The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology is pleased to recognize its many outstanding students with a variety of awards, scholarships, and fellowships from the school and its four departments: Biochemistry, Cell & Developmental Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular & Integrative Physiology. Congratulations to the award recipients for all their dedication and hard work in classrooms and laboratories and thank you to all those who support our students with these recognitions.

Download a pdf of the 2023 awards ceremony program.

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology Awards

BEST Merit Scholarship for Incoming Freshmen in Biology, Biochemistry, and Neuroscience

The BEST Scholar Program recognizes outstanding incoming freshmen from Illinois with a financial award and mentorship from the directors of the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology and the School of Integrative Biology.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a BEST Scholarship, applicants must be Illinois residents who have demonstrated academic excellence in high school. Additionally, they must demonstrate a passion for studying biology and appropriate time management skills through participation in activities and/or work experience. Consideration is given to the students’ background and financial need.

How to apply:

High achieving incoming first year students from the state of Illinois are invited to apply upon their admission into biology, biochemistry, or neuroscience at the university.

2024 Recipients:

Ayesha Ajaz, Joshua Auld Alvarez, Ashley Chan, SuJeanne Choi, Malina Dhingra, Clare Donahue, Alfred Gargoles, Sahana Glispie, Ava Hendershott, Kaye Hidalgo, John Inoue, Lucia LaBarre, Lily Neuer, Caroline Olchawa, Grace Stuckey, Mara Torres, Nandana Varms

2023 Recipients:

Julia Ciura, Luke Crimmins, Molly Dasilva, Hannah Martinez, Hannah McGee, Iman Mohair, Ahmed Nadeem, Toheeb Ojelade, Jaahnvi Patel, Shivam Patel, Suhani Peramanu, Abigail Perryman

2022 Recipients:

Hallie Balika, Delaney Blohm, Peyton Carmichael, Belén Chamorro Rosales, Neel Donthamsetti, Alyson Ficca, Samantha Florey, Lydia Foster, Dan Lam, Cesar Maldonado, Jr., Cynthia Mu, Cindy Tran, Elaine Wei, Chloe Zant

2021 Recipients:

Madison Ardagh, Collin Barnes, Nicholas Bernie, Emma Bridgeman, Emma Crawford, Allison Haab, Hannah Hallman, Margaret Keilman, Stav Kramer, Brandon Snipe, Katarina Vrtikapa, Lily Wenger

2020 Recipients

Michael McHenry, Grace Mies, Jake Priser, Will Reiser, Alexis Rhoades, Andrew Zhang

Oliver J. Bell Merit Scholarship

The Oliver J. Bell Merit scholarship was established in 2014 by Oliver Bell, a 1989 graduate of the Honors Biology program and Department of Chemistry.

Eligibility:

 Students in the MCB Honors Concentration who have completed at least one semester in the program. Submission of essay describing how the student intends to use the award to enrich their honors education.

How to apply:

 Eligible students will be invited to apply by the Honors Coordinator.

2024 Recipient:

Hannah McGee

2023 Recipient:

Jamie Bernal

2022 Recipient:

Emily Tung

2021 Recipient:

Muskaan Sawhney

2020 Recipient:

Rithva Ramesh

2019 Recipient:

Benjamin Ray

School of MCB Undergraduate Research Symposium Awards

Every fall, the school hosts a research symposium to provide students with the opportunity to present research they’ve been working on in a faculty member’s lab. Guest alumni judges conduct the evaluations.

2023 Director's Award for Exceptional Research Presentation:

Hunter Carrell (Dr. Paul Hergenrother)
Emma Ibanez (Dr. Justin Rhodes)

2023 Outstanding Research Presentation Award

Neha Ramachandran (Dr. Milan Bagchi)

2023 Research Honorable Mention Award

Madeleine Meehan (Dr. Marni Boppart)
Anastasiya Sushkova (Dr. Anna Kukekova)

2022 Director's Award for Exceptional Research Presentation:

Neal Dadlani (Dr. Sayee Anakk)

2022 Outstanding Research Presentation Award

Veronica Pronitcheva (Dr. Justin Rhodes)

2022 Research Presentation Award

Niraj Lawande (Dr. Catherine Christian-Hinman)

2021 Outstanding Presentation:

 Allison Narlock (Dr. Rachel Whitaker)

2021 Honorable Mentions:

 Ria Ravi (Dr. Steven Blanke), Royal Shrestha (Dr. Huanyu "Joe" Qiao)

2020 Outstanding Poster Presentation

Huzaifa Zohair (Dr. Steven Blanke)

2020 Honorable Mentions for Poster Presentations:

Andrew Gupta (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra), Sean MacAllister (Dr. Steven Blanke)

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURFs)

The deadline to apply for 2024 SURFs will be Monday, February 12 at 5pm. 

The School of MCB is grateful to be able to award a number of Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURFs) to students each year thanks to the generosity of our alumni, friends, and corporate sponsors. The fellowship offers undergraduates the opportunity to work in a laboratory with faculty, graduate students, and research staff over the course of 8 to 12 weeks during the summer. Fellows spend between 20 and 40 hours per week conducting research. They also participate in laboratory meetings, journal clubs, and seminars. At the end of their research experience, students write a brief summary to share with faculty and sponsors. They are also encouraged to present at the MCB Undergraduate Research Symposium, held annually in the fall.

AbbVie Black Business Network + School of MCB SURF

The AbbVie Black Business Network and MCB SURF provides financial support for a student conducting research on campus. AbbVie is a global research and development-based biopharmaceutical company and the Black Business Network, an employee resource group, promotes career advancement and professional development by sponsoring career initiatives to develop and sustain the next generation of leaders at AbbVie.

Eligibility:

The fellowship will support an MCB student who is from a population that has been historically underrepresented in the sciences and research careers.

How to apply:

Undergraduate students apply annually via a common application that opens in early January. 

2022 Recipient:

Zaria George (Dr. Benjamin Auerbach)

2021 Recipient:

Le'Mark Russell (Dr. Rachel Smith-Bolton)

Berkowitz Research Fellowship

Dr. Richard Berkowitz earned a BS in biology from the University of Illinois and an MD in pediatrics and pediatric anesthesiology from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. He is currently the Chairman and Medical Director of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine at Community Hospital in Munster, Ind. and Director of Anesthesiology at St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, Ind. Additionally, he is the co-founder of the School of MCB Pre-Health and Professional Mentorship Program. The award is for an undergraduate to conduct summer research which will provide the basis for a senior research thesis.

Eligibility:

 Must be an officially declared MCB major conducting research for credit in an approved lab with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50, must agree to continue the research started in the summer in the fall, submit a research summary, and submit a senior thesis. Award winners are selected based on their research proposal, GPA, number of semesters they have been conducting research and a letter of recommendation from their P.I.

How to apply:

Undergraduate students apply annually via a common application that opens in early January. 

2024 Recipient:

Nikolas Corrales (Dr. Catherine Christian-Hinman)

2023 Recipient:

Matthew Babik (Dr. Nien-Pei Tsai)

2022 Recipients:

Yufei Tian (Dr. Xinzhu Yu), Lily Wenger (Dr. Jefferson Chan)

2021 Recipient:

Lina Issa (Dr. Dan Llano)

2020 Recipient:

Nathan Dang (Dr. Sayee Anakk)

2019 Recipient:

Benjamin Ray (Dr. Aditi Das)

Dawn M. Carlson MD, MPH Research Fellowship for Women in Science

Dr. Dawn Carlson, a 1982 University of Illinois microbiology alumna, is an executive at the global pharmaceutical company AbbVie where she has led research in a variety of areas, including endometriosis and juvenile arthritis. She also holds an MD from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and a master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University.

How to apply:

Undergraduate students apply annually via a common application that opens in early January. 

2024 Recipient:

Meher Swamy (Dr. Xinzhu Yu)

2023 Recipient:

Jessica Rose (Dr. Catherine Christian-Hinman)

Kristin L. Grampp Summer Research Fellow

This SURF is named after U of I alumna Kristin Grampp who passed away in 2020 from breast cancer. Despite her diagnosis, her enthusiasm for life remained strong and her hope for recovery and ultimately a cure never diminished. To that end, Kristin wished to establish a fellowship to support those who will carry on the fight against the disease. 

Eligibility:

Must be an officially declared biology, MCB or biochemistry major for the semester immediately preceding the fellowship with a minimum GPA of 3.50; must be continuing as an MCB or biochemistry major in the fall semester following receipt of the fellowship (students graduating in May are not eligible); must be conducting MCB 290 or BIOC 290 research in an approved lab during the preceding spring semester or have written approval of the faculty research advisor to participate in a summer research fellowship in their lab; student must agree to continue their research project for course credit during the following fall and, if applicable, spring semester and submit a senior thesis prior to graduation; must be free of academic integrity violations.

How to apply:

Undergraduate students apply annually via a common application that opens in early January. 

2024 Recipient:

Elaine Wei (Dr. David Shapiro)

2023 Recipient:

Mark Yaroslavsky (Dr. Mary Schuler)

2022 Recipient:

Sani Kimura (Dr. Lin-Feng Chen)

Jenner Family Summer Research Fellowship

Dr. Kris Jenner and his family provide undergraduate research awards each summer to undergraduate MCB or biochemistry majors who conduct research that will provide the basis for a senior research thesis. Dr. Jenner, president and CEO of Rock Springs Capital in Baltimore, earned a BS degree in chemistry and biochemistry, summa cum laude, from the University of Illinois, as well as a PhD from the University of Oxford and an MD from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Eligibility:

 Must be an officially declared biology, MCB or biochemistry major for the semester immediately preceding the fellowship with a minimum GPA of 3.50; must be continuing as an MCB or biochemistry major in the fall semester following receipt of the fellowship (students graduating in May are not eligible); must be conducting MCB 290 or BIOC 290 research in an approved lab during the preceding spring semester or have written approval of the faculty research advisor to participate in a summer research fellowship in their lab; student must agree to continue their research project for course credit during the following fall and, if applicable, spring semester and submit a senior thesis prior to graduation; must be free of academic integrity violations.

How to apply:

Undergraduate students apply annually via a common application that opens in early January. 

2024 Recipients:

Joseph Clark (Dr. Diwakar Shukla), Sasha Kakkassery (Dr. Huanyu Qiao), Lauren Lane (Dr. Claudio Grosman), Kevin Mao (Dr. Nicholas Wu), Iman Mohajir (Dr. Supriya Prasanth), Mia Rode (Dr. Daniel Miller) 

2023 Recipients:

Shivang Bhaskar (Dr. Kannanganattu Prasanth), Rujuta Chikodikar (Dr. Huanyu Qiao), William Dai (Dr. Daniel Llano), Emily Wang (Dr. Mary Schuler), Ruoyang (Gloria) Wang (Dr. Douglas Mitchell)

2022 Recipients:

Shivang Bhaskar (Dr. Kannanganattu Prasanth), William Dai (Dr. Dan Llano), Mingyi Ma (Dr. Xinzhu Yu), Isaiah Lopez (Dr. Wilfred van der Donk), Neha Ramachandran (Dr. Milan Bagchi)

2021 Recipients:

Harish Kesavan (Dr. Hee Jung Chung), Niraj Lawande (Dr. Catherine Christian-Hinman), Veronica Pronitcheva (Dr. Justin Rhodes), Royal Shrestha (Dr. Huanyu "Joe" Qiao), Jay Sonalkar (Dr. Supriya Prasanth)

2020 Recipients:

Darya Asoudegi (Dr. Supriya Prasanth), Neal Dalanı (Dr. Sayee Anakk), Deepaprakashini Govindasamy (Dr. Jongsook Kim Kemper), Sarah Matatov (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra), Rithva Ramesh (Dr. William Brieher)

 

School of MCB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships

2023 Recipients:

Nafay Abdul (Dr. Kai Zhang), Miram Akhnoukh (Dr. Asma Hatoum-Aslan), Santhosh Anu Mathew (Dr. Lin-Feng Chen), Madison Ardagh (Dr. Hong Jin), Oyinkansola Ashiru (Dr. Douglas Mitchell), Zayn Beg (Dr. Kai Zhang), Joe Clark (Dr. Steven Blanke), Bryan Duong (Dr. Erik Nelson), Emmi Frieden (Dr. Asma Hatoum-Aslan), Manas Gajjela (Dr. Howard Gritton), Laurel Hart (Dr. Benjamin Auerbach), Shashank Hirani (Dr. Andrei Kuzminov), Ritika Jawale (Dr. Lin-Feng Chen), Anshita Jayanth (Dr. Kevin Van Bortle), Samuel Jeon (Dr. Kannanganattu Prasanth), Joseph Jung (Dr. Hee Jung Chung), Sasha Kakkassery (Dr. Huanyu Qiao), Hannah Kim (Dr. Erik Nelson), Kurt Andrew Leano (Dr. Kai Zhang), Brandon Li (Dr. Daniel Llano), Jacob May (Dr. Huanyu Qiao), Meghan McCann (Dr. Kai Zhang), Leela Mouli (Dr. Kevin Van Bortle), Andrew Nisipeanu (Dr. Martha Gillette), Godwin Olaleye (Dr. Supriya Prasanth), Sofia Perry (Dr. David Shapiro), Ishita Purwar (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra), Emma Pyszka (Dr. Patrick Sweeney), Adrianna Ramos (Dr. Huimin Zhao), Prithika Ravi (Dr. Justin Rhodes), Manasi Reddy (Dr. Marni Boppart), Joel Ryan (Dr. Nu-Chu Liang), Yiyang (John) Shen (Dr. Weiping Zhang), Tweede Sinemani (Dr. Martin Burke), Liz Soellner (Dr. Benjamin Auerbach), Danyi Wang (Dr. Kai Zhang), Elaine Wei (Dr. David Shapiro), Lily Wenger (Dr. Jefferson Chan), Cici Xiong (Dr. Nicholas Wu)

2022 Recipients:

Nafay Abdul (Dr. Kai Zhang), Matthew Babik (Dr. Nien-Pei Tsai), Michelle Bishka (Dr. Scott Silverman), Katelyn Boetel, Dr. Makoto Inoue), Austin Borri (Dr. Jefferson Chan), Emma Bridgeman (Dr. Hee Jung Chung), Jared Butts (Dr. Patrick Sweeney), Miguel Cholico (Dr. Patrick Sweeney), Yilin Feng (Dr. Rutilio Fratti), Emma Ibanez (Dr. Justin Rhodes), Jie Ji (Dr. Wenyan Mei), Erica Joo (Dr. Huanyo Qiao), Sarika Kumar (Dr. Benjamin Auerbach), Jungbin Lee (Dr. Kai Zhang), Amanda Lexington (Dr. Wilfred van der Donk), Madeleine Meehan (Dr. Marni Boppart), Aneek Mirza (Dr. Supriya Prasanth), Tiffany Nguyen (Dr. Erik Nelson), Kaitlyn Ortgiesen (Dr. Dan Llano), Prithika Ravi (Dr. Justin Rhodes), Yiyang (John) Shen (Dr. Weiping Zhang), Tyler Smith (Dr. Thomas Gaj), Emily Tung (Dr. Wenyan Mei), Haichao Wang (Dr. Benjamin Auerbach), Hannah (Xilu) Zhou (Dr. Huimin Zhao)

2021 Recipients:

Joshua Adisumarta (Dr. Steven Blanke), Sammy Alhayek (Dr. Steven Blanke), Archit Bajaj (Dr. Hee Jung Chung), Neal Dadlani (Dr. Sayeepriyadarshini Anakk), Maria Victoria Di Franco (Dr. Supriya Prasanth), Tina (Jeong Won) Han (Dr. Kai Zhang), Bryan Himmel (Dr. Beth Stadtmueller), Jessica Hindenburg (Dr. Vivian Tang), Emma Ibanez (Dr. Justin Rhodes), Kevin Ingram (Dr. Bo Wang), Erica Joo (Dr. Huanyu "Joe" Qiao), Laura Kilikevicius (Dr. Gene Robinson), Martin Lundy (Dr. Jeffrey Woods), Alfredo Martinez-Ruiz (Dr. Mary Schuler), Michael McHenry (Dr. Erik Nelson), Brendan Rattin (Dr. Jie Chen), Ria Ravi (Dr. Steven Blanke), Faaiza Saif (Dr. Huanyu "Joe" Qiao), Yiting Song (Dr. Steven Blanke), Yufei Tian (Dr. Zinzhu Yu), Srishti Tiwari (Dr. Erik Nelson), Jan Xavier Uy (St. Steven Blanke), Faisal Zaidi (Dr. Steven Blanke)

2020 Recipients:

Neha Arun (Dr. Collin Kieffer), Darya Asoudegi (Dr. Supriya Prasanth), Annie Cheung (Dr. Steven Blanke), Jack Feldner (Dr. Martin Burke), Jonathan Forrest (Dr. Andrei Kuzminov), Diana Garcia (Dr. Hee Jung Chung), Jack Gerling (Dr. Nien-Pei Tsai), Olivia Gough (Dr. Collin Kieffer), Tiffany Jong (Dr. Nien-Pei Tsai),  Caroline Kaminsky (Dr. Scott Silverman), Niraj Lawande (Dr. Catherine Christian-Hinman), Manasi Lingamaneni (Dr. Huimin Zhao), Sean MacAllister (Dr. Steven Blanke), Karan Menon (Dr. Erik Nelson), Bailey Metcalf (Dr. Nien-Pei Tsai), Laxmi Naganatanahalli (Dr. Catherine Christian-Hinman), Aila Rahman (Dr. Makoto Inoue), Ria Ravi (Dr. Steven Blanke), Le’Mark Russell (Dr. Rachel Smith-Bolton), Julija Sakutyte (Dr. Stephanie Ceman), Felicia Tan (Dr. Lisa Olshansky), Toma Tchernodrinski (Dr. Mary Schuler), Jan Uy (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra)

2019 Recipients:

Hajera Afreen (Dr. Jing Yang), Claire Ang (Dr. Steven Blanke), Mariam Arif (Dr. Supriya Prasanth), Matthew Gao (Dr. Thomas Kehl-Fie), Zeidy Garcia (Dr. Keith Jarosinski), Jose Gonzalez Abreu (Dr. Justin Rhodes), Nicholas Griffith (Dr. Rachel Smith-Bolton), Andrew Gupta (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra), Steven Hobbs, Jr. (Dr. Beth Stadtmueller), Weronika Hodorowicz (Dr. Brenda Wilson), Tiffany Jong (Dr. Nien-Pei Tsai), Samrudhi Joshi (Dr. Supriya Prasanth), Caroline Kaminsky (Dr. Scott Silverman), Aayush Kaul (Dr. Aditi Das), Aidan Kelly (Dr. Martin Burke), Peter Kolyvas (Dr. Sayee Anakk), Cody Lund (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra), Eleanor Marcet (Dr. Jie Chen), Ashley Mathews (Dr. Erik Nelson), Lauren Mazurkiewicz (Dr. Beth Stadtmueller), Bailey Metcalf (Dr. Nien-Pei Tsai), Mathias Morales (Dr. Collin Kieffer), Benjamin Ray (Dr. Aditi Das),  Kristina Slaby (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra), Jennifer Srnak (Dr. Jonathan Henry), Kevin Stehlik (Dr. Mary Schuler), Santosh Sudhakar (Dr. KV Prasanth), Lauren Todorov (Dr. Bruce Fouke), Margaret Vacchiano (Dr. Mary Schuler), Varsha Vembar (Dr. Erik Nelson), Diane Wei (Dr. Aditi Das), Ruiwen (Irian) Xu (Dr. Jefferson Chan), Rana Youssef (Dr. Catherin Christian), Sara Youssef (Dr. Sayee Anakk)

School of MCB SURF sponsored in part by Dr. Keith Westcott

Keith R. Westcott received his BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and his MS (1978) and PhD (1980) in biochemistry from the University of Illinois. At Amgen, a California biotechnology company, he was a protein chemistry scientist. He conducted protein science research supporting Amgen’s programs in wound healing, hematopoiesis, cancer, and neuroscience. A longtime supporter of the university, he has received the University of Illinois Alumni Association’s Loyalty Award (2013) and College of Liberal Arts & Sciences’ Distinguished Service Award (2010).

2024 Recipients:

Qaasim Jatoi (Dr. Chang Cui), Alisha Xiong (Dr. Thomas Gaj)

2023 Recipient:

Brendan Rattin (Dr. Jie Chen)

2022 Recipient:

Austin Douglas (Dr. Dan Llano)

2021 Recipient:

Emily Tung (Dr. Wenyan Mei)

School of MCB SURF sponsored in part by Frank Witney

Frank Witney received a BA in Microbiology from Illinois and his PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Indiana University. He was CEO of the biotechnology company Affymetrix, which was acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2016. Currently, he is an Operating Partner at Ampersand Capital Partners, a health care focused private equity firm, and sits on the boards of several companies. He is excited to support undergraduate research through the innovative MCB SURF program as the University of Illinois trains the next generation of research scientists.

Eligibility:

Must be an officially declared MCB or biochemistry major for the semester immediately preceding fellowship; must be continuing as an MCB or biochemistry major in the fall semester following receipt of the fellowship (students graduating in May are not eligible); must be conducting MCB 290 or BIOC 290 research in an approved lab during the preceding spring semester or have written approval of the faculty research advisor to participate in a summer research fellowship in their lab; student must agree to continue their research project for course credit during the following fall and, if applicable, spring semester and submit a senior thesis prior to graduation; be free of academic integrity violations.

How to apply:

Undergraduate students apply annually via a common application that opens in early January. 

2022 Recipient:

Nathan Carmichael (Dr. Andrew Leakey), Hunter Carrell (Dr. Paul Hergenrother)

Spudich Summer Research Fellowship

James Spudich is the Douglass M. and Nola Leishman Professor of Cardiovascular Disease in the Department of Biochemistry at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is an Illinois alumnus, having graduated with a BS in chemistry in 1963. While a student at Illinois he worked in the lab of biochemistry professor Woody Hastings. A member of the National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he has received many awards during his career, most notably the 2012 Albert Lasker Award Basic Medical Research Award, the highest medical award given out in the U.S.

Eligibility:

Must be participating in interdisciplinary research in chemistry, biology (or both) for the semester immediately preceding the fellowship. Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50. Must be continuing research in the fall semester following receipt of the fellowship. Students graduating in May are not eligible. Must be free of academic integrity violations.

As of 2024, the recipient of the Spudich Undergraduate Research Scholarship will also be eligible for the Cytokinetics Spudich Undergraduate Research Scholarship in Fall and the Kathleen M. Ruppel Spudich Undergraduate Research Scholarship in Spring if continuing research throughout the academic year

How to apply:

Undergraduate students apply annually via a common application that opens in early January. 

2024 Recipient:

Justin Glab (Dr. Mary Schuler)

2023 Recipient:

Asta Simonovic (Dr. Beth Stadtmueller)

2021 Recipient:

 David Y. Chen (Dr. Supriya Prasanth)

2019 Recipient:

Lauren Mazurkiewicz (Dr. Beth Stadtmueller)

Department of Biochemistry Awards & Scholarships

Outstanding Student Award

This award is given to an outstanding senior in biochemistry in recognition of their high academic achievement.

Eligibility:

Biochemistry senior who has attained some level of distinction with a very high GPA.

How to apply:

Biochemistry Awards Committee designates winner after reviewing all distinction recipients.

2024 Recipient:

Emily Wang (Dr. Mary Schuler)

2023 Recipient:

Hunter Carrell (Dr. Paul Hergenrother)

2022 Recipient:

Adam Balutowski (Dr. Rutilio Fratti)

2021 Recipient:

David Kostyra (Dr. Martin Burke)

2020 Recipient:

Andrew Gupta (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra)

2019 Recipient:

Ciyang Wang (Dr. David Shapiro)

William T. and Lynn Jackson Senior Best Thesis Award

Named after William Jackson, a UIUC graduate (BS, ’55, chemistry) and his wife, Lynn Jackson, this award recognizes a senior who presents the best biochemistry senior thesis. William Jackson, who received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin after graduating from Illinois, retired from Eli Lilly in 1998 after a career as an immunologist.

Eligibility:

Biochemistry senior who has been nominated for distinction by faculty advisor.

How to apply:

Biochemistry senior who has been nominated for distinction by faculty advisor. Biochemistry Awards Committee designates winner after reviewing all distinction/thesis recipients. One recipient each year.

2024 Recipient:

Hannah Kim (Dr. Erik Nelson)

2023 Recipient:

Isaiah Lopez (Dr. Wilfred van der Donk)

2022 Recipient:

Sarah Matatov (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra)

2021 Recipient:

Cliff Yerby (Dr. Michael Spinella)

2020 Recipient:

Yingxing Li (Dr. Steven Blanke)

2019 Recipient:

Joseph Erwin (Dr. Hong Jin)

William T. and Lynn Jackson Senior Merit Award for Outstanding Thesis

Named after William Jackson, a UIUC graduate (BS, ’55, chemistry) and his wife, Lynn Jackson, this award recognizes a senior who presents an outstanding biochemistry senior thesis. William Jackson, who received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin after graduating from Illinois, retired from Eli Lilly in 1998 after a career as an immunologist.

Eligibility:

Biochemistry senior who has been nominated for distinction by faculty advisor.

How to apply:

Biochemistry Awards Committee designates winner after reviewing all distinction/thesis recipients. There can be as many recipients as the committee deems worthy.

2024 Recipients:

Charles Knapp (Dr. Rutilio Fratti), Daivi Patel (Dr. Pamela Martinez), Sofia Perry (Dr. David Shapiro), Lilia Thomas (Dr. Satish Nair), John Matias Van Wazer (Dr. Martin Burke), Emily Wang (Dr. Mary Schuler), Lily Wenger (Dr. Jefferson Chan)

2023 Recipients:

Uma Agarwal (Dr. Kai Zhang), Natalie Bizon (Dr. Prabhakara Reddi), Nathan Carmichael (Dr. Andrew Leakey), Samantha Carr (Dr. David Shapiro), Hunter Carrell (Dr. Paul Hergenrother), Andrea Dayal (Dr. Makoto Inoue), Nathan Gron (Dr. Kai Zhang), Kanika Leang (Dr. Nathan Schroeder), Jeongmin Lee (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra), Andrew Lutsky (Dr. Emad Tajkhorshid), Tomer Markovich (Dr. Wilfred van der Donk), Tyler Tang (Dr. Stephen Slinger), Yufei Tian (Dr. Xinzhu Yu), Albano Toska (Dr. Lin-Feng Chen), Zhuoran Zhong (Dr. Jefferson Chan)

2022 Recipients:

Adam Balutowski (Dr. Rutilio Fratti), Kevin Ingram (Dr. Bo Wang), Haolin Luo (Dr. Taras Pogorelov), Maureen McCoy (Dr. Lin-Feng Chen), Madeline Melzer (Dr. Jonathan Sweedler)

2021 Recipient:

Autumn Brandenburg (Dr. Dean Riechers)

2020 Recipients:

Matthew Gaynes (Dr. Satish Nair), Nirvana Jairam (Dr. Steven Blanke), Aidan Kelly (Dr. Martin Burke), David Rivera-Kohr (Dr. Rutilio Fratti), Ishica Zaman (Dr. Mary Schuler)

2019 Recipients:

Cormac Lucas (Dr. Brenda Wilson), Julianne Yang (Dr. Hee Jung Chung)

Biochemistry Summer Research Scholarship

Awarded to a meritorious junior performing biochemistry-related senior research projects.

Eligibility:

Open to juniors performing biochemistry-related senior research projects.

How to apply:

Must be a junior and nominated by their research advisor.

2024 Recipient:

Henry Yentsch (Dr. Kai Zhang)

2023 Recipient:

Logan Talmage (Dr. Nicholas Wu)

2022 Recipient:

Madison Ardagh (Dr. Hong Jin)

2021 Recipient:

Adam Balutowski (Dr. Rutilio Fratti)

2020 Recipient:

Madeline Melzer (Dr. Jonathan Sweedler)

2019 Recipient:

David Rivera-Kohr (Dr. Rudy Fratti)

H. Edward Conrad Summer Research Scholarship

Professor Conrad was a long-time faculty member of the Department of Biochemistry, valued by his colleagues and students alike. After working at Mead Johnson & Company and the U.S. Army Medical Nutrition Laboratory, he joined the University of Illinois faculty in 1962. In 1989, he was named a Jubilee Professor of Biochemistry. Professor Conrad built his career around biochemical studies of heparin, other polysaccharides, and carbohydrates in general.

Eligibility:

Open to juniors performing biochemistry-related senior research projects.

How to apply:

Students must be nominated by their research advisor.

2023 Recipient:

Garrett Barksdale (Dr. Wilfred van der Donk)

2022 Recipient:

Albano Toska (Dr. Lin-Feng Chen)

2021 Recipient:

Haolin Luo (Dr. Taras Pogorelov)

2020 Recipient:

Yiren Tu (Dr. Lin-Feng Chen)

William T. and Lynn Jackson Summer Research Fellowship

This award is named after William Jackson, a UIUC graduate (BS, ’55, chemistry) and his wife, Lynn Jackson. William Jackson, who received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin after graduating from Illinois, retired from Eli Lilly in 1998 after a career as an immunologist.

Eligibility:

Must be an undergraduate student performing biochemistry-related senior research projects.

How to apply:

Students must be nominated by their research advisor.

2024 Recipients:

Garrett Barksdale (Dr. Wilfred van der Donk), Christina Tsai (Dr. Mary Schuler)

2023 Recipient:

Isaiah Lopez (Dr. Wilfred van der Donk)

2022 Recipient:

Zhuoran Zhong (Dr. Jefferson Chan)

2021 Recipient:

Vishnu K. Gorur (Dr. Hong Jin)

2020 Recipients:

John Carroll (Dr. David Shapiro), Katelyn Toohill (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra)

2019 Recipients:

Veronica Boron (Dr. Beth Stadtmueller), Yiren Tu (Dr. Lin-Feng Chen)

Padbury Family Scholarship in Biochemistry

Guy Padbury (PhD, ’88, biochemistry) has over 30 years of experience as a scientist and organizational leader in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Dr. Padbury has contributed to more than 40 successful global drug registrations including small molecule entities and biotherapeutic agents spanning most major therapeutic or disease state areas. He is currently Chief Development Officer at Scorpion Therapeutics. In 2015, the University of Illinois College of Liberal Arts & Sciences presented him with the Alumni Achievement Award.

Eligibility:

Open to current biochemistry undergraduate students who are among the first generation to attend college and those with financial need.

How to apply:

Resume or curriculum vitae; up to a 250-word statement why you should be considered for the Padbury Scholarship; list up to two references with contact information and their relationship to applicant. It is encouraged that at least one reference is a current UIUC campus member (other than Department of Biochemistry academic advisor). As needed, the department will request reference letters.

2023 Recipient:

Andrew Diep (Dr. Sharon Donovan)

2022 Recipient:

Isaiah Lopez (Dr. Wilfred van der Donk)

2021 Recipient:

Kathy De La Torre (Dr. Jodi Flaws)

2020 Recipient:

Isaiah Lopez

2019 Recipients:

Nirvana Jairam (Dr. Steven Blanke)

Michael Glaser Undergraduate Service Award to the Biochemistry Department

Professor emeritus Michael Glaser is known as a tireless worker for his students and the Department of Biochemistry, serving on many department committees with great aplomb. The Michael Glaser Undergraduate Service Award, established in 2020, recognizes a biochemistry senior each year who has demonstrated service to the department through events and special projects.

Eligibility

Must be a senior majoring in biochemistry.

How to apply:

The award is evaluated each spring by the department head or his designate.

2024 Recipient:

Madison Ardagh (Dr. Hong Jin)

2023 Recipient:

Hunter Carrell (Dr. Paul Hergenrother)

2022 Recipient:

Sarah Matatov (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra)

2021 Recipient:

Julia Ekiert

2020 Recipient:

Veronica Boron (Dr. Beth Stadtmueller)

Cell & Developmental Biology Awards & Scholarships

Undergraduate Outstanding Research Achievement Award

This award goes to the most outstanding senior thesis as judged by the CDB Distinction Committee.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for consideration, students must earn research-based Distinction or higher from the School of MCB and have conducted their research in the lab of a CDB faculty member.

How to apply:

All students who submit a thesis for Distinction or higher to MCB are automatically considered.

2024 Recipient:

Aneek Mirza (Dr. Supriya Prasanth)

2023 Recipient:

Jay Sonalkar (Dr. Supriya Prasanth)

2022 Recipients:

Darya Asoudegi (Dr. Supriya Prasanth), Rithva Ramesh (Dr. William Brieher)

2021 Recipients:

Wiktoria Kowalczyk (Dr. Andrew Belmont) & Toma Tchernodrinski (Dr. Mary Schuler)

2020 Recipients:

Mariam Arif (Dr. Supriya Prasanth), Kevin Stehlik (Dr. Mary Schuler), Margaret Vacchiano (Dr. Mary Schuler)

Tom and Cynthia Cycyota Research Scholarship

Tom Cycyota (BS, ’80, biology) is president and CEO of AlloSource, which preserves human tissue from generous donors to create transplantable allografts (human-to-human transplants). Under his leadership, AlloSource has become one of the largest and most respected tissue banks in the country. In addition to his Illinois degree, he has an MBA from Loyola University. In 2015, the College of LAS presented him with its Alumni Humanitarian Award. Cyndy Cycyota is a professor of management at the U.S. Air Force Academy and holds three degrees in business: a BS, MBA, and PhD. Prior to academia, she was a manager for two international accounting firms and a bank.

Eligibility:

This fellowship is awarded to the highest-ranking applicant conducting undergraduate research in a CDB lab who is not eligible for a higher School of MCB fellowship.

How to apply:

Undergraduate students apply annually via a common application available on the School of MCB Undergraduate Research website.

2024 Recipient:

Johnny Plonsker (Dr. Xin Li)

2023 Recipient:

Anew Mirza (Dr. Supriya Prasanth)

2022 Recipient:

Jay Sonalkar (Dr. Supriya Prasanth)

2021 Recipient:

Darya Asoudegi (Dr. Supriya Prasanth)

2020 Recipients:

Wiktoria Kowalczyk (Dr. Andrew Belmont)

2019 Recipient:

Disha Kuchangi (Dr. Andrew Belmont)

Roderick MacLeod Award for Academic Excellence

A native of Scotland, the late Roderick MacLeod earned his BSc from the University of Glasgow and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. He arrived at the University of Illinois in 1963 and stayed here for 43 years, receiving numerous teaching awards, including the William F. Prokasy Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2002 and the Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2001. He became an emeritus associate professor of cell and structural biology in 2001.

Eligibility:

The award goes to the student who has the highest GPA among those students who received High or Highest Distinction for a senior thesis for research in the lab of a CDB faculty member.

How to apply:

All students who receive high or highest distinction in MCB are automatically eligible.

2024 Recipient:

Shivang Bhaskar (Dr. Kannanganattu Prasanth), Emily Wang (Dr. Mary Schuler)

2023 Recipient:

Jay Sonalkar (Dr. Supriya Prasanth)

2022 Recipient:

David Chen (Dr. Supriya Prasanth)

2021 Recipient:

Toma Tchernodrinski (Dr. Mary Schuler)

2020 Recipients:

Mariam Arif (Dr. Supriya Prasanth), Nicholas Griffith (Dr. Rachel Smith-Bolton)

2019 Recipient:

Rachel Benedeck (Dr. Mary Schuler)

Undergraduate Reseach Achievement Award

2024 Recipients:

Shivang Bhaskar (Dr. Kannanganattu Prasanth), Brendan Rattin (Dr. Jie Chen), Gordon Sara (Dr. Mary Schuler), Emily Wang (Dr. Mary Schuler), Mark Yaraslavksy (Dr. Mary Schuler)

Microbiology Scholarships

Francis M. and Harlie M. Clark Microbiology Scholarship—Achievement

This scholarship honors Dr. Francis M. Clark and his wife, Harlie M. Clark. Francis Clark joined the Department of Bacteriology (later the Department of Microbiology), as an instructor in 1933, after having completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Illinois. He had a distinguished career, teaching microbiology and conducting research in the microbiology of foods. He also was past president of the Illinois Society for Microbiology.

Eligibility:

Undergraduate students who are graduating in the current year in May after having conducted outstanding undergraduate research continuously (including the summer term prior) in a Department of Microbiology faculty member’s laboratory beginning the prior spring semester, or earlier.

How to apply:

Microbiology faculty are notified annually of the award guidelines. Faculty advisors are to nominate the undergraduate students in their lab and are to submit the required documents in PDF format to the Department of Microbiology office by the requested due date.

 

2024 Recipient:

 

Edward Andrews (Dr. Rachel Whitaker)

2023 Recipients:

Neha Arun (Dr. Collin Kieffer), Amelia Steinlein (Dr. Rachel Whitaker), Faisal Zaidi (Dr. Steven Blanke)

2022 Recipients:

Joshua Adisumarta (Dr. Steven Blanke), Sammy Alhayek (Dr. Steven Blanke)

2021 Recipients:

Annie Cheung (Dr. Steven Blanke), Rachel Jones (Dr. Steven Blanke)

2021 Recipients:

Wiktoria Kowalczyk (Dr. Andrew Belmont) & Toma Tchernodrinski (Dr. Mary Schuler)

Dr. Walter A. and Loretta M. Zygmunt Microbiology Scholarship—Summer Research

Presented to outstanding undergraduate students who conduct research in a department laboratory, this award is named after Illinois alumni Walter and Loretta Zygmunt. Walter Zygmunt received his BS in bacteriology, followed by his MS and PhD in microbiology. After earning his PhD in 1950, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry where he was involved in drug regulatory affairs. Loretta Zygmunt received her BS in bacteriology, followed by her MS in microbiology in 1949. She joined Kraft Foods as a research scientist and later worked as a science teacher.

Eligibility:

Undergraduate students who conduct research in a laboratory in the Department of Microbiology and are committed to conducting research during the upcoming summer on a full-time basis from May 16 to August 15. Recipients must be U.S. citizens. Preference given to undergraduate students who graduated from a high school in Illinois or Indiana.

How to apply:

Undergraduate students apply annually via a common application that will be made available in January.

2024 Recipients:

Nosheen Ahmed (Dr. James Slauch), Shashank Hirani (Dr. Andrei Kuzminov), Ryan Marsh (Dr. Brenda Wilson), Julienne Sanchez (Dr. Cari Vanderpool)

2023 Recipients:

Kavishka Fernando (Dr. Andrei Kuzminov), Ivilyn Tan (Dr. Steven Blanke), Olivia Wynn (Dr. James Slauch)

2022 Recipients:

Neha Arun (Dr. Collin Kieffer), Abdullah Mubarak (Dr. Douglas Mitchell), Olivia Rodriguez (Dr. Steven Blanke), Faisal Zaidi (Dr. Steven Blanke)

2021 Recipients:

Jonathan Forrest (Dr. Andrei Kuzminov), James Lopez (Dr. Brenda Wilson), Jillian Maier (Dr. Carin Vanderpool), Olivia Rodriguez (Dr. Steven Blanke)

2020 Recipients:

Matthew Gao (Dr. Thomas Kehl-Fie), Rachel Jones (Dr. Steven Blanke), James Lopez (Dr. Brenda Wilson)

2019 Recipients:

Nirvani Jairam (Dr. Steven Blanke), Sean MacAllister (Dr. Steven Blanke)


Dr. Walter A. and Loretta M. Zygmunt Microbiology Scholarship - Achievement

Presented to outstanding undergraduate students, this award is named after Illinois alumni Walter and Loretta Zygmunt. Walter Zygmunt received his BS in bacteriology, followed by his MS and PhD in microbiology. After earning his PhD in 1950, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry where he was involved in drug regulatory affairs. Loretta Zygmunt received her BS in bacteriology, followed by her MS in microbiology in 1949. She joined Kraft Foods as a research scientist and later worked as a science teacher.

2020 Recipient:

Yingxing Li (Dr. Steven Blanke)

Helen Alford Hays Microbiology Scholarship - Summer Research

Presented to outstanding undergraduate students who conduct research in a department laboratory, this award is named after Helen Alford Hays. A native of North Dakota, she received her BS from Illinois in 1940 and continued her studies at Oregon State University, focusing on bacteriology. She was an advisor and instructor at Oregon State.

Eligibility:

 Undergraduate students who conduct research in a laboratory in the Department of Microbiology and are committed to conducting research during the current summer on a full-time basis from May 16-August 15. Recipients must be U.S. citizens. Preference given to undergraduate students who graduated from a high school in Illinois or Indiana.

How to apply:

Undergraduate students apply through the School of MCB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) portal, which will open in January.

2020 Recipients:

Jiho Kahng (Dr. Collin Kieffer), Anna Verily (Dr. Thomas Kehl-Fie)

2019 Recipients:

Morgan Samanic (Dr. Christopher Brooke), Huzaifa Zohair (Dr. Steven Blanke)

Helen Alford Hays Microbiology Scholarship

Presented to undergraduates who have conducted outstanding research in a department laboratory, this award is named after Helen Alford Hays. A native of North Dakota, she received her BS from Illinois in 1940 and continued her studies at Oregon State University, focusing on bacteriology. She was an advisor and instructor at Oregon State.

Eligibility:

 Undergraduate students who are graduating in the current year in May after having conducted outstanding undergraduate research continuously (including the summer year prior) in a Microbiology faculty member’s laboratory beginning the prior spring semester, or earlier.

How to apply:

 Microbiology faculty are notified annually of the award guidelines. Faculty advisors are to nominate the undergraduate students in their lab and are to submit the required documents in PDF format to the Microbiology Office by the requested due date.

2020 Recipient:

Claire Ang (Dr. Steven Blanke)

2019 Recipients:

Seokjoo Choi (Dr. Steven Blanke), Thomas Cyberski (Dr. James Slauch), Bryce Hendren-Santiago (Dr. Steven Blanke), Damen Moon (Dr. Brenda Wilson), Yiting Xu (Dr. Brenda Wilson)

 

Francis M. and Harlie M. Clark Microbiology Scholarship - Summer Research

This scholarship honors Dr. Francis M. Clark and his wife, Harlie M. Clark. Francis Clark joined the Department of Bacteriology (later the Department of Microbiology), as an instructor in 1933, after having completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Illinois. He had a distinguished career, teaching microbiology and conducting research in the microbiology of foods. He also was past president of the Illinois Society for Microbiology.

 

2019 Recipient:

 

Yingxing Li (Dr. Steven Blanke)

James R. Beck Microbiology Scholarship - Summer Research

This scholarship is named after the late Illinois alumnus James Beck (PhD, ’61, chemistry), who was a researcher at Eli Lilly. He conducted research in synthetic organic chemistry related to herbicides, plant growth regulators, and chemical hybridizing agents.

 

2019 Recipients:

 

Lukas Talaga (Dr. Steven Blanke), Yiwei Yang (Dr. Collin Kieffer)

Harvey L. Pretula Microbiology Scholarship - Summer Research

2019 Recipient:

Sophia Watts (Dr. Brenda Wilson)

Molecular & Integrative Physiology Awards & Scholarships

Howard S. Ducoff Award for Outstanding Senior Thesis

The Howard S. Ducoff Prize for Outstanding Senior Thesis is presented to the graduating senior who has written the best research thesis. A professor of physiology and biophysics, Howard Ducoff joined the university faculty in 1957 and became emeritus professor in 1992. A charter member of the Radiation Research Society, North American Hypothermia Society, and American Society of Cell Biology, he received the Radiation Research Society SIT Excellence in Mentoring Award. He was a mentor and advisor to many graduate students during his time at Illinois.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for consideration, students must earn research-based Distinction from the School of MCB and have conducted their research in an MIP lab.

How to apply:

 Students are nominated by their research advisor.

2024 Recipient:

Emma Bridgeman (Dr. Hee Jung Chung)

2023 Recipient:

Archit Bajaj (Dr. Hee Jung Chung)

2022 Recipient:

Niraj Lawande (Dr. Catherine Christian-Hinman)

2021 Recipient:

Nathanlown Dang (Dr. Sayeepriyadarshini Anakk)

2020 Recipient:

Rana Youssef (Dr. Catherine Christian)

2019 Recipient:

Jaimin Patel (Dr. Hee Jung Chung)

C. Ladd Prosser Outstanding Achievement Award

The C. Ladd Prosser Outstanding Achievement Award is presented to an undergraduate student in recognition of outstanding performance in research. A member of the Illinois faculty beginning in 1939, C. Ladd Prosser was a professor of zoology and physiology. He chaired the university’s physiology department from 1960-69 and spent his summers working at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass. Among the many awards and honors bestowed upon him, C. Ladd Prosser was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1974.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for consideration, students must earn research-based Distinction from the School of MCB and have conducted their research in an MIP lab.

How to apply:

Students are nominated by their research advisor.

2024 Recipient:

Laurel Hart (Dr. Benjamin Auerbach)

2023 Recipient:

Haichao Wang (Dr. Benjamin Auerbach)

2022 Recipient:

Angelina Wilton (Dr. Hee Jung Chung)

2021 Recipient:

Eric Shin (Dr. Hee Jung Chung)

2020 Recipient:

Peter Kolyvas (Dr. Sayee Anakk)

2019 Recipient:

Nicole Godellas (Dr. Claudio Grosman)