Tiezhen Ren | Advanced Materials Engineering | Research Excellence Award

Published on by Research Awards

Prof. Tiezhen Ren | Advanced Materials Engineering | Research Excellence Award

Xinjiang university | China

Prof. Dr. Tie-Zhen Ren is a distinguished Professor at the School of Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang University, China. She obtained her Ph.D. in Inorganic Materials Chemistry from the University of Namur (FUNDP), Belgium, where she completed a thesis on hierarchically nanoporous functional materials under the supervision of Prof. Bao-Lian Su. Prior to her doctorate, she studied Polymer Engineering at Tianjin Institute of Technology and later pursued graduate studies in Plant Protection at Anhui Agricultural University. Her academic career includes serving as a Professor at Hebei University of Technology (2007–2021), conducting postdoctoral research at Stockholm University in Sweden, and working as a visiting researcher at the City College of New York. Prof. Ren’s research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials, mesoporous silica and metal oxide systems, photocatalysis, environmental materials, crystalline porous germanium oxides, catalyst development, and biomass-derived functional materials. She has extensive experience with advanced characterization techniques such as TEM, SEM-EDX, XRD, FT-IR, and electrochemical systems, and actively teaches courses such as General Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Principles, Catalysis, and Technical English. Prof. Ren has been the recipient of numerous prestigious honors, including the China National Scholarship for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad, the Tianchi Talent Leader Award, and the Tianjin Natural Science Award. She has led multiple national and international research projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Education, and Xinjiang Autonomous Region, focusing on photocatalysis, nanocatalyst design, biomass valorization, and environmental remediation. She has authored and co-authored more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific publications across high-impact journals and continues to contribute to research in sustainable chemistry, catalysis, and materials science. She is fluent in English and Chinese and has basic proficiency in French.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Huang, S., Zhang, H., Zhang, T., Li, C., Ren, T., & He, Z. (2025). High‐efficiency exfoliation of atomically‐thin non‐Van der Waals quasicrystal nanosheets with enhanced electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction performance. Small Methods. https://doi.org/10.1002/smtd.202501162

Song, Z.-H., Muhammad, I., Ren, T.-Z., Abulizi, A., Okitsu, K., Li, H.-R., & Zhang, X.-J. (2025, March 27). Preparation of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles via fluidized roasting and their application in the pyrolysis of spent mulching film for hydrocarbon production. ACS Sustainable Resource Management. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssusresmgt.4c00436

Han, J., Sun, L., Ulbricht, M., Fischer, L., Zhang, G., Gao, W., Lv, L., Ren, T., Liu, X., & Ren, Z. (2025). Sulfite enhanced permanganate/Fe(II) moderate oxidation coagulation for the treatment of algae-laden water: Performance and mechanisms. Chemical Engineering Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.159084

Fu, H., Bai, H., Abulizi, A., Okitsu, K., Maeda, Y., Ren, T., & Wang, S. (2024). Surfactant-enhanced ZnOₓ/CaO catalytic activity for ultrasound-assisted biodiesel production from waste cooking oil. Reaction Chemistry & Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1039/D3RE00306J

Cui, M.-J., Li, S.-S., Ren, T., Abulizi, A., & Nulahong, A.-S. (2024). Boosting BaTi₄O₉ photocatalytic H₂ evolution activity by functionalized CuNi alloy. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2024.115834

Cui, M.-J., Muhammad, I., Feng, J., & Ren, T. (2024). Isopropanol assisted preparation of α–Al₂O₃ nanoparticles and its surface charge investigation. Solid State Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solidstatesciences.2024.107706

Yurou Liu | Management and Accounting | Research Excellence Award

Published on by Research Awards

Assist Prof Dr. Yurou Liu | Management and Accounting | Research Excellence Award

southwest Jiaotong University | China

Dr. Yurou Liu is an emerging scholar and Assistant Professor at Southwest Jiaotong University, China, with a strong academic foundation supported by a Ph.D. from Renmin University of China and international experience as a visiting researcher at the National University of Singapore. Her research sits at the intersection of law and finance, earnings management, and tax avoidance, with a particular focus on how legal systems, regulatory frameworks, and governance arrangements influence corporate financial decision-making and strategic behavior. Dr. Liu has successfully led three funded research projects, including a prestigious National Natural Science Foundation Youth Project, as well as grants from the Ministry of Education and Renmin University, demonstrating her ability to secure competitive research funding and contribute to national academic priorities. Complementing her academic research portfolio, she has also engaged with industry through a consultancy research project commissioned by the Shanghai Municipal Audit Bureau, focusing on the development and international benchmarking of audit mechanisms in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, showcasing applied policy relevance and societal impact. Dr. Liu has published eight peer-reviewed journal articles in highly regarded and internationally indexed outlets, including the Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Business Ethics, British Accounting Review, and Accounting and Business Research, along with other respected journals in the field of accounting and finance. Her research has received growing scholarly recognition, accumulating more than 120 citations on Google Scholar, reflecting increasing influence and relevance within the academic community. Through her empirical work, Dr. Liu provides novel insights into how judicial efficiency affects corporate investment and financing behavior, how reforms and dispute resolution mechanisms influence financial misconduct, and how disclosure policies and governance systems shape innovation, transparency, and market response. Her findings contribute meaningful evidence supporting improved investor protection, enhanced regulatory enforcement, reduced financial risk, and greater accountability within corporate systems. With a research agenda aligned toward public governance, financial integrity, and evidence-based regulation, Dr. Liu contributes rigorously to both theoretical advancement and policy development. Her academic achievements, demonstrated leadership in funded research, and impactful publications underscore her growing standing as a promising young scholar in the global research community. Her commitment to research excellence, ethical scholarship, and continuous contribution to knowledge makes her a strong candidate for recognition under the Research Excellence Award.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Liu, Y. (2023). Judicial independence and crash risk: Evidence from a natural experiment in China. Journal of Corporate Finance, 83, Article 102490.

Liu, Y. (2022). Investor protection and audit fees: Evidence from the E-interaction platform in China. Accounting and Business Research, 52(7), 815–837.

Liu, Y., & Liu, J. (2024). Social integrity and stock price crash risk. Journal of Business Ethics, 190(3), 703–721.

Liu, J., Ye, K., & Liu, Y. (2023). Mandatory information disclosure and innovation: Evidence from the disclosure of operational information. China Journal of Accounting Research, 16(2), Article 100294.

Liu, Y. (2023). The high-speed railway opening and audit quality: Evidence from China. Economic and Political Studies, 11(4), 494–515.

Liu, Y., Ye, K., & Liu, J. (2023). Major asset restructuring performance commitments and classification shifting through non-recurring items. China Journal of Accounting Studies, 11(2), 270–299.

Liu, Y., & Chen, H. (n.d.). Does retail investor attention deter or promote earnings management? Evidence from interactive platforms. (Publication status unknown).

 

Bramhaiah Kommula | Materials Science | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Research Awards

Assist Prof Dr. Bramhaiah Kommula | Materials Science | Best Researcher Award

Assist Prof Dr. Bramhaiah Kommula | St. Joseph’s University Bangalore | India

Dr. Bramhaiah Kommula is an accomplished researcher and academic currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at St. Joseph’s University, Bengaluru. His research embodies a multidisciplinary approach at the intersection of nanomaterials, photochemistry, and sustainable energy, with a focus on developing advanced functional luminescent nanomaterials for energy conversion, storage, and environmental remediation. Dr. Kommula earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Mangalore University in 2018 under the supervision of Dr. Neena S. John at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, where he investigated the “Synthesis and Properties of Graphene-Based Hybrid Materials Employing Chemical Routes.” Following his doctoral studies, Dr. Kommula pursued postdoctoral research at prestigious institutes including IISER Berhampur (2019–2022) with Dr. Santanu Bhattacharyya and IISER Mohali (2022–2024) with Prof. Ujjal K. Gautam. His postdoctoral work focused on the design and engineering of carbon-based nanostructures and their photocatalytic applications in solar fuel generation, hydrogen evolution, and selective organic transformations. He also contributed to the development of metal-free, waste-derived carbon dots and explored their photophysical properties for green hydrogen production, CO₂ reduction, and photoinduced organic catalysis. Dr. Kommula’s current research at St. Joseph’s University integrates nanomaterial synthesis, photophysical studies, and energy applications, emphasizing sustainable approaches to convert plastic waste into high-value carbon dots (CDs) and utilize them as efficient metal-free photocatalysts. Dr. Kommula has also authored several book chapters published by Springer Nature and holds a provisional Indian patent on graphitic carbon dots. Dr. Kommula’s research excellence has been acknowledged through several prestigious fellowships, including Institute Postdoctoral Fellowships from IISER Mohali and IISER Berhampur, and DST Senior and Junior Research Fellowships. His scientific leadership is evident in his ongoing supervision of three Ph.D. students and his submission of major national funding proposals under ANRF and DST schemes aimed at developing sustainable photocatalytic systems for hydrogen and value-added chemical production. Overall, Dr. Bramhaiah Kommula’s research exemplifies innovation-driven science that bridges materials chemistry and renewable energy technologies. His long-term goal is to pioneer eco-friendly nanomaterials that transform environmental waste into useful resources, contributing significantly toward achieving sustainable energy solutions and carbon-neutral technologies for the future.

Profiles: Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Kommula, B., & Sriramadasu, V. K. (2025). Room temperature red phosphorescence enabled by alkali treatment in niobium carbide-derived carbon dots. Journal of Luminescence, 274, 121591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlumin.2025.121591

Roy, R. S., Sil, S., Mishra, S., Banoo, M., Swarnkar, A., Kommula, B., De, A. K., & Gautam, U. K. (2025). Layer width engineering in carbon nitride for enhanced exciton dissociation and solar fuel generation. ACS Materials Letters, 7(4), 1385–1393.

Mandal, R., Biswal, J. R., Kommula, B., & Bhattacharyya, S. (2025). 2,2′:5′,2″:5″,2‴‐Quaterthiophene nanoparticles and single-walled CNT composite: An organic nanohybrid for solar H₂ production and simultaneous photoreformation of plastic wastes. ChemCatChem, 17(3), e202500307.

Kommula, B., & Gautam, U. K. (2025). A two-step strategy for residue-free chemical conversion of plastic waste to carbon dots: Upscaling and solvent recycling prospects. Carbon, 234, 119960.

Dutta, B., Kommula, B., Kanwar, K., Gautam, U. K., & Sarma, D. (2025). Oxygen-harvesting carbon dot photocatalysts for ambient tandem oxidative synthesis of quinazolin-4(3H)-ones. Green Chemistry, 27(1), Article D5GC00962F.

Kommula, B., Kanwar, K., & Gautam, U. K. (2024). Waste polyethylene-derived carbon dots: Administration of metal-free oxidizing agents for tunable properties and photocatalytic hyperactivity. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 16(31), 39470–39481.

July Villalba | Management and Accounting | Industry Impact Award

Published on by Research Awards

Prof. July Villalba | Management and Accounting | Industry Impact Award

Politecnico Grancolombiano | Colombia

Dr. July Alexandra Villalba Rodríguez, Ph.D. in Complex Thought (Multiversidad Real Edgar Morin, 2024), Magister in Innovation Management (Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, 2019), and Professional in International Business (Universidad Piloto de Colombia, 2014), has built a distinguished career as a program director, academic coordinator, and research-oriented educator. Her expertise bridges the domains of international business, innovation, and emerging technologies, fostering synergy between academia and industry. As a key academic partner in the Futurexpo Program, led by ProColombia, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, and the Politécnico Grancolombiano, Dr. Villalba has played a pivotal role in empowering Colombian entrepreneurs and business leaders to adopt digital innovation in their export strategies. Her national lectures on “The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Market Research” have reached over 3,200 participants, including entrepreneurs, students, and representatives from productive sectors across more than 33 municipalities in Colombia. This initiative aims to strengthen the export capabilities of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), democratizing access to cutting-edge technological tools. In conclusion, the Futurexpo initiative under Dr. Villalba’s academic leadership exemplifies research with measurable industrial, social, and economic impact. It not only enhances Colombia’s global competitiveness but also promotes the responsible and strategic use of artificial intelligence within local industries. This project stands as a testament to how innovation, education, and technology integration can collectively drive sustainable business growth and national progress.

Profiles: Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Villalba Rodríguez, J. A. (2021). Ciudades globales e innovación: Partiendo del concepto a la realidad actual empresarial de Colombia. En Análisis de la transformación digital (Cap. 6).

Villalba Rodríguez, J. A. (2021). Del método científico a la innovación empresarial: Una reflexión compleja desde la transdisciplinariedad. Mundo FESC, (21). ISSN 2216-0388.

Villalba Rodríguez, J. A. (2021). Innovación: De la teoría a la realidad empresarial de Colombia. En Análisis de la transformación digital (Cap. 8).

Villalba Rodríguez, J. A. (2020). La responsabilidad social empresarial frente a los beneficios tributarios y la imagen corporativa. Apuntes Contables, (27).