ESF’s Mairui Zhang Receives 2026 Distinguished Ph.D. Dissertation Award03/11/2026SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry researcher Dr. Mairui Zhang has been named one of two first place winners of the 2026 SUNY Chancellor’s Distinguished Ph.D. Dissertation Award, honored for pioneering work that transforms agricultural and forestry byproducts into sustainable, high value materials. The honor celebrates the best Ph.D. dissertations that address critical issues in our society and were authored by the next generation of innovators across the SUNY system. imageA person wearing a dark lab coat stands in a laboratory setting with shelves of equipment, containers, and instruments visible in the background. The room is brightly lit, showing an organized workspace with scientific supplies arranged along the counters and shelves.