Lyles College of Engineering
2026 Dean's Medalists
Graduate Medalist
Ronald Shrestha
M.S. Construction Management
An international student from Nepal, Ronald earned his M.S. in construction management
with a 4.0 GPA. He previously earned his B.S. in civil engineering from Kathmandu
Engineering College.
During his master’s program, he worked as a graduate fellow at the Fresno State Transportation
Institute, where he researched transportation infrastructure and coordinated outreach
events that connected students with industry professionals and showcased construction
and transportation careers to Valley K-12 students.
Noted for his scholarly contributions, Ronald played a key role in a statewide initiative
to examine alternative project delivery methods in California transportation agencies.
His work resulted in numerous publications and presentations at professional conferences
throughout the U.S. Ronald currently works as a construction manager with the Montez
Group, a Bay Area construction management firm that leads major public transportation
infrastructure initiatives.
Undergraduate Medalist
Byron Alessandro Toledo Salazar
B.S. Civil Engineering
An international student from Ecuador, Alessandro earned his B.S. in civil engineering with a 3.95 GPA. As a Hans and Anna Beck Honors Scholar, he has exemplified scholarly achievement in areas of structural design, geotechnical engineering, hydrology, transportation, environmental engineering, and a specific focus on urban water systems.
Alessandro has dedicated three years as a student research assistant and contributed to key projects in water distribution systems and infrastructure modeling, among others. He has presented and published his work multiple times at the local and international level, and was recently selected as the Region 9 Outstanding Civil Engineering Student by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), which represents over 180,000 members.
On campus, Alessandro has led the Fresno State ASCE chapter as president and participated in multiple organizations, including the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Society of Women in Engineering and the Digital Innovation and Research Club. He has also been an active member of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Society, Phi Kappa Phi Collegiate Honors Society, and the Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Society.
With an Engineer in Training certification, he completed internships with top engineering firms, including AKEL Engineering Group and Arcadis. Going forward, he intends to pursue a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering, where he hopes to advance sustainable water infrastructure systems through research and innovation.
Graduate Dean's Medalist
Prem Raj Timilsena, M.S. Construction Management
Prem Raj Timilsena, of Nepal, earned his M.S. in construction management with a 4.0 GPA. He previously earned a B.S. in civil engineering from Tribhuvan University in Nepal. He contributed to multiple research projects, including the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Project 23-39, which focuses on workforce development for transportation construction inspectors. He co-authored a technical report on highway infrastructure inspection technologies published by the Mineta Transportation Institute and recognized in the Transportation Research Board Weekly. Timilsena published and presented his research on artificial intelligence in construction project management at the International Conference on Construction Engineering and Project Management 2024 in Japan. His study on engaging younger students in construction fields was accepted for publication and presentation at the Associated Schools of Construction Conference in Canada. He is a champion of the Fresno State Bluebeam User Group and has collaborated with faculty to conduct career workshops for middle and high school students. He also helped organize the K-12 Railroad Model Competition through the Fresno State Transportation Institute. He is currently an intern at Arcadis US Inc., where he has contributed to the California High-Speed Rail project. After graduation, Timilsena will transition to a full-time position with the company.
Undergraduate Dean's Medalist
Komal Sandhu, B.S. Civil Engineering
Komal Sandhu, of San Joaquin, earned her B.S. in civil engineering with a 3.9 GPA. In middle school, she attended an engineering summer camp at Fresno State that sparked her passion for engineering and solidified her aspiration to pursue it as a career. Sandhu, a Smittcamp Family Honors College Scholar, held multiple leadership roles, including president of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association, treasurer of the American Society of Civil Engineers, president of Tau Beta Pi and K-12 outreach coordinator for the Society of Women Engineers. She served as a tutor and instructional student assistant. Additionally, she worked as an undergraduate research assistant for a project related to building successful rail industry internship programs. In 2023, Sandhu completed an internship with Flatiron Construction, where she participated in a California High-Speed Rail project. She went on to be a junior engineer intern at Cornerstone Structural Engineering Group. This fall, she will pursue a master’s degree at UC Davis. Her goal is to obtain a structural engineering license and advance to a project manager role. Through her work, she hopes to contribute to society by designing safe, efficient and lasting structures that serve the public.