Nico van Wingen Memorial Graduate Fellowship Recipients
2026 Recipients
Qian Zhang
Qian Zhang is a doctoral degree candidate in energy and mineral engineering (petroleum and natural gas engineering option) at Penn State. Her primary research focuses on reservoir simulation, modelling, and dimensional analysis with applications to CO2 storage and EOR in shale reservoirs.
Qian earned BS degree in petroleum engineering and MS degree in oil & gas field development engineering from China University of Petroleum (East China). Qian is Recipient of several honours, including the Penn State University Graduate Fellowship and C. Drew Stahl Scholarship in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering.
Karem Al-Garadi
Karem Al-Garadi is a Ph.D. student in Petroleum Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Petroleum Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, where he graduated with first-class honors. His research interests include chemical enhanced oil recovery, petrophysics, and flow through porous media, with current work focused on advancing polymer-based recovery methods for heavy and viscous oil reservoirs.
Karem has an extensive research record that includes multiple granted U.S. patents as well as peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers. He is also a previous recipient of the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Henry DeWitt Smith Fellowship and has contributed to SPE activities, including speaking at the North American Student Symposium. Karem previously served as Vice President of the American Rock Mechanics Association student chapter at UT Austin and is a member of the UT PetroBowl Team.