Sahithi Maddipatla Receives Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award

The University of Maryland Graduate School has awarded Sahithi Maddipatla the prestigious Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award for the academic year 2024–2025. Each year, over 4,000 graduate students across the UMD campus serve as research, teaching, or administrative assistants, contributing to the university’s academic mission. This award was established to recognize and celebrate the exceptional efforts of graduate assistants who demonstrate excellence in service to students, faculty, and departments. Sahithi was recognized as being among the top 2% of all campus graduate assistants for her exemplary performance and contributions.

Sahithi is pursuing her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering under the mentorship of Professor Michael Pecht. Her work at CALCE focuses on failure analysis, testing, prognostics, and health monitoring of lithium-ion batteries. Her current research investigates swelling behavior in pouch-type lithium-ion cells and methods for the early detection of thermal runaway—critical areas that impact both battery reliability and safety in consumer electronics, transportation, and energy storage systems.

In 2024, Sahithi published four peer-reviewed papers that demonstrate her strong research capabilities and commitment to advancing the field. Her paper “Swelling in Lithium-Ion Pouch Batteries” examines the impact of different operating conditions on battery swelling. The publication “Safety Analysis of Lithium-Ion Cylindrical Batteries Using Design and Process Failure Mode and Effect Analysis” reviews the application of design and process FMEA to improve the safety of lithium-ion batteries. Another work, “Electrolyte Leakage in Cylindrical Lithium-Ion Batteries Subjected to Temperature Cycling,” focuses on failure analysis related to electrolyte leakage, critiquing existing standards and highlighting the need for improvement. Her latest publication, “Core Collapse in Cylindrical Li-Ion Batteries,” reviews a critical failure mechanism leading to electrode deformation in batteries through simulation and numerical analysis.

Upon receiving the award, Sahithi shared, “Being recognized with the Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award is an incredible honor. This acknowledgment strengthens my confidence as a researcher and inspires me to continue contributing to the development of safer and more reliable energy storage systems. I’m grateful for the support and opportunities I’ve received at UMD and CALCE, and I look forward to continuing work that can make a meaningful impact in both academia and industry.”

For more information about Sahithi’s research, contact Prof. Michael Pecht.

Published April 9, 2025