Students
Danielle Maydan and Samir Farraj Named 2026 Valedictorian and Salutatorian
Columbia Engineering has announced the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Undergraduate Class of 2026.
Danielle Maydan BS’26, a computer science major, has been chosen as the Valedictorian and Illig award winner. Maydan, who is also a Goldwater scholar, will address her fellow graduates at the Columbia Engineering Class Day ceremony on May 18, 2026. Samir Farraj BS’26, a chemical engineering major and C.P. Davis Scholar, will be the Salutatorian.
Valedictorian and Illig Award Winner: Danielle Maydan
Danielle Maydan cherishes her time at Columbia Engineering for being able to pursue her passions for computational biomedical research, and community service and teaching. Danielle is grateful for the mentorship of Elham Azizi, Herbert and Florence Irving Associate Professor of Cancer Data Research and an associate professor of biomedical engineering, in whose lab at Columbia she started conducting computational cancer biology research, and Howard Hughes Medical Investigator Dana Pe’er, who chairs the Computational and Systems Biology Program at the Sloan Kettering Institute at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, under whose guidance Danielle employs machine learning techniques to examine single-cell genomic datasets and investigate questions of biological and ultimately clinical significance. In addition to TA'ing for an artificial intelligence (AI) course with Tony Dear and biochemistry with Nam Ho, Danielle truly enjoyed working as an assistant teacher for the adult GED course offered by Columbia’s Community Impact, where she also serves as a co-president of the student executive board and volunteers at the soup kitchen.
Having served the Columbia community as an EMT with Columbia University Emergency Medical Service, Danielle greatly appreciates the impact of Columbia’s Core Curriculum on one’s ability to develop compassion and understanding of the human experience. Danielle plans to enter medical school this summer and aspires to become a physician-researcher.
Salutatorian: Samir Farraj
Salutatorian Samir Farraj, who majored in chemical engineering with a minor in industrial engineering and operations research, was named a C.P. Davis Scholar upon admission, a program for top applicants to Columbia Engineering. Born and raised in Amman, Jordan, in a family of physicians, he developed an early commitment to using science and engineering to serve others, a principle that continues to guide both his academic work and professional pursuits. At Columbia, Samir conducted research under Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering Dan Esposito on hydrogen fuel cells, working on the design of a novel system architecture and developing models to optimize electrochemical performance. He spent his summers pursuing a range of engineering experiences, including serving as a process engineer at Element Solutions, where he worked on industrial-scale production systems, and conducting research in Jordan on water scarcity, carbon capture, and metal organic frameworks. He also serves as the lead process engineer at AquaPoro, a rapidly growing startup, where he leads the design and optimization of cutting-edge atmospheric water harvesting systems for large-scale deployment. These experiences have contributed to patented technologies and shaped his focus on translating advanced engineering into scalable, real-world systems. He is also the recipient of the Charles F. Bonilla Medal in Chemical Engineering, recognizing outstanding academic achievement and leadership within the department.
Outside of his academic work, Samir served as a TA for multiple core courses at Engineering, a ChemE peer mentor, a board member of the AIChE Columbia chapter, and as captain of several intramural sports teams. He has a strong passion for teaching and hopes to one day return to Columbia as a professor. One of his favorite aspects of Columbia has been engaging with rigorous academics across departments while remaining an active member of the international community.