phd student awards

Student Awards

Student awards are symbols of excellence and guide the way to academic and professional success. See the list of Student Awards presented by the Graduate School.  

Outstanding Graduate Student Award

The Graduate School supports students in furthering their education inside and outside of the classroom. The Graduate School’s Outstanding Doctoral Student Award recognizes three students annually who demonstrate exceptional scholarly accomplishments. The awardees will be selected from across the Colleges and Schools for their overall academic record and the outstanding quality of their research, scholarship, and/or creative expression.

Three awards are awarded each year. Each awardee will receive a $500 award and be recognized at the Graduate School’s annual Honors Banquet. Awardees' names may be listed in the Commencement Program.

• Any full-time Ph.D. student at Vanderbilt who demonstrates academic excellence.
• Students must be in the dissertation stage, past qualifying exams. A student may not win the award more than once; a student may receive both this award and a Founder’s Medalist in the same year. Previously nominated students, who were not selected for this award may be reconsidered in subsequent years, with updated nomination materials.
• Student must be in good academic standing.
• Student must be in the dissertation stage and successfully completed qualifying exams.
• Student must have demonstrated exceptional accomplishment in research, scholarship, and/or creative expression.
• Student’s exceptional performance must be evidenced through multiple criteria including, but not limited to, GPA, publications, conference papers/presentations, grant awards, teaching excellence, thesis or dissertation quality.

Nominations are accepted each spring from graduate faculty members.

Award established 2023.

Endowed Awards

The Graduate School has eight endowed awards which were established by donors. These awards recognize students in various disciplines with outstanding scholarships. Criteria, number of recipients, and award amount vary by award.

$10,000 | Graduate women students

Ethel M. Wilson, M.A. 1911, established the Ethel M. Wilson Scholarship Fund in 1974 to support the education of graduate women students at the Graduate School. Ph.D. students eligible for nomination must be enrolled full-time at Vanderbilt University, have achieved candidacy, and have an approved dissertation proposal. The scholarship will be awarded for the most promising dissertation research conducted by graduate women students.

$2,000 | Autism research

Anonymous donors established the Family S Graduate Scholarship Fund in fiscal year 2018 to support deserving graduate students conducting basic research in the field of autism. Ph.D. students eligible for nomination must be enrolled full-time at Vanderbilt University, have achieved candidacy, and have an approved dissertation proposal. The scholarship will be awarded for the most promising dissertation research related to autism.

$5,000 | Cancer research

Cheng Lai, M.S. 1962, Ph.D. 1966, and his wife, Yu Chen Lai, established the Lai Sulin Scholarship Fund in 2005 to support graduate students who study in an area related to cancer in the Graduate School at Vanderbilt University. Donors established this fund in memory of their daughter, Sulin. Ph.D. students eligible for nomination must be enrolled full-time at Vanderbilt University, have achieved candidacy and have an approved dissertation proposal. The scholarship will be awarded for the most promising dissertation research related to cancer.

$2,000 | Humanities

Louise A. Taylor, M.A. 1961, established the Louise A. Taylor Scholarship in 1983 to support deserving students at the Graduate School. Ph.D. students eligible for nomination must be enrolled full-time at Vanderbilt University, have achieved candidacy, and have an approved dissertation proposal. The scholarship will be awarded for the most promising dissertation research in the humanities.

$5,000 | Religion

Catherine Graves Neuman Jones and Malcolm D. Jones established the Malcolm, Catherine and F. Stanley Jones Scholarship in fiscal year 2023 to support deserving students studying in the Graduate Department of Religion at the Graduate School. Ph.D. students eligible for nomination must be enrolled full-time at Vanderbilt University, have achieved candidacy, and have an approved dissertation proposal. Master’s students eligible for nomination must have successfully completed coursework and be conducting thesis research. The scholarship will be awarded for the most promising research in religion. Preference will be given to students pursuing a Ph.D.

$2,500 | Science and Engineering

The Danforth Foundation established the Richard Bennett/Dorothy Danforth Compton Prize in 1995 by the Danforth Foundation to support the most promising entering graduate minority student in science and engineering at Vanderbilt University. This fund was established in memory of Richard Bernard Bennett III, M.D. 1990, Ph.D. 1992. Richard Bernard Bennett III was a Dorothy Danford Compton Fellowship recipient when he was a graduate student at Vanderbilt University. Graduate students eligible for nomination must be enrolled full-time at Vanderbilt University in the first academic year of study. The prize will be awarded for the most promising graduate minority student in science and engineering.

$2,500 | Life Sciences/Biological Sciences

Tripti Bardhan Jena and Purusottam Jena established the Smriti Bardhan, Ph.D. Scholarship in 2019 to support deserving students pursuing their Ph.D. in life sciences or bioscience at the Graduate School. The donors made this gift in memory of Smriti Bardhan, Ph.D., a former research instructor at Vanderbilt. Dr. Bardhan was born in Balasore, Odisha, India on August 16, 1940. Growing up in a family of scholars, she received her education, including a Ph.D. in genetics, in India. She was a professor of zoology in Odisha before coming to the United States in 1978. After she spent a year at Northwestern Medical School in Chicago as a visiting scholar, she moved to Nashville in 1979, which became her home for life. She continued her research in genetics, first at Meharry Medical College and then at Vanderbilt University. Her pioneering works on DNA cloning and the identification of proteins to target tumor cells were published in Nature, a leading multidisciplinary science journal. Ph.D. students eligible for nomination must be enrolled full-time at Vanderbilt University, have achieved candidacy, and have an approved dissertation proposal. The scholarship will be awarded for the most promising dissertation research related to life sciences or biological sciences.

$5,000 | Archaeology or Bioarchaeology

The $5,000 Tarkington Family Scholarship provides financial support based on need or merit for deserving students at the Graduate School. Graduate students eligible for nomination must be enrolled full-time at Vanderbilt University. The scholarship will be awarded based on evidence for need or merit for deserving students. Preference in awarding will be for doctoral candidates or graduate students studying for a degree in archaeology or bio-archaeology.

Past Recipients

• 2022 Recipients
• 2021 Recipients

Provost Pathbreaking Discovery Award

This award recognizes doctoral students who exhibit exceptional academic excellence in areas such as publications, awards, patents, and other forms of national/international distinction.   Learn more about this supplement here .

Outstanding PhD Student Award in Research

Winners of this award have shown an exceptional ability to conduct high-level research and make contributions to the scholarly literature in their fields.

2024 Honorees

Abigail Ballou

SSH’25, Criminology and Justice Policy

Abby is a PhD candidate in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Her research explores how education credentials earned while incarcerated impact post-release labor market outcomes. Outside of school, Abby is an instructor for Boston University’s Prison Education Program, and she organizes voter registration drives for eligible voters incarcerated in local jails.

Duschia Bodet

E’25, Electrical Engineering

Duschia is an Electrical Engineering PhD candidate exploring how to enable high data-rate wireless communications at Terahertz frequencies. Captivated by the topic during undergraduate electives, she began working in the Ultrabroadband Nanonetworking Lab for work study. In her fifth year as a BS/MS student at Northeastern, she participated in two part-time co-ops: one with the Griffiss Institute at the Air Force Research Lab and one at a public elementary school in Brookline, Massachusetts. During this time, Duschia realized she enjoyed the combination of research and teaching, which led her to pursue her PhD at Northeastern. In her spare time, Duschia enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, coaching Northeastern’s women and gender inclusive ultimate frisbee team, and tutoring through the Petey Greene Program.

S’24, Physics

Ben is finishing his PhD in experimental biophysics. He is interested in studying protein-nucleic acid interactions using single molecule DNA stretching methods on optical tweezers. Specifically, Ben investigates the dynamics of single-stranded nucleic acid (ssNA) binding proteins from T4 bacteriophage and the LINE-1 retrotransposon. His work has revealed a robust, generalizable mechanism for the rapid removal of protein from ssNA templates during DNA synthesis. Ben shares that his success during his PhD would not be possible without continued tutelage from the great Mark Williams. Ben enjoys playing piano and looking at buildings.

Muhammad Ali, PhD’23, computer science

Peiru Chen, PhD’23, chemistry

Ryan Jamieson, PhD’23, bioengineering

Jordie Kamuene, PhD’23, biomedical science

Sarah Lockwood, PhD’23, criminology and justice policy

Ryan Gallagher , PhD’22, network sciences

Robert Green , PhD’22, biology

Li Jiao , PhD’22, chemical engineering

Tirthak Patel , PhD’23, computer engineering

Everlyne Kimani , PhD’21, computer science major

Jessica Faust , doctoral student in mechanical engineering

Emma Fridel , doctoral student in criminology and criminal justice

Steven Zane , doctoral student in criminology

Hwaider Lin , doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering

Yuzhang Lin , doctoral student in electrical engineering

Meenupriya Swaminathan , doctoral student in computer engineering

Ishabel Vicaria , doctoral student in psychology

Wenjun Zhang , doctoral candidate in interdisciplinary engineering

Anjuli Fahlberg , doctoral candidate in sociology

Emily Cummins , doctoral candidate in sociology

Bolin Hu , doctoral candidate in electrical and computer engineering

Sheng Li, doctoral candidate in computer engineering

Sujeet Akula, doctoral candidate in physics

Mollie Rube n, doctoral candidate in psychology

Ziyao Zhou , doctoral candidate in electrical and computer engineering

Rand Ghayad , doctoral candidate in economics

Catherine Matassa, doctoral candidate in biology

Gregory Peim , doctoral candidate in physics

Kristin Bel l, doctoral candidate in criminology and justice policy

Bo Li, doctoral candidate in mechanical and industrial engineering

Jolie Baumann, doctoral candidate in psychology

Tao Wang , doctoral candidate in pharmaceutical sciences

• Graduate Student Awards Ceremony

Graduate Student Awards Categories

The Graduate Student Awards Ceremony is an annual event that recognizes excellence among graduate students at Georgetown University. The awards are co-sponsored by the Graduate Student Government (GradGov), Biomedical Graduate Education, the McCourt School of Public Policy, McDonough School of Business, School of Continuing Studies and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

The awards categories and important dates regarding award submissions for 2024  are listed below:

• Nomination Period : January 18–February 23
• Application Period : February 22 –March 20
• Award Ceremony and Reception : Monday, April 29 from 4–6 p.m. in Gaston Hall and Dahlgren Quadrangle

Graduate Student Teaching Award

This award recognizes excellence among graduate students acting as instructor of record, i.e. teaching their own course. Awards are given to one student from each area: humanities, social science and science.

Graduate Student Teaching Assistant Award

This award recognizes excellence among graduate students serving as TAs.  Awards are given to one student from each area: humanities, social science and science and an at-large award.

Outstanding Graduate Student Organization Award

This award recognizes the graduate student organization that demonstrated consistent flexibility, initiative, creativity and perseverance; made a meaningful contribution to graduate students, the university and/or the surrounding community; and organized activities, events and programs that have had a significant impact on the quality of campus life at Georgetown University.

Graduate Global Citizen Award

This award acknowledges a graduate student in good academic standing who demonstrates significant and well-documented progress in developing intercultural competency and global-mindedness based on examples of on-campus engagement with the Georgetown community.

Dr. Karen Gale Exceptional Ph.D. Student Award

This award recognizes a Ph.D. graduate student who demonstrates a high level of excellence and expertise in their field. This can include academic and research achievements, excellence beyond course work and commitment to their area of study. Awards are given to one student from each area: humanities, social sciences and sciences and an at-large award.

Exceptional Master’s Student Award

This award recognizes master’s level graduate students who demonstrate a high level of excellence in their field. This can include academic achievement, quality of papers and theses, and commitment to advancing their studies through internships and/or work experience. Awards are given to one student from each area: humanities, social sciences and sciences and an at-large award.

Outstanding Student Leader in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Service Award

This award recognizes a graduate student who has made outstanding contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the graduate school community. Their service, programming endeavors and activities demonstrate their commitment to DEI. Service in this award may include but is not limited to: efforts to build a strong graduate student community of scholars from diverse backgrounds by improving student advocacy, activities, education and policies such that they are inclusive. Specifically, efforts should promote equity by removing barriers or providing support for all people no matter socioeconomic status, disability status, race, culture, ethnicity, nation of origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity to participate in professional activities at Georgetown. Awards are given to one student from each area: humanities, social sciences and sciences.

Outstanding Leader in a Graduate Student Organization

This award recognizes a Georgetown University graduate student who has made outstanding contributions to the campus community by their leadership, programming endeavors, individual skills, volunteer activities, service and attitude in support of student activities as a member or leader of a group.

Distinguished Staff Award

This award recognizes a staff member who shows dedication to academic and personal well-being of graduate students. This encompasses providing guidance, knowledge, support and advocating on behalf of graduate students to improve the graduate community at Georgetown University.

Gerald M. Mara Faculty Mentoring Award 

This award recognizes a faculty member who exemplifies the spirit of cura personalis (or “care of the person”) in aiding the academic and professional development of graduate students.

Spirit of Georgetown Award

There are many students throughout the Georgetown University community who work tirelessly to ensure that the university operates to the best of its ability. This award is presented to the graduate student who exemplifies personal character, a genuine care and concern for fellow students, as well as a selfless commitment to the betterment of others in the community. This student is a true Hoya, embraces the Spirit of Georgetown and is a positive role model to their peers. The recipient(s) strive(s) to live the values of Georgetown University, its Jesuit identity and inclusive practices each and every day.

Outstanding Innovation by Faculty and Staff to Graduate and Professional Student Life

Presented to faculty or staff who have significantly impacted or extensively contributed to graduate and professional student life at Georgetown through outstanding service involvement in student life programs, initiatives, research or organizations. The award is not just for longstanding leaders; it is reserved for those who made significant positive contributions or improvements to the operations and functions of these programs, initiatives or organizations to the benefit of graduate and professional student life.

Cura Personalis Award

Georgetown is shaped by centuries of Jesuit education around the globe, which embraces the changing times while staying true to the university’s core values. This award will recognize graduate students who have exemplified the core values of “People for Others” and “Educating the Whole Person.” Recipients will be able to demonstrate their service through community-based learning; our local, national and international service projects; justice immersion programs; leadership through service and justice organizations; co-curricular life on campus; immersion trips; religious and humanistic engagement; and all the shared experiences of our community life.

Contact [email protected] with any questions about the awards or nomination process.

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Grants, Fellowships, and Awards

• ACS Grants ACS offers grants to support the advancement of the chemical sciences through research, education, and community projects. Learn how you can benefit.
• EPA Grants and Fellowships The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Center for Environmental Research runs competitions for STAR grants, graduate and undergraduate fellowships, research contracts under the Small Business Innovative Research Program, and other research assistance programs.

Fellowships

• Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs Through its Fellowship Programs, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties. These programs provide fellowship support at the predoctoral, dissertation and postdoctoral levels. The Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs offer approximately 60 predoctoral awards, 35 awards for dissertation research and 24 postdoctoral awards each year.
• NIST Boulder Laboratories: Professional Research Experience Program Provides valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students. Fellowships are awarded to assure continued growth and progress of science and engineering in the United States.
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) The GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based Master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.  Eligibility is limited to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The NSF GRFP offers 2,000 Fellowships each year.
• Cornell University Graduate Fellowship Database Find U.S. and international fellowships through Cornell University’s fellowship index.

ACS and Other Awards

• Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholars Recognition Program Recognizes talented graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the chemical sciences who demonstrate leadership in mentoring, promotion of DEIR (Diveristy, Equity, Inclusion, Respect), and promotion of research safety. 
• The American Chemical Society Bridge Travel Award for Graduate Students The ACS Bridge Project Student Travel Award is meant to defray travel and/or registration costs to the Spring National Meeting and Exposition. The aim of this travel award is to advance the career and professional development of underrepresented minority (URM) chemical science graduate students by helping to support the students' effort in presenting at the ACS National Meeting. Each award covers the cost of eligible expenses up to $2,500. This award is currently only offered in 2020.
• New Opportunities AAC&U: The K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award Recognizes graduate students who show exemplary promise as future leaders of higher education; who demonstrate a commitment to developing academic and civic responsibility in themselves and others; and whose work reflects a strong emphasis on teaching and learning.
• ACS Division of Cellulose & Renewable Material: The Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Cellulose or Renewable Materials Research Award consists of a check for $2,000, up to $500 for ACS Spring national meeting travel expenses, and an individual plaque honoring the recipient's accomplishment.
• Henkel Award (formerly the AkzoNobel Award) for Outstanding Graduate Research in Polymer Chemistry Recognizes a graduate student or recent graduate who has completed an outstanding Ph.D. thesis in research related to Polymer Chemistry in US or Canada. Nominees will be judged on the basis of their contribution to the thesis research, the quality and level of innovation demonstrated, and the impact of their research on the science, engineering, or technology of synthetic polymers or biopolymers.
• ACS Division of Organic Chemistry: Technical Achievements in Organic Chemistry Recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of organic chemistry from Bachelor's and Master's level chemists, or their equivalents, pursuing careers in chemical industry at research institutes.
• International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry Prize for Young Chemists The IUPAC Prize for Young Chemists will be given for the most outstanding Ph.D. theses in the general area of the chemical sciences, as described in a 1000-word essay.

Funding for International Researchers in the U.S.

The ACS Student and Postdoctoral Scholars Office complied a list of funding opportunities for international graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty working in the U.S. Please visit the funders website to learn about program updates and most current information.

Download curated list

New Opportunities

Travel and Other Awards

• I&EC Division Graduate Student Award Symposium
• ACS Bridge Travel Award for Graduate Students

Research & Postdoctoral Fellowships

• Scholarships & Fellowships
• CIBA/YCC Young Scientist Travel Award
• Sigma Xi: Student Research Presentation
• TSRC: Application for Telluride School on Theoretical Chemistry

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Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Updated 7-14-23

If you are presenting at a conference, or if you will incur costs associated with your dissertation research, you can apply for one of the following awards. A student can only receive one conference award and one research award per academic year. If you have questions about your eligibility or the process, be in touch with the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, Alyssa Stalsberg Canelli: [email protected] .

Other award opportunities are available from the Office of Graduate Affairs .

PhD Student Conference Awards

Eligibility.

• PhD students from all GSAS programs
• Must be in good academic standing with their program
• Students who are on time-to-degree extensions are not eligible
• Students who are funded through a grant may not be eligible for these awards if the grant will cover travel and research expenses.
• Conference must occur between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024

Awards for Conference Presentation Expenses

• Presenting a paper or poster, serving on a panel or giving a talk/workshop. Participation in the conference must be evidenced by a listing in the conference’s official program materials.
• Expenses can include travel, lodging, registration fees
• Exclusions: no food, alcohol
• Up to $500 per applicant

Application and Review Process

• GSAS PhD Conference Award Application Form
• Applications will be reviewed and approved on a rolling basis (within 2 weeks of submission) by the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs.
• Please note that there are limited award funds available, so apply as soon as your participation has been confirmed by the conference.
• The funding will be awarded on a first-come/first-served basis. Once the funding has been fully awarded, the application will close.

Student Award Obligations

• Submit appropriate documentation (conference material/urls, receipts) in a timely way or the award will be forfeited.
• Meet with a member of the Career and Professional Development team to incorporate the award into your resume/CV and other career materials.

PhD Student Dissertation Research Awards

Awards for research expenses.

• Research expenses associated with dissertation project
• Expenses can include: travel, research-related lodging, archival access, research supplies
• Exclusions: no food, alcohol, Brandeis fees/tuition, laptops, software, hardware, textbooks for courses
• Up to $1000 per applicant. While this amount will not fund an entire dissertation project, we encourage you to use this process as a springboard into applying for larger grant/award opportunities.

Application Process

• GSAS PhD Research Award Application Form
• Deadlines: November 1, 2023 and March 1, 2024. Applications that are received after November 1 will be held until the March 1, 2024 review cycle.

Review Process and Criteria

• Research award applications will be reviewed by a selection committee after the two deadlines, November 1, 2023 and March 1, 2024. Selection committee will include the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and the Faculty Director of Professional Development.
• Criteria: clarity of the proposed plan, degree progress to date, feasibility of completing the project as outlined, thesis advisor’s support
• Submit appropriate documentation (conference material/urls, receipts) in a timely way, or the award will be forfeited.

Recent Award Recipients

Phd research, spring 2024.

• Tamar Aizenberg (Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
• Inna Blaich (History)
• Emily Calobrisi (Psychology)
• Anik Chartrand (English)
• Marie Comuzzo (Musicology)
• Jillian Franks (Psychology)
• Yanli He (History)
• Skyler Inman (Anthropology)
• Hannah Park (Psychology)
• Sargam Sharma (Anthropology)
• Inbar Shifrin (Musicology)
• Luke Sim (Psychology)
• Alexandra Szabo (History)
• Anna Valcour (Musicology)
• Sneha Visakha (Anthropology)
• Joseph Weisberg (History)
• Joseph Yauch (History)
• Rafael Abrahams (History)
• Ashley Gilliam (Psychology)
• Zen Kuriyama (Musicology)
• Manning Zhang (Sociology and Social Policy)

Spring 2023

• Ji Min Bang (Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
• Jessi Brewer (English)
• Sarah Han (Anthropology)
• Yi He (English)
• Fangchao Ji (History)
• Syed Taha Kaleem (Anthropology)
• George Van Kollias (Anthropology)
• Bailey Ludwig (English)
• Elizabeth Mahon (Psychology)
• Yiorgos Mannouris (Musicology)
• Miranda Peery (English)
• Daniel Ruggles (Politics)
• Caitlin Sackrison (History)
• Yura Yokoyama (Anthropology)
• Changhong Zhang (Anthropology)
• Shirah Malka Cohen (Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
• Sarah Beth Gable (History)
• Peizhao Li (Computer Science)
• Joey Low (History)
• Susann Longva Vaeth (History)

Spring 2022

• Medha Asthana (Anthropology)
• Jared Berkowitz (History)
• Mina Cho (Musicology)
• George Van Kollias III (Anthropology)
• Caleb Smith (History)
• Morgan Taylor (Psychology)
• Robert Cochran (History)
• Alex Luu (Computer Science)
• Ali Puskulcu (Music Composition and Theory)
• Hui Wen (Anthropology)

PhD Conference

2023-2024 conference.

• Nicolette Barber (Psychology)
• Sayan Biswas (Molecular and Cell Biology)
• Tali Cohen (English)
• Sanchita Dasgupta (Sociology)
• Sophie Griswold (Neuroscience)
• Sarah Halford (Sociology)
• Jing Huang (Sociology)
• Kalie Jamieson (Anthropology)
• Bridget Kelleher (History)
• Deniz Kizildag (Anthropology)
• Samantha Leonard (Sociology)
• Elizabeth Marsh (Psychology)
• Mariel Mayz (Music Composition and Theory)
• Subhadra Mokashe (Neuroscience)
• Sahid Mondal (English)
• Alaa Murad (History)
• Quynh Nguyen (Psychology)
• Arantxa Ortiz (Anthropology)
• Xiaolin Qiao (Psychology)
• Gowthaman Ranganathan (Anthropology)
• Diane Rohrer (Psychology)
• Daniel Schwartz (English)
• Tugba Silahtar Subasi (History)
• Víkko Suárez Casanova (Neuroscience)
• Sreshta Venkatakrishnan (Mathematics)
• Danielle Wallner (History)
• Leon Wang (English)
• Niko Yamamoto (Music Composition and Theory)
• Chunhui Zhang (Computer Science)

2022-2023 Conference

• Sungkyung Cho (English)
• Marie Comuzzo Brückner (Musicology)
• Nida Farheen (Biochemistry and Biophysics)
• James Heazlewood-Dale (Musicology)
• Alexander Herbert (History)
• Koe Inlow (Biochemistry and Biophysics)
• Hannah Jung (History)
• Ying-Ting Lin (Music Composition & Theory)
• Anthony Lipscomb (Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
• Teodora Markova (Neuroscience)
• Lisandro Martin (Neuroscience)
• Jourdan Parent (Psychology)
• Anja Parish (Politics)
• Adrianna Shy (Chemistry)
• Víctor Manuel Suárez Casanova (Neuroscience)
• Alexandra Margit Szabo (History)
• Nathanial Walker (Politics)

2021-2022 Conference

• Jeremy Kingston Cynamon (Politics)
• Rachel Dale (English)
• Sarah (Sari) Fein (Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
• Rachel Runqiu Jin (Psychology)
• Nataliia Laas (History)
• Krystal Leger (Psychology)
• Xin Yao Lin (Psychology)
• Ying-Ting Lin (Music Composition and Theory)
• Houman Oliaei (Anthropology)
• Katherine Seavey (Psychology)

2022 Graduating Student Award Recipients

Each year at commencement, the Harvard Graduate School of Design confers awards on graduating students who demonstrate exceptional scholarly achievement, leadership, and service. Congratulations to the student award recipients, and to all of the 2022 graduates for your tremendous accomplishments.

School-wide Awards

Gerald m. mccue medal:.

The Gerald M. McCue Medal is awarded each year to the student graduating from one of the school’s post professional degree programs who has achieved the highest overall academic record.

Anny Li (MDes HPDM ’22)

Digital Design Prize:

The Digital Design Prize is presented by the Graduate School of Design to the student who has demonstrated the most imaginative and creative use of computer graphics in relation to the design professions.

George Filippo Guida (MArch II ’22)

Plimpton Poorvu Prize:

The Plimpton-Poorvu Design Prize recognizes the top team or individual for a viable real estate project completed as part of the GSD curriculum that best demonstrates feasibility in design, construction, economics, and in fulfillment of market and user needs.

• 1st Prize: Hana Cohn (MLA I ’24)
• 1st Prize: Youngju Kim (MAUD ’23)
• 1st Prize: Arami Matevosyan (MDes REBE ’22)
• 1st Prize: Naksha Satish (MAUD ’22)
• 2nd Prize: Nicolas Andres Carmona Guzman (MArch II ’22)
• 2nd Prize: George Filippo Guida (MArch II ’22)
• 2nd Prize: Michael Manu Moritz (MDes REBE ’22)
• 3rd Prize: Weixi Chen (MAUD/MDes REBE ’22)
• 3rd Prize: Xudong Zhu (MAUD ’22)

Clifford Wong Prize in Housing Design:

The Clifford Wong Prize in Housing Design aims to help re-establish the essential role of architects in society to provide not only the fundamental needs of human shelter but to meet the challenge of designing creative solutions for improving living environments. The Prize is awarded for the multi-family housing design that incorporates the most interesting ideas and/or innovations that may lead to socially-oriented, improved living conditions.

Brian Bo Ying Lee (MArch I ’22)

Peter Rice Prize:

The Peter Rice prize honors students of exceptional promise in the school’s architecture and advanced degree programs who have proven their competence and innovation in advancing architecture and structural engineering.

Hangsoo Jeong (MArch I ‘22)

Best Paper on Housing:

• Allison Irene Hyatt (MDes EE ’22)

Sinclair Kennedy Traveling Fellowship:

The Sinclair Kennedy Traveling Fellowships support a full academic year of research at destinations outside of the United States.

Shane Christopher Ah-Siong (MDes ADPD ’22)

Alumni Award:

The Alumni Award recognizes and celebrates the diversity, range, and impact of outstanding GSD alumni leaders within their communities and across their areas of practice. It underscores the essential role GSD graduates play in leading change around the world.

• Chelina Odbert (MUP ’07)
• David Lee (MAUD ’71)
• Donald Stull (MArch ’62), in memorium
• Allyson Mendenhall (MLA ’99)

Architecture Awards

American institute of architects medal:.

The American Institute of Architects Medal is awarded to a professional degree student in the Master in Architecture graduating class who has achieved the highest level of excellence in overall scholarship throughout the course of their studies.

Edward Ming Wang (MArch I AP ’22)

Alpha Rho Chi Medal:

The Alpha Rho Chi Medal is awarded to the graduating student who has achieved the best general record of leadership and service to the department and who gives promise of professional merit through their character.

Omotara Wuraola Oluwafemi (MArch I ’22)

James Templeton Kelley Prize:

The James Templeton Kelley Prize recognizes the best final design project submitted by a graduating student in the architecture degree programs.

• MArch I: Qin Ye Chen (MArch I ’22)
• MArch I: Isaac Henry Pollan (MArch I ’22)
• MArch II: Remi Reide Elyse McClain (MArch II ’22)

Julia Amory Appleton Traveling Fellowship in Architecture:

The Julia Amory Appleton Traveling Fellowship is given to a student in the Department of Architecture on the basis of academic achievement as well as the worthiness of the project to be undertaken.

Edda Steingrimsdottir (MArch I ’22)

Kevin V. Kieran Prize:

The Kevin V. Kieran Prize recognizes the highest level of academic achievement among students graduating from the post-professional Master in Architecture program.

Bailey Morgan Brown Mitchell (MArch II/MDes HPDM ’22)

Dept. of Architecture Faculty Design Award:

The Department of Architecture Faculty Design Award was established by the faculty of the Department of Architecture with the aim of recognizing significant achievement within a body of design work completed by a student at the GSD. This award is given to graduating students from each of the department’s two program.

• MArch I: Danmo Fu (MArch I ’22)
• MArch II: Maria Fernanda Espinoza (MArch II ’22)

Landscape Architecture Awards

Thesis prize in landscape architecture:.

The Landscape Architecture Thesis Prize is given to the graduating student who has prepared the best independent thesis during the past academic year.

Lucy Humphreys Chebot (MLA I ’22)

• Liwei Shen (MLA I ’22)

American Society of Landscape Architects Certificate of Merit:

Nominated by the faculty in the GSD’s Department of Landscape Architecture, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) awards a certificate of Honor and a Certificate of Merit to students enrolled in the Master in Landscape Architecture program who have “demonstrated a high degree of academic scholarship and of accomplishment in skills related to the art and technology of landscape architecture.”

• Josiah Duff Brown (MLA I AP ’22), Certificate of Merit
• Jingyun Li (MLA I AP ’22), Certificate of Honor

Landscape Architecture Foundation Olmsted Scholar:

Each year the faculty in the Department of Landscape Architecture nominates a student for the Landscape Architecture Foundation Olmsted Scholars Program. The program recognizes and supports students with exceptional leadership potential.

Norman T. Newton Prize:

The Norman T. Newton Prize is given to a graduating landscape architecture student whose work best exemplifies achievement in design expression as realized in any medium.

Sophie Mattinson (MLA I ’22)

Peter Walker & Partners Fellowship for Landscape Architecture:

The Peter Walker and Partners Fellowship for Landscape Architecture is awarded to support travel and study for a graduating GSD student to advance their understanding of the body of scholarship and practices related to landscape design.

• Scarlet Blossom Rendleman (MLA I ’22)

Jacob Weidenmann Prize:

The Jacob Weidenmann Prize is awarded to the student of the most distinguished design achievement graduating from the Department of Landscape Architecture.

Charles Eliot Traveling Fellowship in Landscape Architecture:

The Charles Eliot Traveling Fellowship is awarded annually as the highest honor by the Department of Landscape Architecture to one of its graduates.

Barbara Graeff (MLA I AP ’22)

Urban Planning and Design Awards

The Award for Academic Excellence in Urban Planning and Urban Design honors graduating students from each of the programs who have achieved the highest academic record.

Academic Excellence in Urban Planning:

Géraud Bablon (MUP ’22)

Academic Excellence in Urban Design:

Zhuoer Mu (MAUD ’22)

Award for Outstanding Leadership in Urban Planning:

The Award for Outstanding Leadership in Urban Planning and Urban Design honors graduating students from each of the programs who have demonstrated outstanding leadership during their time at the Graduate School of Design.

•   Sara Arman (MUP ’22)
•   Whytne Danielle Stevens (MUP ’22)

The UPD Thesis Prizes in Urban Planning and Urban Design:

Planning and Design Thesis Prize is given to the graduating students in each of the programs who have prepared the best independent theses during the past academic year.

• Briana Carroll Simpson Flynn (MUP ’22)
• Rogelio Cadena (MAUD ’22)

The Award for Excellence in Project-Based Urban Planning:

The Award for Excellence in Project-Based Urban Planning is given to students who have demonstrated exceptional ability in urban planning projects including research and design studios throughout their course of study.

• Kristy Henrich Klein (MUP ’22)

The Award for Excellence in Urban Design:

The Award for Excellence in Urban Design is given to students who have demonstrated exceptional design ability throughout their course of study in the Urban Design program.

• Elyjana Jade Fa’atali Roach (MAUD ’22)
• Aeshna Prasad (MDes Ecologies ’22)

American Institute of Certified Planners Outstanding Student Award:

The American Institute of Certified Planners Outstanding Student Award recognizes outstanding attainment in the study of planning by students graduating from accredited planning programs. The recipient of the award is chosen by a jury of planning faculty at each school.

Benjamin Walter Demers (MUP ’22)

Ferdinand Colloredo-Mansfeld Prize for Superior Achievement in Real Estate Studies

The Ferdinand Colloredo-Mansfeld Prize for Superior Achievement in Real Estate Studies is awarded annually to a graduating student from any program who has exhibited superior academic accomplishment and leadership in real estate studies.

Arami Matevosyan (MDes REBE ’22)

Druker Traveling Fellowship

Established in 1986, The Druker Traveling Fellowship is open to all students at the GSD who demonstrate excellence in the design of urban environments. It offers students the opportunity to travel in the United States or abroad to pursue study that advances understanding of urban design.

Elyjana Jade Fa’Atali Roach (MAUD ’22)

Design Studies:

Dimitris pikionis award:.

The Dimitris Pikionis Award recognizes a student for outstanding academic performance in the Master in Design Studies degree program.

Allison Irene Hyatt (MDes EE ’22)

The Daniel L. Schodek Award for Technology and Sustainability:

The Daniel L. Schodek Award for Technology and Sustainability honors the memory and legacy of Professor Daniel Schodek and the standards of excellence he established during his 40 years of teaching and mentoring at the GSD. The award is given annually in recognition of the best Master in Design Studies thesis in the area of technology and sustainable design.

• Indrajeet Haldar (MDes Tech ’22)
• Gabriella Elyse Perry (MDes Tech ’22)

The Design Studies Thesis Prize:

• Anny Li (MDes HPDM ’22)
• Nicole Catherine Piepenbrink (MDes CC ’22)

Design Engineering:

Overall academic performance:.

The Overall Academic Performance award recognizes a graduating MDE student for outstanding academic performance in the Master in Design Engineering degree program.

Maya Chatila (MDE ’22)

Leadership and Community Prize:

The Leadership and Community award recognizes one or more graduating students who have displayed outstanding leadership and community building within the Design Engineering cohort and who have represented MDE values to the larger world.

• Kelsey Burhans (MDE ’22)
• Elisa Ngan (MDE ’22)

Outstanding Design Engineering Project:

• Noah Xavier Deutsch (MDE ’22)
• Katrina Marie Armistead (MDE ’22)
• Edward Thomas Bayes (MDE ’22)

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Graduate Student Awards 2024

Graduate Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences invites you to nominate outstanding graduate students for the Graduate Student Awards 2024. Any graduate student enrolled in a degree program within the College of Arts and Sciences, including Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies (IGS) programs instructed by faculty within the College, is eligible for nomination, based on the criteria below. Previous winners of the Graduate School GTA award are not eligible for the teaching awards. Each award includes a plaque and a $1,000 scholarship that will be added to the recipient’s statement of account. Questions can be sent to Brian Orefice, Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies, [email protected] .

Award Categories

• One award to honor a student who demonstrates excellence in service to the department, college, university, or community.  The nominee should go above and beyond the scope of their graduate assistantship or fellowship.
• One award to honor a student who demonstrates excellence in mentoring. The nominee should be an advanced graduate student who provides exemplary and effective mentoring for undergraduate and/or new graduate students. The nature of the mentoring may include mentees’ personal, professional, and/or academic success.  
• One award to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of a graduate student whose research, teaching, and/or service/outreach activities promote diversity and support a culture that embraces and exhibits inclusive excellence, community, and openness.  
• Three awards to recognize excellence in teaching by a graduate student in any instructional capacity, including instructor of record, recitation, or lab. Nominees must have served as a GTA for at least two semesters within the last two years (GTAs currently teaching in their second semester are eligible).  

Nomination Process

• Nominations can be submitted from faculty, staff, or graduate students. Self-nominations are also invited but should be accompanied by at least one letter of support.
• A resume or CV is required.
• Describe the type of service, mentoring, or diversity efforts, including the time and/or level of commitment.
• Provide examples of how the student demonstrates innovation, creativity, or engagement in their activities.
• Highlight any involvement or leadership in campus or off-campus organizations, issues, or activities.
• Describe the teaching experience, including the time and/or level of commitment.
• Provide SEIs and/or qualitative student teaching evaluations during two semesters (as supplemental material).
• Highlight any involvement in training for improvement and innovation in teaching excellence.
• In addition to the nomination letter, supplemental materials are also encouraged, but not required (except for SEIs for the teaching awards). Supplemental materials may include up to 2 additional letter(s) of support (each 1,000 words max). 
• Nominations should be submitted online at the form linked below.

Submit nomination

• Nominations are due Monday, March 4, 2024
• Award recipients will be notified by early April and invited to the College of Arts & Sciences Spring Reception on Monday, April 22, 2024, where they will receive their plaque.

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Ph.D. Program

Graduate student awards.

Congratulations to the Biological Sciences students who have received the following honors and awards. Following linked years will lead to the associated news release.

Only recent school awards are listed on this page. Awards from previous years are listed in the Graduate Student Awards Archive.

Biology Founding Faculty Award for Graduate Excellence

Founded in 2014, this award is bestowed annually through an endowment from the School of Biological Sciences' founding faculty.

David V. Goeddel Chancellor's Award

A UC San Diego alumnus and biotechnology pioneer, Goeddel established the endowment to support and foster the innovators and scientists of the future. His endowment, which is matched by the School, each year supports the research and scholarly activities of outstanding Biological Sciences graduate students.

David V. Goeddel Endowed Graduate Award

Marguerite vogt award.

An endowment to provide awards for graduate students in the Biological Sciences at UC San Diego. In alternate years, prizes are awarded to UC San Diego graduate students assigned to the Salk Institute.

McElroy Award

The McElroy award provides support for an annual lectureship in Biochemistry, research or a graduate student award.

Kavli-Helinski Endowed Graduate Award

The the Kavli-Helinski Endowed Graduate Awards recognizes outstanding senior PhD students in research labs affiliated with the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind . The award also honors Don Helinski , a pioneer in molecular biology and one of our distinguished emeriti.

Barbara and Paul Saltman Distinguished Teaching Award

The Distinguished Teaching Award is a prestigious award bestowed upon up to five members of the Academic Senate, three non-Senate faculty members, and three graduate students at UC San Diego each year. Read more about Barbara and Paul Saltman Distinguished Teaching Award

2019 Barbara and Paul Saltman Distinguished Teaching Award Article

Center for academic research and training in anthropogeny (carta) fellowship.

The CARTA fellowship is awarded to Graduate students who demonstrate enthusiastic and engaging participation in the trans-disciplinary Specialization in Anthropogeny, gaining valuable research experience spanning the sciences and humanities.

Chancellor's Dissertation Medal

Criteria used by a faculty Dissertation Medal selection committee included: impact (the importance/impact of the research to the field and/or the department); originality (the insight, originality and creativity shown by the author); presentation (the effectiveness of the writing, clarity and organization of the thesis) and quality (the soundness of the methodology and the quality of the data).

2017 Chancellor's Dissertation Medal Article

Davis/noyes/stacey fellowships.

Davis/Noyes/Stacey Fellowships are provided from University endowment income and are awarded to continuing graduate students who meet special qualifications.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and Diversity Award

The annual Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action and Diversity Awards Program honors staff, faculty, students, departments, and organizational units or groups that make outstanding contributions in the areas of equal opportunity, affirmative action, diversity, and the UCSD Principles of Community during the year.

2018 Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and Diversity Award Article

Friends of the international center fellowship.

Founded in 1961, the Friends of International Center organization supports international education at UCSD in numerous ways. This fellowship supports graduate students and medical students that in some way promote international friendship, understanding, and cooperation in a meaningful way.

Grad SLAM Champion

The annual Grad SLAM competition challenges graduate students from across campus in a variety of disciplines to distill their research into short, captivating presentations that anyone from grade schoolers to grandparents can understand. The Grad SLAM champion will move onto the University of California system-wide Grad SLAM finals .

2019 Grad SLAM Champion Award Article

J. yang & family foundation award.

Supported by the J. Yang & Family Foundation , this initiative serves to recruit and retain highly promising future scholars from Taiwan high schools and universities by supporting student research and fostering collaborations and future research partnerships.

Mary Anne Fox Dissertation Year Fellowship

The Mary Anne Fox Dissertation Year Fellowship awards $22,000, tuition, and fees, to a student who demonstrates a highly distinguished academic record. This fellowship provides a full year of support for students in the final stages of their dissertation.

President's Dissertation Year Fellowship

The program is designed to identify doctoral candidates who have been educationally or economically disadvantaged or whose research or planned career direction focuses on problems related to disadvantaged segments of society. UC President's Dissertation Year Fellowships are to be awarded to promising students in the final stages of their doctoral work who demonstrate strong potential for university teaching and research.

Student Veteran of the Year

The Student Veteran of the Year is nominated by the campus community and awarded to a full-time student veteran for their involvement in campus activities, contribution to student morale, and service to the community.

2019 Student Veteran of the Year Award Article

American heart association predoctoral fellowship.

The American Heart Association (AHA) offers a Predoctoral Fellowship to enhance the research and clinical training of aspiring professionals in a predoctoral or clinical health degree.

ARCS Foundation Fellowship

A national nonprofit organization led entirely by women, the ARCS Foundation awards fellowships that recognize exceptional students pursuing research in the natural sciences, engineering and medicine

2016 ARCS Foundation Fellowship Article

Bouchet graduate honor society.

Named for Edward Alexander Bouchet, the first African American doctoral recipient in the United States, the Bouchet Society seeks to recognize and continue Dr. Edward Alexander Bouchet's pioneering contributions to doctoral education by developing a network of pre-eminent scholars who serve as examples of leadership, character, service, and advocacy for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the academy.

2022 Bouchet Graduate Honor Society Article

2021 bouchet graduate honor society article, 2020 bouchet graduate honor society article, 2019 bouchet graduate honor society article, 2017 bouchet graduate honor society article, 2016 bouchet graduate honor society article, ford foundation fellowship.

The Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation's college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. Fellowships are awarded in a national competition administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on behalf of the Ford Foundation.

HHMI Gilliam Fellowship

The goal of the program, which supports exceptionally promising doctoral students motivated to pursue careers in academic science, is to prepare a diverse and highly trained scientific workforce that can help develop the next generation of scientists.

2024 HHMI Gilliam Fellowship to Andrea Sama and Jazz Dickinson Supports New EDI Initiative

2022 hhmi gilliam fellowship article, 2021 hhmi gilliam fellowship article, 2020 hhmi gilliam fellowship article, 2019 hhmi gilliam fellowship article, 2017 hhmi gilliam fellowship article, 2016 hhmi gilliam fellowship article, melvin cohen award.

The prestigious Melvin Cohn Award was established to recognize scientific innovation and impact of early career scientists who have performed exceptional research. The highly competitive award carries a $1,000 prize and the opportunity to deliver a special presentation on the final day of the La Jolla Immunology Conference.

2020 Melvin Cohen Award Article

National defense science & engineering graduate fellowship (ndseg).

This highly competitive fellowship serves to support the training of scientists and engineers in a broad range of disciplines with an emphasis on research of interest to the Department of Defense.

2020 National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG) Article

Nih ruth l. kirschstein predoctoral individual national research service award.

A National Institutes of Health funded award, the purpose of this Kirschstein-NRSA program is to enable promising predoctoral students with potential to develop into a productive, independent research scientists, to obtain mentored research training while conducting dissertation research.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) offers approximately 2,000 fellowship awards annually, following a national competition. The program recruits high-potential, early-career scientists and engineers, and supports their graduate research training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

2022 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Article

2021 nsf graduate research fellowship article, 2020 nsf graduate research fellowship article, 2019 nsf graduate research fellowship article, 2018 nsf graduate research fellowship article, 2017 nsf graduate research fellowship article, 2016 nsf graduate research fellowship article, calls for nominations.

Please find a list of select awards and prizes below.

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Harvard physics student awards, gertrude and maurice goldhaber prize.

This prize is awarded annually to the outstanding theoretical and experimental graduate students who have passed their qualifying oral examinations in the preceding year.

List of Winners

Merit Scholarship

The Harvard Merit/Term Time Research Awards are available to outstanding GSAS students in all fields, including GSAS departments in the natural sciences. These fellowships are normally to be held in the fourth or fifth year, or earlier, and are for the purpose of allowing the students to devote a greater portion of their time to research, fieldwork, and writing than would otherwise be possible if they have a heavy teaching load or other employment. Students must have passed Generals and have an approved dissertation prospectus at the time of nomination, or be scheduled to have approval by the time the award begins (the award otherwise will be forfeited if approval does not materialize).

Carol Davis Prize

Awarded to a Physics concentrator in recognition of their efforts to build a more inclusive and welcoming environment in the Physics Department.

Recent winners:

David J. Robbins Prize

From the income of a fund was established in 1956 by Dr. and Mrs. Milton E. Robbins in memory of their son, David J. Robbins, A.B. 1955. The purpose of the prize is to enable recipients to enjoy the cultural activities and recreation that enriched David J. Robbins' short life.

Jack T. Sanderson Memorial Prize in Physics

From the gift of family, friends, and colleagues in memory of Jack T. Sanderson '58, A.M. '67, an annual prize is awarded to the graduating senior with the highest grade point average in Physics.

White Teaching Prize

The White Prize is awarded by the Physics Department for excellence in teaching introductory courses.

AWARD WINNERS:

Gertrude and maurice goldhaber prize winners, merit scholarship winners.

2023: Erin Crawley, Katie Fraser 2022: Qianshu Lu, Nathaniel Vilas 2021: Haoyu Guo, Elizabeth (Mina) Himwich 2019: Trond Andersen and Hofie Hannesdottir 2018: Ana-Maria Raclariu 2017: Aavishkar Patel 2016: Shubhayu Chatterjee and Monica Pate 2015: Ruffin Evans and Tomo Lazovich 2014: Elizabeth Jerison, Debanjan Chowdhury 2013: Elise Novitski 2012: Chi-Ming Chang, Peter Maurer 2011: Eddie Schlafly, Clay Cordova

Sanderson Memorial Prize Winners

2022: Radu Andrei, Richard Allen, and Wenjie Gong 2019: Brian Marinelli 2017: Henry Lin 2016: Olivier Simon 2015: John Sturm 2013: Jason Wien 2012: Aaron Szasz 2011: Zachary Frankel 2010: Timothy Hsieh 2009: Lin Cong 2008: Kevin Grosvenor 2007: Steven Byrnes 2006: Jonathan Blazek 2005: Kevin Weil 2004: Alexey Gorshkov 2003: Jaroslaw Labaziewicz

White Prize Winners

Spring 2022 Nathan Agmon (PS 3) Ananya Bansal (PS 2, PS 12B) Kees Benkendorfer (Phys 15C) Maine Christos (Phys 15B)   Aurelien Dersy (Phys 15A)   Katie Fraser (Phys 15B)   Roy Garcia (Phys 15B)   Miaochen (Andy) Jin (Phys 16)   Elise Koskelo (PS 12B)   Jerry Ling (PS 12A) Tianli Wang (Phys 19, PS 3)  

Spring 2021 Brendon Bullard Helena Casademunt Maine Christos Erin Crawley Eliot Fenton Soumya Ghosh Richard Huang Madelyn Leembruggen Nathan Leitao Jerry Ling Richard Liu Lauren Niu Paloma Ocola Hyungmok Son Alyson Spitzig Houri Christina Tarazi Noah Toyonaga Zoe Zhu

Spring 2019 Andrejevic, Jovana Chen, Yu-Ting Faaborg, Miles Frye, Christopher Gallegos, Isaura J. Goldfain, Aaron Michael Hannesdottir, Hofie Sigridar Keenan, Mary Klein, Ellen Doyle Milbourne, Timothy William Mitchell, James Kameron Narayanan, Sruthi Oei, Theresa Orona, Lucas Augustin Raymond, Alexander Rhine Samajdar Tripathi, Anjali Webb, Tatiana A. Mobolaji Williams Yang, Helen Marjorie Yodh, Jeremy

Spring 2017 Anderegg, Loic Bauch, Erik Chan, Stephen Chen, Mingyue Coughlin, Michael Frost, William He, Temple Huang, Dennis Langellier, Nicholas Lovchinsky, Igor Memet, Edvin Milbourne, Timothy Miller, Olivia Nande, Anjalika Plumb-Reyes, Thomas Shi, Yichen (Lily) Turner, Matthew

Spring 2015 & 2016 Bauch, Erik Drayna, Garrett Korda Feige, Ilya Eric Alexander Frost, William Thomas Harvey, Shannon Pasca Huang, Dennis Kivlichan, Ian David Klales, Anna M. Lee, Jae Hyeon Munoz, Philip Nguyen, Mai Thi Pittman, Suzanne Phelps, Gregory Alan Phillips, Katherine Russell, Jonathan Saklayen, Nabiha Shi, Yichen

Spring 2014 Santiago, Marina Bracher, David Olmstead Spearman, William R Fang, Shiang Goodknight, Joseph Sean Cahill Callaghan, Kristina Marie Phelps, Gregory Alan Fang, Jieping Langellier, Nicholas Ryan DiPetrillo, Karri Folan Popa, Cristina Mitra, Prahar Wang, Tout Miller, Kelly Klales, Anna Loschak, Paul

Spring 2013 (2012 academic year) Barr, Matthew (PS 3) Dimiduk, Thomas (Phys 15c) Fung, Jerome (Phys 15b, 15c) Kestin, Greg (SPU 27) Mashian, Natalie (PS 2) Murdaugh, Kimberly (SPU 27) Nicolaisen, Lauren (SPU 26) Nowojewski, Andrzej (SPU 27) Patton, Matthew (PS 2, 3) Russell, Emily (Phys 15b) Sher, Meng-Ju (Renee) (Phys 15b)

Spring 2012 (2011 academic year) Bruneaux, Luke (SPU 26) Chew, Justin (PS 2) Farhi, David (Phys 16) Gotlieb, Kenneth (PS 3) Kahawala, Dilani (PS 3) Petersen, Sierra (SPU 26) Setiawan, Widagdo (PS3) Shuve, Brian (PS 2) Tsoncheva, Evelina (Phys 11a) Vlassarev, Dimitar (PS 3) Wintz, Daniel (PS 2) Xu, George (PS 2)

Spring 2011 (2010 academic year) Aubrecht, Donald (SPU 27) Bruneaux, Luke (SPU 20) Churchill, Hugh (SPU 13) Fogwell, Shannon (PS 3) Gardel, Emily (SPU 27) Hou, Jennifer (SPU 27) Kestin, Gregory (Phys 16) Pivonka, Adam (Phys 15b) Visbal, Elijah (Phys 15b) Wissner-Gross, Zachary (Phys 15a) Young, Adrian (SPU 20)

Spring 2010 (2009 academic year) Benjamin, David (Georgi, Phys 16) Bittner, Jonathan (Feldman, SA 39) Chung, Hyeyoun (Gabrielse, SPU 15) Dowd, Jason (da Costa, Greiner, Phys 11a) Foletti, Sandra (Franklin, SPU 20) Hill, Alison (Manoharan, McCarty, PS 2) McGorty, Ryan (Morii, Phys 15c) Millman, Eleanor (Franklin, SPU 20) Peng, Amy (Morin, Phys 15c) Peterson, Courtney (Morin, Phys 15a) Sanders, Jacob (Huth, PS 3) Shuve, Brian (Morii, Phys 15b) Zou, Sirui (Huth, PS 3)

Spring 2009 (2008 academic year) Benjamin, David (Manoharan/McCarty, PS2) Connolly, Colin (Guimaraes da Costa/Silvera, 11a) French, Timothy (Manoharan/McCarty, PS2) Gillen, Jonathon (Manoharan/McCarty, PS2) Jeanty, Laura (Morin/Samuel, 15a) Jensen, Katharine (Heller, SA49) Klein, Mason (Hoffman, 15c) Lau, Billy (Franklin/Morii/Samuel/Whitesides, PS3) Lee, Corry (Manoharan/McCarty, PS2) McCord, Rachel (Manoharan/McCarty, PS2) Qi, Yang (Franklin/Morii/Samuel/Whitesides, PS3) Sorenson, Nils (Guimaraes da Costa/Silvera, 11a)

Spring 2008 (2007 academic year) Dibos, Alan (Franklin, Stone, PS2) Hoogerheide, David (Morii, Whitesides, Samuel, PS3) Kagan, Michael (Morii, Hoffman, 15b) Kats, Yevgeny (Georgi, 16) Klein, Mason (Morii, Whitesides, Samuel, PS3) Lau, Billy (Franklin, Stone, PS2) Lee, Corry (Franklin, Stone, PS2) Main, Elizabeth (Greiner, 15c) Pahk, Joon (Morii, Whitesides, Samuel, PS3) Pinnaduwage, Dilini (Greiner, Hayes, 15c) Winkler, Mark (Georgi, Hayes, 15c)

Spring 2007 (2006 academic year) Cheung, Clifford (Mazur, 1b) Goldman, Joshua (Gabrielse, SA-45) Hatch, Kristi (Morii, 11b) Kats, Yevgeny (Greiner, 15b) Kolthammer, William Steve (Gabrielse, SA-45) Krich, Jacob (Heller, SA-49) Pashin, Andrii (Hayes, 15c lab) Pepper, Rachel (Gabrielse, SA-45) Peterson, Courtney (Morin, 15a) Real, Esteban (Morin, 15a) Seo, Jihye (Morii, 11b) Wissner-Gross, Alexander (Morin, 15a)

Spring 2006 (2005 academic year) Copete, Antonio Ernebjerg, Morten Goldman, Joshua Grant, Lars Guise, Nicholas Larson, Daniel Pashin, Andrii Rousseau, Suzanne Seo, Jihye Svacha, Geoffry Vitelli, Vincenzo

Spring 2005 (2004 academic year) Bowles, Anita Dolivet, Yacine Gero, Peter Guise, Nicholas Hailu, Girma Mahbubani, Rakhi Mathey, Ludwig Saraikine, Kirill Sherman, Daniel Subin, Zachary Tao, Winston

Spring 2004 (2003 academic year) Bowles, Anita Cyrier, Michelle Doret, Stephen Charles Gero, Jonathan Glenday, Alexander Liu, Jiayu Pastras, Georgios Real, Esteban Rousseau, Suzanne Serej, Shaun Thambyahpillai, Shiyamala Tsai, Leo

Spring 2003 (2002 academic year) Hanneke, David Robinson, Mike Marsan, Joe Kilic, Can Jones, Greg Sherman, Daniel Mahbubani, Rakhi Gershow, Marc Gardel, Margaret Carey, Jim Cyrier, Michelle

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Student Fellowships & Awards

List of Deadlines for Student Competitive Awards  

Recruitment Fellowships Flagship Fellowship President's Fellowship Ronald E. McNair Graduate Fellowship Dean's Fellowship Program

Dissertation Fellowships and Awards Ann G. Wylie Semester Dissertation Fellowship   Lee Thornton Semester Dissertation Fellowship *

Research Fellowships/Internships Graduate School Summer Research Fellowship Graduate School Summer Internship Fellowship Kulkarni Foundation Summer Research Fellowship  * International Graduate Research Fellowship

Awards for Excellence Charles A. Caramello Distinguished Dissertation Award Three-Minute Thesis Competition Award Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award  

Endowed Awards Dr. James W. Longest Memorial Award for Social Science Research * The Michael J. Pelczar Award for Excellence in Graduate Study  * Phi Delta Gamma Graduate Fellowship  * Dr. Mabel S. Spencer Award for Excellence in Graduate Achievement  * Kulkarni Tuition Assistance Award for McNair Scholars * Endowed Fellowship for Archival Work in English Studies  * David and Winifred "Winkle" Fulk Fellowship  *

Other Awards (external) Southern Regional Education Board Awards Big 10 Academic Alliance/Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Limited Submissions U21/PwC Innovation Challenge 2022

Travel Awards International Conference Student Support Award Jacob K. Goldhaber Travel Grant

*Endowed Fellowship/Award

AY 22-23 Student Award List  -  view  Digital Program

AY 21-22 Student Award List  

AY 20-21 Student Award List

AY 19-20 Student Award List

AY 18-19 Student Award List

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Excellence in Graduate Research Awards 2023-24

The Department of Chemistry is pleased to announce the following prizes for outstanding work by graduate students. These awards, announced each spring, recognize outstanding contributions to research by doctoral students and carry a $1,000 prize. The awards were restructured in Academic Year 2022-23 after a few years hiatus and are funded by endowments made possible through philanthropic support of faculty, friends, and alumni. All UW Chemistry Ph.D. students that have completed their General Examination, are in Good Academic Standing, and have not yet received a merit award are eligible to apply.

Excellence in Graduate Research Award, Physical Chemistry

Funded by the Kwiram/CCR Fellowship

Kent Wilson is a PhD candidate in the research group of Professor Sarah Keller. He synthesizes lipid bilayer membranes to determine which molecules are necessary for phase separation. Kent grew up in Batesville, Indiana and attended Benedictine College where he majored in physics and mathematics. When he's not making lipid vesicles, he enjoys reading, writing, and playing guitar.

Garrett Santis is a PhD candidate in chemistry. Under the guidance of Affiliate Professor Sotiris Xantheas, Garrett has studied the intricacies of intermolecular interactions, specifically hydrogen bonding interactions. Using computation and theory, he has probed the influence structure has on the thermodynamics of hydrogen bonds and the kinetics of proton transfer. Outside of Bagley Hall, Garrett is a member of Frontrunners and an avid trivia buff at the College Inn Pub.

Excellence in Graduate Research Award, Analytical Chemistry

Lindsey Ulmer is a PhD candidate in the group of Associate Professor Matthew Bush. She develops novel crosslinking mass spectrometry methods to study small heat shock proteins in collaboration with Professor Rachel Klevit (Biochemistry). She grew up in Johns Creek, Georgia and completed her BS in chemistry at Georgia Tech, where she did undergraduate research in glycoproteomics with Dr. Ronghu Wu. Outside of her research, she likes to cuddle with her dogs, watch reality television, and take ballet classes.

Jiahao Wan is a PhD candidate in the research group of Professor František Tureček. He studies gas-phase biomolecular ion structures using tandem mass spectrometry and theory. Jiahao grew up in Chengdu, China and received a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and playing soccer with friends.

Excellence in Graduate Research Award, Inorganic Chemistry

Funded by the Ritter Endowed Scholarship Fund Hao Nguyen is a PhD candidate in Professor Brandi Cossairt’s lab. He was born and raised in Vietnam. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Texas A&M University in 2020. His Ph.D. research focuses on the synthesis and integration of quantum dots for quantum photonic applications. Hao is also the founder of SCROCCS, a program that brings local community college students to experience summer research at the UW. Outside of the lab, Hao enjoys cooking, 3D modeling, gaming, and playing with his two cats.

Funded by the Mary K. Simeon and Goldie Simeon Read Chemistry Research Endowment Kathleen Snook is a PhD candidate in the research group of Assistant Professor Dianne Xiao. She studies the use of redox–active supramolecular cages as electrocatalysts for the synthesis of organic molecules. Kathleen grew up in Snohomish, Washington and received her B.A. in chemistry with honors from Boston University. Outside of lab, she enjoys reading books, writing, and spending time with her cat, Sylvie.

Excellence in Graduate Research Award, Organic Chemistry

Funded by the Irving and Mildred Shain Endowed Fund in Chemistry

Elizabeth Momoh is a PhD candidate in the research group of Professor Pradip Rathod. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Elizabeth has been drawn to malaria research due to the high prevalence of malaria in Nigeria. Her research focuses on developing novel chemical tools for multiplex analysis of antibody responses to malaria antigens and she hopes to make significant strides in advancing malaria vaccine research. Elizabeth graduated with a B.S in chemistry from Cameron University. Outside of the lab, she spends time with friends playing board games or trying new restaurants.

Cem Millik earned a BS in biochemistry from the University of Washington and is pursuing a PhD in chemistry in the group of Professor Alshakim Nelson. Cem’s research interests center on interfaces between life sciences and synthetic materials. Cem’s research in the Nelson Laboratory focuses on the exploration of stimuli-responsive hydrogels and their applications in drug delivery, 3D printing, 3D cell culture, and as soft biomaterials.

Congratulations to these PhD candidates for this excellent research accomplishments!

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The 2025-26 Competition is now open. Applications must be submitted by the national deadline of October 8, 2024 at 5pm ET.

Current U.S. Student

United States citizens who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are eligible to apply.If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a U.S. college or university, you will apply through that institution, even if you are not currently a resident there. Find the Fulbright Program Adviser on your campus.

U.S. Citizen but not a Student

If you are a U.S. citizen, will hold a bachelor’s degree by the award start date, and do not have a Ph.D. degree, then you are eligible to apply. Non-enrolled applicants should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Candidates with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program .

The Getting Started page will provide information on eligibility and next steps.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program welcomes applications in the creative and performing arts. Arts candidates for the U.S. Student Program should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Artists with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program .

Creative & Performing Arts projects fall under the Study/Research grant category and are available in all countries where Study/Research grants are offered.

U.S. Professor/Administrator

If you are a U.S. citizen and a professor or administrator at a U.S. institution and are interested in applying for a Fulbright Scholar Award, you will need to apply through fulbrightscholars.org .

To support your students in applying for a U.S. Student Program award, please connect with the Fulbright Program Adviser at your institution.

Non U.S. Citizens

If you are a non-U.S. citizen interested in applying for a Fulbright Award to the United States, you will need to apply through the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your home country. Find out more information on the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program or Fulbright Foreign Student Program .

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Competition Information

2025-2026 award cycle.

• Application: Open *APPLY NOW*
• Get started by watching program tutorials   
• National Deadline: Tuesday, October 8th by 5pm Eastern Time

2024-2025 Award Cycle

• Application : Closed
• Semi-Finalist Notifications: End of January
• Finalist Notifications: February through May 2024

Fulbright Top Producing Institutions Announced

Learn more.

CSAR PhD Students Awards

Previous award winners.

Celebrating Duke Engineering Awards for Spring 2024

Duke Engineering faculty and students garnered a wide array of awards and recognitions to start off the year

Faculty Awards

• Ken Brown co-led the Computing Community Consortium’s five-year update to the Next Steps in Quantum Computing Workshop Report .
• Pranam Chatterjee received a $50,000 donation from the foundation EndAxD to work toward a cure for Alexander Disease.
• Yiran Chen was named the inaugural editor-in-chief of the new Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Artificial Intelligence .
• Yiran Chen was appointed a Computer Society Distinguished Visitor for 2024 – 2026 .
• Yiran Chen won a “Test of Time” award for laying the foundations of neuromorphic computing.
• Yiran Chen was elected to the National Academy of Inventors .
• Joel Collier received a Clemson Award from the Society for Biomaterials for his contributions to research and scientific literature.
• Leslie Collins was elected a Fellow of the IEEE .
• Shaundra B. Daily was named to two influential roles within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) .
• Earl Dowell was awarded J.S. Rao Medal in Vibration Engineering .
• Jessilyn Dunn won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to improve biosignal algorithms.
• Emily Edwards was appointed as a committee member within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) .
• Liang Feng received an award from the Scialog Negative Emission Science (NES) Program .
• Aaron Franklin was elected a Fellow of the IEEE .
• Kenneth Hall won the 2024 R. Tom Sawyer Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers .
• Jungsang Kim was elected to the National Academy of Inventors .
• Natalia Litchinitser was named a Fellow of SPIE , the international society for optics and photonics, and named to the Committee on Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Sciences (CAMOS) .
• Amanda Randles won the ACM Prize in Computing .
• Amanda Randles was named a Distinguished Member by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) .
• Tatiana Segura received a Clemson Award from the Society for Biomaterials for her contributions to research and scientific literature.
• Emily Wenger was selected for the 2024 Forbes 30 under 30 list .
• Blake Wilson was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) .
• Blake Wilson won the 2024 IEEE Medal for Innovation in Healthcare Technology .   

Graduate Student Awards

• Fakrul Islam Tushar (PhD, ECE) won the best poster presentation award at the VITM24: 1st International Summit on In-Silico Virtual Trials and Digital Twins in Medicine .

Undergraduate Awards

• Juliet Jiang , a rising senior double majoring in mathematics and biomedical engineering won a prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship . 

Staff Awards

• Nicole “Nikki” Pelot received the 2024 Rising Star Early Career Award from the North American Neuromodulation Society.

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K-State Graduate School recognizes faculty for exceptional graduate student mentoring

Monday, May 6, 2024

MANHATTAN — Two Kansas State University faculty members have been recognized for outstanding mentoring with the Graduate Faculty Mentor Award . Ajay Sharda , professor of biological and agricultural engineering, and Susmita Rishi , assistant professor of landscape architecture and regional & community planning, each received the $1,000 award from K-State's Graduate School . "High-quality mentoring is important for graduate students' academic success and their preparedness for the job market," said Claudia Petrescu, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School. "A positive mentoring experience can also impact graduate student well-being and overall satisfaction with their K-State experience. This award serves to recognize graduate faculty who have demonstrated a commitment to holistic graduate student success." Award recipients are selected based on nominations from graduate students and their students' participation in three annual research presentation events: the Three Minute Thesis Competition, the Research and the State symposium, and the K-State Graduate Research, Arts, and Discovery Forum, or K-GRAD. Sharda and Rishi have consistently supported their graduate students' participation in research forums, and their exceptional mentoring was evident in the nominations from their students.

Ajay Sharda

Sharda's research focuses on the development, analysis and experimental validation of control systems for agricultural machinery systems. His work has a variety of emphases, including automation, sensor testing and development, mechatronic systems, computer vision, artificial intelligence, data solutions and thermal infrared imaging. He also serves as director of research for K-State's Institute for Digital Agriculture and Advanced Analytics . Sharda's mentoring philosophy is centered on developing critical thinking skills and instilling in the students an ability to integrate the theoretical and practical world. "I believe students do not just need to be educated but also mentored so that they recognize the value of opportunities that exist during their graduate school years and the deep effect their response to these opportunities can have on their future satisfaction and success," Sharda said. Graduate student nominators said Sharda fosters an environment where students feel comfortable expressing research ideas, which promotes creativity and innovation, and that he encourages the development of both technical and professional skills among his graduate students. "Dr. Sharda's mentorship cultivates a nurturing environment where students like me thrive academically and professionally," said one student nominator. "His commitment to fostering individual development and instilling confidence leaves a lasting impact on his mentees, shaping us into successful scholars and professionals." Sharda said that he's humbled to be recognized with this award, and what drives him every day is seeing his students grow their technical and soft skills to be leaders in their fields and valued team members.

Susmita Rishi

As an engaged urban scholar, Rishi's research interests lie at the intersection of housing, the social production of home, informality and southern theory. Her projects focus on understanding spaces, particularly the space of the home from the perspective of marginalized urban residents. "My ultimate intention through all of my teaching and mentoring is to ensure that my students become critically engaged, reflexive, ethical, and effective planners and built environment professionals," Rishi said. "My mentoring and teaching pedagogy is heavily influenced by bell hooks' synthesis and evolution of Paulo Freire's notions of engaged pedagogy. I lead with kindness and love while holding all my students to a high standard, and I provide them with skills, tools and resources that will help them to be successful not just in school but in life after." Graduate student nominators said Rishi provides exceptional academic mentoring, leads open conversations about career planning, creates a sense of belonging and well-being, and encourages not only academic work but also personal and professional development. "I have had a wonderful graduate school experience because of Dr. Rishi, and my research has extended in scope and audience far more than I ever thought possible," said a student nominator. "She knows how to tailor her teaching and guidance to individual students' needs." Rishi said that it's an honor to be recognized for fostering growth and development in those she mentors. "The fact that I was nominated by my graduate students is extremely gratifying and a testament to the value of investing time and effort into guiding our students through graduate school with kindness and love," she said. "I am grateful for the continued opportunity that my position at K-State allows me to continue supporting and inspiring others in their journey." In addition to the award recipients, three graduate faculty members were selected for honorable mention: Chelsea Spencer , research assistant professor in applied human sciences; Manreet Bhullar , research assistant professor in horticulture and natural resources; and Behzad Ghanbarian , associate professor in geology. The award recipients and honorable mentions were recognized at the annual Graduate Student and Faculty Recognition Celebration on April 28.

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Six Romance Languages Graduate Students Receive 2024 Outstanding Teaching Award

Every year the Center for Teaching and Learning recognizes the significant contributions graduate students make to the instructional mission of the University of Georgia through Teaching Awards sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Instruction. This year, graduate students Erin Bolívar (PhD candidate in Hispanic Studies & Italian), María González-Ferrer (PhD candidate in Hispanic Linguistics), Álvaro Ley Garrido (PhD student in Hispanic Studies), Joshua McNeill (PhD candidate in Linguistics, Teaching Assistant of French), Talita Nassur (PhD student in Portuguese), and Michel Soares do Carmo (PhD student in Portuguese) were recognized with this honor.   

Recipients of the 2024 Outstanding Teaching Award were formally recognized at the Annual Spring Teaching Celebration, which was held on Wednesday, April 3, in the Victor K. Wilson Ballroom in Memorial Hall. 

Pictured: Álvaro Ley Garrido, Talita Nassur, and Michel Soares do Carmo

Personnel in this Article

Erin bolívar, maría gonzález-ferrer, alvaro ley garrido, joshua mcneill, talita lara carvalho nassur.

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USM Office of Leadership and Student Involvement Holds annual SOAR Awards Ceremony

Mon, 05/06/2024 - 04:13pm | By: David Tisdale

The Office of Leadership and Student Involvement (OLSI) at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) celebrated the accomplishments of the 198 registered student organizations and student leaders at their annual Student Organization Achievement and Recognition (SOAR) Awards ceremony April 24 in the Thad Cochran Center Ballrooms on the Hattiesburg campus.

Nominations were solicited from the campus community in March and an independent committee served as nomination reviewers; 162 total nominations were submitted.

The award winners include:

*Best New Student Organization - Reading HERstory  

*Emerging Leader Award - Sophia Schmidt, American Chemical Society

*Community Builder Award - Shiza Shahid, Pakistani Student Organization and Muslim Student Association

*Organization Member of the Year - Joy Khangamwa, Southern Christian Student Center

*Organization Officer of the Year - Kinlea Robinson, Beta Alpha Psi

*Organization President of the Year - Donna Swanson, American Marketing Association

*Organization Advisor of the Year - Dr. Leah McSorley, Pakistani Student Organization  

*Innovation Award- Eagles After Similar Yearnings  

*Student Organization of the Year - National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association

Dr. Emily Holmes, director of the OLSI, expressed gratitude to the many partners working with the office throughout the year on all student events. She said this year’s student organization accomplishments are truly noteworthy, as they have worked to create “a robust student engagement experience that has captivated the campus community.”

Further, she noted that a record 22 new student organizations were chartered at the university this year, helping grow student engagement through student organization involvement to create a second-to-none student life experience at Southern Miss.

“We are continually impressed each year with the capacity that many of our organizations employed to craft experiences on campus that impact student engagement and learning,” Dr. Holmes continued. “This year was no exception. We are so proud of their contributions to the Southern Miss experience.”

Learn more about the SOAR awards and the Office of Leadership and Student Involvement.

Categories: Student Life

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Usm graduate school holds annual susan a. siltanen graduate student research symposium, usm school of ocean science and engineering student cruise featured in epa trash free waters publication.

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You are here, announcing 2024-2025 graduate labor research grant recipients.

Each year, the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies awards thousands of dollars in research funding to University of Washington graduate students and faculty. Since 1992, the Center has awarded over one hundred grants, producing dozens of reports, books, articles, and more. We are pleased to announce the recipients of Labor Studies graduate student research funding for the 2024-2025 academic year.

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Outstanding Graduate Student Awards

Extended Deadline: February 28, 2023 for nominations

March 6, 2023 for portfolio submissions

The    Outstanding Graduate Student Awards   are presented annually by the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Chancellor to recognize graduate students across Northeastern’s network for exemplary achievements while at Northeastern University.  Graduate students in all degree programs and across all Northeastern campuses as well as online students may be nominated.   Awardees will receive a monetary award of $1,000.  Awards will be conferred in the following categories :  

• Experiential – recognizing the impact of experiential learning  
• Humanics – recognizing integration of human literacy with data and technologies  
• Leadership – recognizing contribution to community  
• Research – recognizing high impact research  
• Teaching – recognizing mentorship and teaching excellence  

Purpose : The purpose of the Outstanding Graduate Student Awards is to honor exceptional students for their significant contributions and accomplishments while pursuing a graduate degree at Northeastern University.  Northeastern faculty and staff are encouraged to nominate qualified graduate students. All graduate students are eligible to be nominated .  The awards were established to honor individuals, who, by their contributions to their field and the community while students at Northeastern, have brought recognition to themselves and the University.   Graduate students may be nominated to any one of the award categories above.  Criteria for each award category is listed below .   If a graduate student is nominated for more than one category, the graduate student must select one of the categories for portfolio submission.  A candidate may not be considered in more than one category.  It is expected that there will be a single awardee in each category.  

 Nominations:

Nominations for 2023 are no longer being accepted.

Recipients of this award have shown an exceptional ability to conduct high-impact research and make contributions to the scholarly literature in their field.  

Nominees will need to submit a portfolio to be considered.  Portfolios are due by March 3rd and should contain:  

• Statement describing the nature of the graduate student’s contribution and its impact (3 pages). 
• CV or Resume  

This award recognizes graduate students who have demonstrated significant leadership and a deep commitment to giving back to members of the Northeastern community or neighborhoods surrounding their location.    

• Statement explaining the nature, scope and impact of the student’s leadership to a community (3 pages).  

This award recognizes graduate students who have shown an extraordinary capacity to integrate academics with experiential learning to establish themselves as emerging leaders in their field.  Experiential learning is contextual learning and examples include the integration of:  

• academics with professional settings;  
• research with exposure or application to new contexts beyond the university; and  
• academics with entrepreneurship.  
• Statement explaining the experiential learning activity and how it impacted the nominee’s graduate education (3 pages). 

Recipients of this award have demonstrated an exceptional ability to mentor, communicate ideas and concepts as an educator and a talent for inspiring students.    

• Statement explaining the graduate student’s experience as an educator and evidence that demonstrate that it is exceptional (3 pages). 

This award recognizes graduate students who, through their education, have integrated human literacy with data and technology in their learning or research.  Examples include the integration of:  

• influencers via social media, authentication cookies, and privacy settings ;  
• consumer confidence, foreign policy, and investment strategies; and  
• seismic activity, climate models, and structural design.  
• Statement explaining the graduate student’s exceptional demonstration of or contribution to humanics and how it impacted to the nominee’s graduate education (3 pages). 

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Class Acts: Ping-I (Dennis) Chou

The COVID-19 pandemic fueled Chou's interest in nanoplastics' effect on the environment

During the pandemic, Ping-I Chou observed the ubiquity of medical waste as face masks became a common sight littering the ground. Chou, who goes by the first name Dennis, saw a new door open where many would only see an overwhelming challenge.

Somebody needed to study just what happens to all those polypropylene face masks left unattended. And Chou was in a unique position to do just that, having been selected as a  McDonnell International Scholars Academy  fellow and working as a doctoral student researcher in Professor Young-Shin Jun’s  environmental nanochemistry laboratory  in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis.

After he graduates this summer, Chou plans to move to Oregon to join Intel, one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers, as a module development engineer, where he will continue to use his nanochemistry and photochemistry expertise in semiconductor design and manufacturing. But first, he talked about some of the fascinating work he has done during his time at WashU.

How did you end up studying environmental nanochemistry?

After earning my undergraduate and graduate degrees from National Chung Hsing University and National Taiwan University, I contacted Professor Jun because of her expertise in water chemistry and nanochemistry. Then I was selected as a McDonnell International Scholars Academy fellow. But then, COVID hit.   Because of COVID-19 we have so much face mask waste. When these masks enter the environment, like in rivers and oceans, it can be degraded by sunlight and release micro or nano plastics into water. I wanted to understand how sun exposure changes the surface chemistry of the materials. I found sun exposure degrades the mask materials in a way that speeds up the manganese oxidation and the formation of manganese oxide nanoparticles on mask surfaces, which can further affect the transport of nutrients and heavy metal in the water. This research can help better understand the fate and transport of plastic wastes and highly reactive nanoparticle formation in the environment.

What is your favorite part of being in St. Louis?

Much like in Japan, Korea and America, baseball is the national sport of Taiwan. I grew up watching Major League Baseball, and now I’ve come to the right place.   I really like baseball, I think that’s the most enjoyable aspect of living in St. Louis, outside of the lab. Watching baseball in person in a stadium is a totally different experience. I really enjoy the proximity of WashU to Busch Stadium.

What gives you hope for the future?

I believe knowledge is power. I was really inspired by the knowledge I learned working in Professor Jun’s lab. Having a positive mindset is critically important.   My time as a McDonnell Academy scholar helped me make invaluable connections to other international scholars and ambassadors from different backgrounds. In the McDonnell Academy, I developed a global mindset and a sense of social responsibility. The resources and the experiences of the McDonnell Academy really made me hopeful for the future.

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