The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology and its departments of Biochemistry, Cell & Developmental Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular & Integrative Physiology recognize outstanding students with several awards and fellowships. In addition to the internal awards listed here, graduate students also often receive fellowships and awards from the University of Illinois Graduate College, private organizations, and national agencies such as the National Institutes of Health.
School of Molecular & Cellular Biology Awards
John G. and Evelyn Hartman Heiligenstein Outstanding Teaching Assistant in Molecular & Cellular Biology
Established by Illinois alumnus John H. Heiligenstein (BS, ’67, zoology) and named after his parents, John G. and Evelyn Hartman Heiligenstein, this award recognizes outstanding teaching assistants.
Eligibility:
This award recognizes MCB graduate students.
How to apply:
Students are nominated.
2024 Recipient:
Christopher Hawk
2023 Recipient:
Anjana Asokakumar
2022 Recipient:
Sabrina Abdulla
2021 Recipient:
Marinos Kalafatis
2020 Recipient:
Logan Hurst
2019 Recipient:
Phillip Kenny
Outstanding Teaching Assistant in Molecular & Cellular Biology
Awarded annually in recognition of outstanding teaching assistants.
Eligibility:
MCB graduate students are eligible.
How to apply:
Students are nominated.
2024 Recipients:
'Fola Adesanya, Dajin Cho, Jilai Cui, Maxine He
2023 Recipients:
Steven Hobbs, Gang Xiao
2022 Recipients:
Deborah Frederick, Xiyu Ge, Nicole Godellas, Qiuyan Ma, James Nguyen, Alexander Polidore
2021 Recipients:
Mohd Tayyab Adil, Sonya Kumar Bharathkar, Roy Rodriguez Carrero, Angela Dean, Justin Miller, Chayanid Onpipattanakul
2020 Recipients:
Molly Crowder, Ekaterina Gribkova, Peter Okrajczyk, Gregory Tracy
2019 Recipients:
Samantha DeWerff, Will Gundling, Elizabeth Haywood, Monica Lannom, Alison Neff
David and Julie Mead Graduate Fellowship
Created by Illinois alumni David and Julie Mead, the fellowship provides support to an outstanding PhD student in the School of MCB. As a graduate student and member of professor Byron Kemper’s lab, David Mead (PhD, ’86, physiology) developed rapid methods for molecular structure function analysis. Julie Mead earned her MS in education from Illinois, followed by a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. The Meads created the fellowship in 2018 to recognize the important role graduate students play in advancing science and technology on campus and to support the school’s efforts to recruit and retain outstanding graduate students.
2023 Recipient:
Tongyu (Tony) Liu
2022 Recipient:
Simon Lizarazo Chaparro
2021 Recipient:
Lucy Chou Zheng
2020 Recipient:
Liqian Ma
School of MCB Graduate Research Retreat
2023 Recipients:
Oral Presentations
First Place: Jacob Beal, Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology
Second Place: Kritika Mehta, Department of Biochemistry
Third Place: Tongyu Liu, Department of Microbiology
Poster Presentations
First Place (tie): Shweta Shree, Department of Biochemistry
First Place (tie): Matt Sinclair, Department of Biochemistry
Second Place: Robbie Ingram, Department of Neuroscience
Department of Biochemistry Awards & Fellowships
Herbert E. Carter Fellowship in Biochemistry
The Carter fellowship honors the late Herbert E. Carter, a University of Illinois alumnus (PhD, ’34, chemistry) and faculty member who was hailed as the “Father of Sphingolipids.” He served as head of the Department of Chemistry, director of the School of Chemical Sciences, and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Professor Carter’s pioneering work determined the structure of sphingosine, from which he coined the term “sphingolipids” to encompass the family of cerebrosides, sphingomyelins, and gangliosides that are associated with the brain and nervous system. He also made significant contributions to the structural knowledge of glycolipids and antibiotics. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1953.
2023 Recipient:
Junyao Zhu (Dr. David Shapiro)
2022 Recipient:
Yanheng Chen (Dr. Lin-Feng Chen)
2021 Recipient:
Darjan Duraki (Dr. David Shapiro)
2020 Recipient:
Ullas Valiya Chembazhi (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra)
Lowell P. Hager Fellowship
The late Lowell P. Hager received his PhD from the University of Illinois and was eventually recruited back to his alma mater, where he rose through the professorial ranks in the Department of Biochemistry. He served as head from 1969 to 1988, building a strong tradition of scientific excellence and collegiality in the department. His research program contributed immensely to the fields of biochemistry and biophysics, particularly in the area of metallo- and hemeproteins. He discovered the halogenating enzyme, chloroperoxidase. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1995. The Hager Fellowship provides support for biochemistry PhD students who demonstrate exceptional achievement, independence in research, and originality of thought.
2021 Recipient:
Sonya Kumar Barathkar (Dr. Beth Stadtmueller)
Charles F. Kade Fellowship in Biochemistry
The Charles F. Kade Fellowship is named after the late University of Illinois alumnus Charles Kade, who received a PhD in biochemistry in 1941. He was a research chemist who ultimately became a vice president of Johnson & Johnson.
2022 Recipient:
Kritika Mehta (Dr. Kai Zhang)
2021 Recipient:
Huaxun Fan (Dr. Kai Zhang)
2020 Recipient:
Zhenglin Yang (Dr. Yi Lu)
Robert L. Switzer Award for Teaching
Established by a former student of Professor Emeritus Robert Switzer, this award recognizes graduate student teaching assistants and faculty who have devoted themselves to delivering a high-quality education in the Department of Biochemistry. Throughout the course of his 40-year career at the university, Professor Switzer’s research focused on the regulation of bacterial metabolism by allosteric enzymes, the control of enzyme degradation and novel mechanisms for the regulation of gene expression, with an emphasis on transcriptional attenuation. A dedicated educator, he also co-authored the textbook, Experimental Biochemistry.
Eligibility:
Graduate student teaching assistants and faculty
How to apply:
Students are nominated by course coordinator, course instructor, or research advisor.
2024 Recipient:
Owen Ouyang
2023 Recipients:
Kaylee Kuzelka, Kritika Mehta, Rebecca Schneider
2022 Recipients:
Arpita Chakravarti, Chris Hawk, Andrea Hernandez Garcia, Iris Lyu, Rachel Martini, Kritika Mehta, Gilberto Padron, Adrika Raybarman
2021 Recipients:
Santanu Ghosh, Isaac Kim, Nikita Modi
2020 Recipients:
Dustin Buntrock, Mashiat Chowdhury, Xingchen Dong, Logan Hurst, Payel Mondal
2019 Recipients:
John Khamo (Dr. Kai Zhang), Savanna Sharum (Dr. Kai Zhang)
Westcott Bioscience Fellows
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).
Eligibility:
Biochemistry PhD students, both first-year and continuing PhD students
How to apply:
Recipients for the first-year award are nominated by the admissions committee; continuing students are nominated by their advisor.
2023 Recipient:
Rebecca Tang (Dr. Raven Huang)
2022 Recipient:
Andrea Hernandez Garcia (Dr. Satish Nair)
2021 Recipients:
2021 continuing student recipient: Christine Devlin (Dr. Erik Procko)
2020-2021 academic year, first year recipient: Kaylee Kuzelka (Dr. Satish Nair)
2020 Recipients:
Krishna Narayanan (Dr. Erik Procko), John Przybyła (Dr. Scott Silverman), Imran Rahman (Dr. Wilfred van der Donk), Brady Wells (Dr. Yi Lu)
2019 Recipients:
Dylan Blaha (Dr. David Kranz), Christine Devlin (Dr. Erik Procko), Savanna Sharum (Dr. Kai Zhang)
Anne A. Johnson Work Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies
The Anne A. Johnson Work Award for Excellence in Biochemistry, created in 1987, was established for students who have demonstrated outstanding scholastic excellence in graduate studies.
Eligibility:
Students who have completed their PhD are eligible to apply.
How to apply:
Students must be nominated by their faculty research advisor.
2023 Recipient:
Arpita Chakravati (Dr. Raven Huang)
2022 Recipient:
Chayanid (Ing) Ongpipattanakul (Dr. Satish Nair)
2021 Recipient:
Surbhi Jain (Dr. Huimin Zhao)
2020 Recipient:
Katrina Diaz Muraglia, PhD (Dr. Martin Burke)
2019 Recipient:
Nektaria Petronikolou (Dr. Satish Nair)
Dr. Michael A. Recny Graduate Fellowship in Biochemistry
From helping bring a powerful, first-in-class HIV treatment to market to his most recent position as the CEO and co-owner of a preclinical contract research organization, Michael Recny (PhD, biochemistry, ’83) has paved a successful career path in the biotechnology industry, a field that was just emerging at the time he graduated from the University of Illinois. In 2018, he made an estate commitment to establish the Dr. Michael A. Recny Graduate Fellowship in Biochemistry. In 2021, he generously pledged outright support to fund the fellowship for five years.
2023 Recipient:
Heather Liu (Dr. Beth Stadtmueller)
2022 Recipient:
Santanu Ghosh (Dr. David Shapiro)
Colin A. Wraight Memorial Award in Biochemistry for Outstanding Paper
This award recognizes biochemistry and biophysics graduate students who have produced outstanding research papers. The award is named after the late professor Colin Wraight, a passionate teacher, mentor, and colleague. He employed biochemical and biophysical methods to understand how the structure of membrane proteins allowed them to catalyze the transfer of electrons and protons in biological energy conversion. He joined the Illinois faculty in 1975 and held several positions, including director of the Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology and head of the Department of Biochemistry from 2004 to 2009.
Eligibility:
Current and most recent PhD students who have published an article in the most recent 12 months.
How to apply:
Students are nominated by their faculty research advisor.
2023 Recipient:
Santanu Ghosh (Dr. David Shapiro)
2022 Recipient:
Page Daniels (Dr. Wilfred van der Donk)
2021 Recipient:
Ullas Valiya Chembazhi (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra)
2020 Recipient:
Waqar Arif, MD (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra), Sushant Bangru (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra)
2019 Recipient:
Mara Livezey (Dr. David Shapiro)
William T. and Lynn Jackson Graduate Student Fellow in Biochemistry
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.
2022 Recipient:
Wenhao Ouyang (Dr. Nicholas Wu)
Biochemistry Trust of Urbana for Excellence in Graduate Studies
In recognition of a graduate biochemistry student who has demonstrated excellence in their graduate studies and research.
Eligibility:
Students who have completed their PhD
How to apply:
Students are nominated by their faculty research advisor
2023 Recipient:
Ullas Valiya Chembazi (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra)
2022 Recipient:
Imran Rahman (Dr. Wilfred van der Donk)
2021 Recipient:
Waqar Arif (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra)
2020 Recipient:
Liqun Yu, PhD (Dr. David Shapiro)
2019 Recipient:
Amruta Bhate (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra)
Govindjee and Rajni Govindjee Award for Excellence in Biological Research
This award, for outstanding graduate students, is named after Govindjee, a professor emeritus of biochemistry, biophysics and plant biology at the University of Illinois, and Rajni Govindjee, both of whom studied with the founding fathers of photosynthesis research. Govindjee conducted seminal research on the mechanisms of Photosystem II and chlorophyll fluorescence by plants and on the history of photosynthesis research. Rajni Govindjee made fundamental discoveries on the two-light effect and two-pigment system in the Hill Reaction in chloroplasts and then on the molecular mechanism of proton transport in bacteriorhodopsin from Halobacterium halobium, using site-directed mutants.
Eligibility:
PhD student who has passed their preliminary examination.
How to apply:
Recipients are nominated by their advisor.
2022 Recipient:
Adrika Raybarman (Dr. Raven Huang)
2018 Recipient:
Logan Hurst (Dr. Rudy Fratti)
Department of Biochemistry Graduate Student Travel Grant
Spring 2024 Recipients:
Gilberto Padron (Sanfilippo lab), Jessica Palalay (Sanfilippo lab), Matt Sinclair (Tajkhorshid lab), Junyao Zhu (Shapiro lab)
Fall 2023 Recipients:
Jorge Calderin (Fratti lab), Tianle Chen (Tajkhorshid lab), Chi Zhang (Fratti lab)
Spring 2023 Recipients:
Janhavi Borkar (Dr. Satish Nair), Sonya Kumar Bharathkar (Dr. Beth Stadtmueller), Kaylee Kuzelka (Dr. Satish Nair), Heather Liu (Dr. Beth Stadtmueller), Iris Lyu (Dr. Beth Stadtmueller), Nikita Modi (Dr. Lin-Feng Chen), Subhashis Natua (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra), Owen Ouyang (Dr. Nicholas Wu), Jessica Palalay (Dr. Joe Sanfilippo), Anuradha Sharma (Dr. Joe Sanfilippo), Alex Shuppara (Dr. Joe Sanfilippo), Junyao Zhu (Dr. David Shapiro)
Fall 2022 Recipients:
Andres Arango (Dr. Emad Tajkhorshid), Ullas Valiya Chembazhi (Dr. Auinash Kalsotra), Tianle Chen (Dr. Emad Tajkhorshid), Carlos R. Cuellar Rodriguez (Dr. Emad Tajkhorshid), Santana Ghosh (Dr. David Shapiro), Hale Hasdemir (Dr. Emad Tajkhorshid), Lainey Liang (Dr. Wilfred van der Donk), Yuping Li (Dr. Emad Tajkhorshid), TJ Oh (Dr. Kai Zhang), Defne Görgün Ozgulbas (Dr. Emad Tajkhorshid), Hyun Park (Dr. Emad Tajkhorshid), Ali Rasouli (Dr. Emad Tajkhorshid), Eric Shine (Dr. Emad Tajkhorshid), Matt Sinclair (Dr. Emad Tajkhorshid), Shweta Shree (Dr. Stephen Sligar), Noah Trebesch (Dr. Emad Tajkhorshid), Chi Zhang (Dr. Rutilio "Rudy" Fratti)
Cell & Developmental Biology Awards & Fellowships
CDB Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
2024 Recipient:
Allison Boss-Kennedy (Dr. Jie Chen)
2022 Recipient:
Allison Boss-Kennedy (Dr. Jie Chen)
2021 Recipient:
Surabhi Sonam (Dr. Jon Henry)
2020 Recipient:
Surabhi Sonam (Dr. Jon Henry)
2019 Recipient:
Nayab Abidi
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:
All graduate students who are on track for graduating in six years or less are eligible.
How to apply:
Students are nominated by their principal investigator.
2024 Recipient:
Pallob Barai (Dr. Jie Chen)
2023 Recipient:
Aatiqa Nawaz (Dr. Stephanie Ceman)
2022 Recipients:
Neha Chivukula (Dr. Andrew Belmont)
2021 Recipients:
Janhavi Kolhe (Dr. Brian Freeman)
2020 Recipient:
Surabhi Sonam (Dr. Jon Henry)
Cycyota Graduate Fellowship
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.
2019 Recipients:
Yo-Chuen Lin (Dr. Supriya Prasanth)
Oyetunji A. Toogun Memorial Award for Excellence in Research
Named in honor of Tunji Toogun, a cell and developmental biology PhD student who passed away in 2007, this award recognizes CDB graduate students for their outstanding research accomplishments. Born in Nigeria, Toogun received his BS from the University of Illinois in 2001 and a posthumous PhD in 2007. Remembered as a bright and kind student, Toogun had boundless enthusiasm for research and learning. Friends, classmates, and faculty established the fund to honor his memory.
Eligibility:
The student judged by the CDB distinction committee to have had the most outstanding graduate career among those who graduated in the past year. This award is not necessarily given out each year and more than one award may be given in some years.
How to apply:
All students who graduated in the past year and submitted a current CV to the department are eligible.
2024 Recipient:
Hailun Zhu (Dr. Xin Li)
2022 Recipients:
Qinyu Hao (Dr. Kannanganattu Prasanth)
2021 Recipients:
Xiaohe (John) Li (Dr. William Brieher), Yo-Chuen Lin (Dr. Supriya Prasanth)
2021 Recipients:
Omid Gholamalamdari (Dr. Andrew Belmont)
2020 Recipient:
Phillip Kenny (Dr. Stephanie Ceman)
2019 Recipient:
Mahdieh Jadaliha (Dr. KV Prasanth)
Graduate Student Platform Presentation Award
This award is given to graduate students who deliver an oral presentation about their research at a national or international meeting.
Eligibility:
Delivery of a platform presentation talk at a national or international meeting.
How to apply:
Inform the chair of the CDB Distinction Committee. Include the name, date, and location of the national or international meeting and the title of the talk. All students who give a platform presentation receive the award.
2023 Recipients:
Allison Boss-Kennedy (Dr. Jie Chen), Pradeep Kumar (Dr. Andrew Belmont), Minxue Liu (Dr. Kannanganattu Prasanth), Tejas Mahadevan (Dr. Anna Sokac), Miles Norsworthy (Dr. Martha Gillette)
2022 Recipients:
Pradeep Kumar (Dr. Andrew Belmont)
2020 Recipient:
Chong Dai (Dr. Jie Chen), Janhavi Kohle (Dr. Brian Freeman), Yo-Chuen Lin (Dr. Supriya Prasanth), Nilmani Singh (Dr. Jie CHen), Yuou Wang (Dr. William Brieher), Liguo Zhang (Dr. Andrew Belmont)
2019 Recipient:
Chih-Ying Chen (Dr. Lisa Stubbs), Nimani Singh (Dr. Jie Chen), Liquo Zhang (Dr. Andrew Belmont)
Microbiology Awards, Fellowships & Scholarships
James R. Beck Endowment for Microbiology Scholarship—Excellence
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.
Eligibility:
Graduate students who are currently conducting research toward a PhD within the Department of Microbiology. One fellowship may be given to a 2nd-, 3rd-, 4th-, or 5th-year graduate student based on the applicant's composite graduate record (i.e., research, course grades, teaching, service to department and professional organizations, awards, etc.).
How to apply:
Microbiology faculty and graduate students are notified annually of the award guidelines. Faculty advisors are to nominate the graduate students in their lab and are to submit the required documents in PDF format to the microbiology office by the requested due date.
2024 Recipients:
Brooke Burris (Dr. James Slauch), Morgan Letzkus (Dr. Paola Mera), Megan Ringling (Dr. Steven Blanke)
2021 Recipient:
Rouhallah Ramezanifard (Dr. James Slauch)
Professor Marie Chow Teaching Scholarship
The Professor Marie Chow Teaching Scholarship is named after Marie Chow, who completed her undergraduate, doctoral, and post-doctoral studies at Smith College, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. She was a professor at MIT, followed by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Eligibility:
Graduate students who are currently conducting research toward a PhD within the Department of Microbiology and who have an excellent record as a teaching assistant.
How to apply:
Graduate students are nominated by their teaching supervisor. Students are then notified of the award guidelines and are to submit the required documents in PDF format to the microbiology office by the requested due date.
2024 Recipient:
Motaher Hossain (Dr. Asma Hatoum-Aslan)
2022 Recipients:
Sabrina Abdulla, Alexander Polidore
2021 Recipients:
Stefanie Eben (Dr. James Imlay), Katie Frye (Dr. Thomas Kehl-Fie), Ami Seeger (Dr. Steven Blanke)
Francis M. and Harlie M. Clark Microbiology Scholarship—Teaching Award
The Clark 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:
Graduate students who are currently conducting research toward a PhD within the Department of Microbiology and who have an excellent record as a teaching assistant.
How to apply:
The Department of Microbiology faculty and graduate students are notified annually of the award guidelines. The faculty advisors are to nominate the graduate students in their lab and are to submit the required documents in PDF format to the microbiology office by the requested due date.
2024 Recipient:
Matthew Georgiou
2023 Recipient:
Sneha Das
2022 Recipient:
Nicholas Handy, Roy Rodriguez Carrero
2021 Recipient:
Molly Crowder, Eliot Joya Sandoval, Rouhallah Ramezanifard
2021 Recipient:
Matthew Georgiou
2019 Recipient:
Alisa King
Francis M. and Harlie M. Clark Microbiology Fellowship - Excellence
The Clark Fellowship 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:
Graduate students who are currently conducting research toward a PhD within the Department of Microbiology. One fellowship may be given to a 2nd-, 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-year graduate student based on the applicant's composite graduate record (i.e., research, course grades, teaching, service to the department and professional organizations, awards, etc.).
How to apply:
Microbiology faculty and graduate students are notified annually of the award guidelines. Faculty advisors are to nominate the graduate students in their lab and are to submit the required documents in PDF format to the microbiology office by the requested due date.
2022 Recipient:
Sabrina Abdulla (Dr. Carin Vanderpool) , Pooja Agashe (Dr. Andrei Kuzminov), Molly Crowder (Dr. Steven Blanke)
2019 Recipient:
Katie Frye (Dr. Thomas Kehl-Fie), Anshika Gupta (Dr. James Imlay), Sangeetha Ramesh (Dr. Douglas Mitchell)
Mr. Chinoree T. and Mrs. Kimiyo Enta Fellowship
Established in 1994, this award is named for the late Chinoree “Ben” Enta and his wife, Kimiyo Enta. Ben Enta earned a BS in chemistry and bacteriology in 1951 from Illinois and spent much of his career as a chemist for the City of Chicago’s water department. Kimiyo worked in insurance, was a professional dancer, and taught Japanese folk dancing.
Eligibility:
Graduate students who are currently conducting research toward a PhD within the Department of Microbiology. Typically awarded to more senior graduate students with demonstrated research accomplishments.
How to apply:
Microbiology faculty and graduate students are notified annually of the award guidelines. Faculty advisors are to nominate the graduate students in their lab and are to submit the required documents in PDF format to the microbiology office by the requested due date.
2023 Recipient:
Accomplishment: Molly Crowder (Dr. Steven Blanke)
Excellence: Megan Ringling (Dr. Steven Blanke)
2022 Recipients:
Lucy Chou Zheng (Dr. Asma Hatoum-Aslan), Alexander Polidore (Dr. James Imlay)
2021 Recipient:
Yidan Zhou (Dr. James Imlay)
2021 Recipient:
Paola Párraga Solórzano (Dr. Thomas Kehl-Fie)
2019 Recipient:
Maryam Khademiam (Dr. James Imlay)
Chester W. and Nadine C. Houston Graduate Scholarship—Excellence
This scholarship is named after Illinois alumni Chester W. Houston (PhD, ’47, microbiology), who was a microbiology professor at the University of Rhode Island, and Nadine C. Houston (BS, ’43, library science; MS, ’46, microbiology), a librarian.
Eligibility:
Graduate students who are currently conducting research toward a PhD within the Department of Microbiology. One fellowship may be given to a 2nd-, 3rd-, 4th-, or 5th-year graduate student based on the applicant's composite graduate record (i.e., research, course grades, teaching, service to the department and professional organizations, awards, etc.).
How to apply:
Microbiology faculty and graduate students are notified annually of the award guidelines. Faculty advisors are to nominate the graduate students in their lab and are to submit the required documents in PDF format to the microbiology office by the requested due date.
2023 Recipients:
Stephanie Puentes (Dr. Paola Mera), Caroline Vermilya (Dr. Thomas Kehl-Fie)
2022 Recipient:
Saika Hossain (Dr. Thomas Kehl-Fie)
2021 Recipient:
Matthew Georgiou (Dr. Douglas Mitchell)
Mame Shiao Debbie Endowment in Microbiology Award
The Mame Shiao Debbie Endowment in Microbiology Award is a gift from Jane Lin, a 1986 PhD graduate in microbiology. She met her husband, filmmaker Ang Lee, while they were students at UIUC. After graduating with a theatre degree from Illinois, Lee pursued his MFA at New York University while she completed her graduate studies at Illinois.
Eligibility:
Graduate students who are currently conducting research toward a PhD degree within the Department of Microbiology. Awarded to a graduate student with a child (or children). One of the following criteria must be satisfied:
- A graduate student who is either a single parent or parent whose spouse is working/studying elsewhere;
- A graduate student who is married to another graduate student enrolled in any program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign;
- A graduate student who is married and has children.
How to apply:
Microbiology faculty and graduate students are notified annually of the award guidelines. Faculty advisors are to nominate the graduate students in their lab and submit their nomination letter in PDF format to the microbiology office by the requested due date.
2021 Recipient:
S. M. Nayeemul Bari (Dr. Asma Hatoum-Aslan)
2020 Recipient:
Elizabeth Rowland (Dr. Rachel Whitaker)
2019 Recipient:
Elizabeth Haywood (Dr. Brenda Wilson), Kyungsub Kim (Dr. James Slauch), Elizabeth Rowland (Dr. Rachel Whitaker)
Carl DeBoer Fellowship - Accomplishment
Named after Illinois alumnus Carl J. DeBoer, this fellowship is awarded to graduate students in the department, in particular those who conduct research in infectious diseases and immunology. DeBoer received his BS in 1935 and his PhD in 1941 and joined the faculty at the Massachusetts State College (now the University of Massachusetts). He later worked at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center.
Eligibility:
Graduate students who are currently conducting research toward a PhD degree within the Department of Microbiology. Typically awarded to more senior graduate students with demonstrated research accomplishments.
How to apply:
Microbiology faculty and graduate students are notified annually of the award guidelines. Faculty advisors are to nominate the graduate 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:
Kristen Farley (Dr. William Metcalf)
2019 Recipient:
Kyle Grim (Dr. Thomas Kehl-Fie), Jiai Sun (Dr. Christopher Brooke)
Professor Marie Chow Fellowship - Accomplishment
The Professor Marie Chow Fellowship for Accomplishment is named after Marie Chow, who completed her undergraduate, doctoral, and post-doctoral studies at Smith College, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. She was a professor at MIT, followed by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
2024 Recipient:
Motaher Hossain (Dr. Asma Hatoum-Aslan)
2023 Recipient:
Tongyu Liu (Dr. Christopher Brooke)
Molecular & Integrative Physiology Awards & Fellowships
Outstanding Thesis Award
Presented to a graduate student whose thesis is judged to be particularly meritorious, particularly if the results have been published.
Eligibility:
Must be a graduate student in the Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology.
How to apply:
Students are nominated by their research advisor.
2024 Recipient:
Anushna Sen (Dr. Sayeepriyadarshini Anakk)
2023 Recipient:
Xiyu Ge (Dr. Lori Raetzman)
2022 Recipient:
Liqian Ma (Dr. Erik Nelson)
2021 Recipient:
Jiaren Zhang (Dr. Hee Jung Chung)
2020 Recipient:
Jiuhe (Rosa) Zhu (Dr. Nien-Pei Tsai)
2019 Recipient:
Whitney Edwards (Dr. Lori Raetzman)
James E. Heath Award for Excellence in Teaching in Physiology
This award is named after James Heath, a former faculty member who researched temperature adaptation and neural physiology of animals. He was head of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics from 1977 to 1982. In recognition of those who have made exceptional contributions in the area of instruction.
Eligibility:
Must be a graduate student in the Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology.
How to apply:
Students may be nominated for this award via the MCB nomination portal.
2023 Recipient:
Anjana Asokakumar
2021 Recipient:
Daphne Eagleman
2019 Recipient:
Ekaterina Gribkova
Outstanding Contribution to Molecular & Integrative Physiology
Presented to a graduate student who has made outstanding contributions to departmental activities outside the academic arena.
2024 Recipient:
Ingrid Possa Paranhos (Dr. Patrick Sweeney)
2019 Recipient:
Jessica Saw (Drs. Jonathan Sweedler, Bruce Fouke)
Ann Nardulli Graduate Student Travel Award
Prof. Ann Nardulli, an endocrinologist and cherished MIP faculty member, passed away on June 27, 2018. To honor Ann’s legacy, the Molecular and Integrative Physiology Department established the Ann Nardulli Graduate Student Travel Award. Graduate education was very important to Ann. This fund provides graduate students with support to enhance their education, such as travel support to present and discuss their research findings at scientific meetings.
2024 Recipients:
Nicole Godellas (Dr. Claudio Grosman), Quang Nguyen (Dr. Martha Gillette)
2023 Recipients:
Anasuya Das Gupta (Dr. Erik Nelson), Amber Wang (Dr. Erik Nelson)