Elham “Ellie” Fini. Photographer: Erika Gronek/ASU
Elham “Ellie” Fini was honored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS, with the 2026 Mentor Award for her commitment to mentoring more than 70 students, including more than 20 doctoral students, many of whom are women, African American, Hispanic or first-generation college students.
Fini focuses on creating pathways for the next generation of innovators by involving them in real-world infrastructure projects, encouraging them to invent use-inspired solutions and connecting them to work with industry partners.
“Receiving the AAAS Mentor Award is a deeply meaningful honor,” says Fini, an associate professor of construction in the Del E. Webb School of Construction within the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.
“Mentoring has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. This recognition affirms the value of investing in the growth and development of others,” she says. “I believe that good mentors are essential for fostering inclusive and innovative scientific communities.”
Ram Pendyala, director of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, says that the school is extraordinarily proud of her dedication to student success and grateful for her service to the community.
“Dr. Fini’s recognition by AAAS is a powerful affirmation of what we have long known within the school — that she is not only a groundbreaking scholar, but a transformational mentor. She has created a culture where students from all backgrounds thrive, grow and succeed,” Pendyala says. “Her impact can be readily seen through the success, confidence and leadership of the many students and young faculty she has guided.”
Fini and seven other award winners were celebrated for their contributions to science and society during a ceremony at the 2026 AAAS Annual Meeting held in Phoenix from Feb. 12-14, 2026.
Sudip Parikh. Photo courtesy AAAS
“This year’s award winners embody research excellence, service to their communities and leadership for the next generation of scientists,” says Sudip Parikh, CEO of AAAS and executive publisher of the Science family of journals. “Their stellar example reminds us that we can build a vibrant future for science and technology.”
The Mentor Award honors a person who has mentored significant numbers of students from underrepresented groups in STEM — women of all backgrounds, people with disabilities, African Americans, Native Americans or Hispanics — and demonstrated scholarship, leadership and community-building.
Fini has mentored students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, for 10 years and students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions for seven years. She also serves as an advisory board member of the AAAS HBCU Innovation Initiative, guides 10 postdoctoral researchers and 10 faculty members through her academic role and mentors 11 minority faculty through the Quality Education for Minorities Network.
“Mentoring strengthens the careers of mentees, enriches the broader community and drives long-term impact in science and engineering,” Fini says. “Investing time and energy in mentoring is one of the few activities with the highest return on investment in both academic and industry settings.”
ASU alumni Marvin Burton, who earned his bachelor’s of civil, environmental and sustainable engineering and worked as a lab assistant with Fini, agrees with her about that.
As part of a final project for Fini’s class, Burton’s group found a way to modify post-consumer plastic in a way that bolstered the durability and alkali resistance of Portland concrete mixtures. The project testing the use of modified plastic particles as a bitumen additive was awarded a grant by the Zimin Institute for Smart and Sustainable Cities at ASU to research its viability and subsequently awarded a patent.
“Dr. Fini put the idea in my mind that as an engineer I wasn’t constricted to the traditional roles of civil engineering,” Burton says. “I could also be an inventor and express creativity, and that an engineer could also be an entrepreneur. I will always be thankful for that lesson.”
Burton spent two years in commercial construction management and is now the senior development engineer at Morozko Forge, a health and wellness start-up.
Fini is known for creating bio-based materials for infrastructure, advocating for sustainable practices in construction and transportation, promoting resource conservation and co-authoring a widely used textbook on bioeconomy concepts.
Her work has resulted in 15 patents issued with 16 more pending, and she has more than 250 journal publications with 12,698 citations. She has built project-based learning models, launched international student exchanges, fostered collaborations worldwide and taught more than 2,000 students.
“Mentoring is distinct from teaching,” Fini says. “While teaching imparts knowledge, mentoring provides guidance tailored to an individual’s goals and challenges, helping students, scholars and faculty at any stage navigate their paths more effectively and avoid common pitfalls.”
Making the transition from his career back to academia required technical growth and strong mentorship, says ASU alumni Erik Evans, MBA, who is pursuing his doctorate in construction management.
“Under Fini’s guidance, I have developed from a practitioner re-entering graduate school into an independent researcher focused on restorative bio-based materials for applications in the built environment,” Evans says. “Her mentorship has positioned me for success in this next chapter and shaped the researcher and professional I am becoming.”
Evans says Fini has been one of the most influential mentors in his professional life.
“She pushes me to ground every claim in measurable evidence, defending my work with clarity and rigor,” says Evans, who worked with Fini while earning his master’s degree in construction management, and she advised his capstone project.
Evans says her steady, thoughtful guidance also builds confidence and independence.
“What sets her apart is her balance of high expectations and genuine investment in my development,” Evans says. “She understands how to translate scientific discovery into real industry solutions, and she has helped me see how rigorous research can create tangible value in the built environment.”
Fini says that receiving the AAAS Mentor Award, following ASU’s Inclusion Catalyst Award and the ARTBA Excellence in Academia Award has reinforced her commitment to empowering people.
“Mentoring is not just a responsibility, but a guiding principle that shapes how I approach research, teaching and leadership,” she says. “These honors inspire me to continue mentoring with intention and to advocate for a culture that values guidance, support and inclusivity at every stage of a scientific career.”
Suliman Rashid, a doctoral student in the School of Sustainability at ASU, says working as a research assistant with Fini, “shaped not only my doctoral journey but also my perspective on sustainability and leadership in engineering.”
“Her guidance goes far beyond research — she consistently pushes us to think critically, design rigorously and connect our work to real-world environmental impact,” Rashid says.
The mentor’s role is to help mentees explore possibilities, clarify their strengths and define meaningful objectives, Fini says, noting that thoughtful mentoring builds individual’s judgment, empathy, courage, values and self-awareness.
“Mentoring enables people to see through lenses other than their own and to move from perception to perspective,” she says.