconductor Device Fabrication,” directly addresses the challenge associated with the fabrication of next-generation computer chips – chips expected to have features smaller than two nanometers, or less than ten atoms across.
“Xue Wang is a rising star in the field of semiconductor processing. He has been at the leading edge, making fundamental discoveries that will enable advances for future generations of high precision sub-nanometer semiconductor device fabrication, including those for AI systems and supercomputer devices,” said Walter G. Copan, vice president for research and technology transfer. “In semiconductor manufacturing, plasma etching is a key process, and Xue’s experiments have established an in-depth understanding of the etching mechanism at the atomic scale. Xue carried out in situ optical metrology to establish a unique science-based approach to advance the field.”
During his research, Wang introduced several unique lab capabilities, including a delivery system for anhydrous hydrogen fluoride gas into the plasma and an analytical system to characterize the surface and gas chemistry during plasma etching of materials. Currently, the lab at Mines is the only academic facility in the U.S. with this capability. Wang’s PhD advisor is Sumit Agarwal, professor of chemical and biological engineering.
“His work is widely recognized in the semiconductor industry and by the broader scientific community,” Agarwal said. “Besides our ongoing collaboration with Lam Research Corporation, Xue’s research efforts will likely result in new Mines collaborations with the largest manufacturers of memory chips in the U.S.”
Wang defended his PhD in August and is now working as a Process Engineer at Lam Research Corporation in California
Finalists for the Rath Award were
- Scott Cleary, Chemistry, “Targeted Remediation of Polyolefin and Perfluoroalkyl Polymer Waste Through the Structured Crystallization of Metal Oxides and Other Porous Frameworks”
- Anna Corman, Mechanical Engineering, “Personalized Musculoskeletal Modeling of Military Service Members to Identify Injury Risk”
- Jonathan Diller, Computer Science, “Robust Robot Teams; Making Planning for Multi-Agent Systems Reflective”
- Aron Griffin, Civil and Environmental Engineering, “Application of High-Pressure Membranes for Treatment of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Wastewater”
- Arielle Koshkin, Hydrologic Sciences and Engineering, “Spatial and Temporal Variability of Wildfire Impacts on Snow Hydrology Under Current and Future Climates”
- Kristina Pitman, Mineral and Energy Economics, “Essays on the Energy Transition: Impacts of Technology, Market Access, and Policy”
- J. Eric Stautberg, Geology and Geological Engineering, “The Identification and Characterization of Sedimentary Geothermal Play Types and Hot Sedimentary Aquifers on the Texas Gulf Coast for Electrical Power Generation and Direct Use Applications”
- Kathleen Tomon Veidmark, Operations Research with Engineering, “Mixed-Integer Programming for Energy and Economic Optimization”
Other Graduate Awards
Chemical & Biological Engineering
- Outstanding Thesis Award: Xue Wang
Computer Science
- Outstanding Graduating Master’s Student: Isaac Fry
Economics & Business
- Broussard Award in Engineering & Technology Management: Davian Sandoval
- Joe Eazor Award in Engineering & Technology Management: Alexander Shaw
- Risser Award in Mineral & Energy Economics: London Spivey
- William Jesse Coulter Award in Mineral & Energy Economics: Maxwell Fleming
Humanitarian Engineering & Science
- Outstanding Graduate Student Award: Taylor Ericson
Mechanical Engineering
- Emeritus Faculty Exemplary Graduate Student Award: Kathleen Tomon Veidmark
- Outstanding Dissertation Award: Anna Corman
University-wide Awards
- President’s Scholar Athlete Award: Grayston DiBlasi, Wrestling
About Mines
Colorado School of Mines is a public R1 research university focused on applied science and engineering, producing the talent, knowledge and innovations to serve industry and benefit society – all to create a more prosperous future.
