Awrds and honors
Our students are recognized each year for their excellence in academics and research, and their community impact.
Kailey DeGeorge
Jeremie M. Axe, M.D. Summer Scholars Award
Kailey is an incoming senior with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Biochemistry. She has been working in Professor Anja Nohe’s laboratory since February 2022 and has had the opportunity to participate in the Summer Scholars internship in 2022 and 2023. Her work consists of using the synthetic protein CK2.1 to stimulate cartilage cells from patients with osteoarthritis or osteoporosis, in hopes of evaluating the protein’s efficacy as a therapeutic. She would like to thank Professor Nohe and the members of her lab, in particular doctoral student Venu Pandit, for their assistance with her project.
Awarded to a student majoring in biological sciences who is involved in undergraduate research. Applicants for this award are evaluated on their GPA, research experience, and written research proposal.
- 2022 - John Salsini-Tobias, Lauren Stewart
- 2021 - Elizabeth McCulla
- 2019 - Sabrina Luther
- 2018 - Nicholas Finell
David Hawtof
Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Award
David Hawtof graduated in 2023 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences (concentration in Molecular and Cellular Biology) and a minor in Jewish Studies. He has spent the last 2 1/2 years conducting undergraduate research under the supervision of Dr. Molly Sutherland on cytochrome c biogenesis. In particular, he has investigated the function of four histidines in the protein CcsBA in the organism Campylobacter jejuni. While doing research, he completed two Summer Scholar Programs (2021 & 2022) and presented his summer research at West Virginia University's Undergraduate Research Conference. Additionally, he was awarded the Jeremie M. Axe M.D. Summer Research Scholarship Award during his first Summer Scholars Program. This fall, he will continue his studies at the University of Virginia to begin a Ph.D. program in Molecular and Cell Biology.
Awarded to the graduating senior who has shown exceptional ability in academics and research while at the University of Delaware as evidenced by publications or presentations at scientific meetings and plans to enter a graduate or combined MD/PhD program.
- 2022 - Shannon Pfeiffer
- 2019 - Bailey Weatherbee
- 2018 - Jennifer Hoi-Ping Lawrence, Jessica Lynn McAnulty
- 2017 - Shannon Marshall
- 2016 - Joshua Barton, Joshua Tworig
- 2015 - Rebecca Pollak
- 2014 - Laura Powell
- 2013 - Elizabeth Hetterly
- 2012 - Erica Lee Boetefuer
- 2011 - Matthew Ryan King
- 2010 - Tyler John Larsen
- 2009 - Ritka Samant
- 2008 - Vivek Desai
- 2007 - Wen Allen Tseng
- 2006 - Madeline Dillon Gregoritis
- 2005 - Erin Kenaley
- 2004 - Arthur Suckow
- 2003 - Erin Henninger
- 2002 - Justin DiAngelo
Anh Ho
Patricia A. DeLeon Undergrad Research Award
This is a new award. Past recipients will be added as time goes on.
Adam Kerzner
Milton H. Stetson Memorial Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Adam Kerzner is a rising senior here at University of Delaware pursuing an honors degree with distinction in biology. Adam has been working for the past year and a half in Dr. Ramona Neunuebel’s microbiology and pathology laboratory. He has been studying effector proteins secreted by the bacterium Legionella Pnuemophila. He has been on the dean’s list in every semester and has also received the general honors award. Adam is a student tutor for different subjects in math and sciences and has also been a site leader and now the senior operations coordinator of University of Delaware’s alternative breaks program. He is excited to pursue his interest in biology by applying to graduate programs to continue research in biology or in biomedical sciences.
Awarded annually to a rising senior active in undergraduate research. Applicants for this award are evaluated on their GPA, research experience, written research proposal and recommendations. Preference is given to students working on an aspect of animal or cell physiology with plans to attend graduate school.
- 2022 - Kailey DeGeorge
- 2021 - Erin Smith
- 2019 - Jaclyn N. Littmann
- 2018 - Bailey Weatherbee
- 2017 - Morgan S. Kim
- 2016 - Nathaniel Borders
- 2015 - Troy Rubenstein
- 2014 - Rebecca Pollak
- 2013 - Kelsie Landis
- 2012 - Kahina Ghanem
- 2011 - Lyana Labrada
- 2010 - Dylan Devlin
- 2009 - Christopher Ahmer
- 2008 - Sander Frank
- 2007 - Adam Brady
- 2006 - Carla Boyd
- 2005 - Lauren Bennett
Vasilios Lomis
Paynter Memorial Award in memory of Judge John H. Paynter and Edwin R. Paynter
Awarded to the graduating senior with the highest academic index and outstanding personal qualities who is going on to medical school.
- 2022 - Jean Filo
- 2019 - Shane V. McNamara
- 2018 - Umma Kaniz Fatema, Morgan Sussman
- 2017 - Catherine Dolan, Christina Gulla, Victoria Longo
- 2016 - Shelby Rae Smith
- 2015 - Hannah Anderson
- 2013 - Kelsey Elizabeth McGlade and Torey Roesch
- 2012 - Jeffrey William Burgess
- 2011 - Christopher Gentile
- 2010 - Aleksey Dvorzhinskiy
- 2009 - Tessa Lynn Reisinger
- 2008 - Stephen Rybicki
- 2007 - Megan Dowling
- 2006 - Vivek Prashant Patel
- 2005 - Brian P. Gladnick
- 2004 - Jason Walls
- 2003 - Peter M. Moffett
- 2002 - Suzanne Biehn
- 2001 - Amy Humfield
- 2000 - Troy Markel
- 1999 - Jill Clemmer
- 1998 - Wesam Yacoub
- 1997 - David DeFeo
- 1996 - Vinay Harpalani
- 1995 - Lisa Merson
- 1994 - John Hart
- 1993 - no award
- 1992 - Tracy Evans
- 1991 - Yasmine S. Wasfi
- 1990 - Colleen Rogers
- 1989 - Greg Viehman
- 1988 - Catherine Mahoney
- 1987 - James M. Sunday
- 1986 - Laura Nicholson
- 1985 - Susan Page Livesay
McKenna Millar
Richard M. Johnson Memorial Award
Awarded annually to exceptional undergraduate juniors who best exemplify the ideals of sound scholarship or interest in research for its own sake, active pursuit of truth, intellectual leadership, appreciation of the significance of science to mankind and community service.
- 2022 - Sabrina Luther
- 2019 - Nicole Rossi
- 2018 - Michaela Scanlon, Bailey Weatherbee
- 2017 - Umma K. Fatema
- 2016 - Christina Gulla, Katie Holland
- 2015 - Nicole Place and Prashanth Moku
- 2014 - Brooke Palus and Molly Peters
- 2013 - Christine Ahn Dang and Laura Amanda Powell
- 2012 - Allison Frances McCague and Ramkrishna Ashok Patel
- 2011 - Bruce Aldred and Christine McGrath
- 2010 - Danielle Bond
- 2009 - Aleksey Dvorzhinskiy
- 2008 - Ritika Samant
- 2007 - Brian Grindel
- 2006 - Wen Allen Tseng
- 2005 - Liang-I Kang
- 2004 - Brian Gladnick
- 2003 - Arthur T. Suckow
- 2002 - Erwin Puente
- 2001 - Justin DiAngelo
- 2000 - Erin Engle
- 1999 - Debra Roberts
- 1998 - Katherine Wong
- 1997 - Katie Gustavsen
- 1996 - Brian Irwin
- 1995 - Jennifer Gilbert
- 1994 - Elizabeth Asuncion
- 1993 - Chelsea Spect
- 1992 - Bonnie De Vivo
- 1991 - William F. Fagan
- 1990 - Yasmine Wasfi
- 1989 - Gregory W. McDivitt
- 1988 - Shawna Smith
- 1987 - Catherine Mahoney
- 1986 - Brian McGonigle
Valeria Rivera-Perez
Enoch Lee Memorial Award
Awarded to an outstanding graduating senior biological sciences major who, like Enoch, is generous with his/her time, gives back to the community and is intent on making others smile.
- 2022 - Zion Manuel
- 2021 - Sierra Enea
- 2019 - Andre Ahman Cunningham
- 2018 - Lauren Anne Lynch
- 2017 - Peter Cloney, Andy Kyeadea-Amponsah
- 2016 - Naimisha Movva
- 2015 - Grace Firestone
Migachelle Romano
Biological Sciences Academic Excellence Award
Migachelle has been a dedicated student within the Biological Sciences Department. She came to the USA from Haiti with a limited understanding of English and within a few years she has proven to be one of the Departments top students. She is an exceptional organic chemistry teaching assistants, continuously pulling hundreds of students into packed study halls weekly. She graduates with an exceptional GPA and has capped her degree with an undergraduate thesis on cardiovascular diseases. Under the direction of Dr. Chi Keung Lam, her research focused on the effect of cardiac-specific Heat Shock Protein 90 knockout in the expressions of calcium-handling proteins in mouse cardiomyocytes. Her thesis was the accumulation of several semesters of undergraduate research and was awarded funding through the 2022 Undergraduate Research Summer Scholars program. Her goal is to be accepted into medical school through a MD/PhD program so she can continue her studies in medicine.
Awarded to the graduating senior who best displays overall academic excellence. In addition to having an excellent grade point average, the recipient must be involved in activities that enhance the academic performance of others and show a commitment to community activities such as tutoring, instructing undergraduate laboratories and volunteering.
2022 - Jaanvi Mehta
2021 - Gabby Pancio
2020 - Dante Calise
2019 - Benjamin Pierson Emery
2018 - Michelle Hope Dellalana, Nicole Brianna Dumigan, Umma Kaniz Fatema, Danielle C. Hummel, Adrienne Suemin Kim
2017 - Catherine Dolan, Christina Gulla
2016 - Nicholas Jennelly, Lindsey Szymanski
2015 - Emily Zhang
2014 - Dylan Kahler
2013 - Kevin Michael Rowley
2012 - Alex Michael D’Angelo
2011 - Kimberly Stevenson
2010 - Brian William Barnette
2009 - Lauren Hope Isaacs
2008 - Brian Grindel
2007 - Amanda Bayley
2006 - Liang-I Kang
2005 - Joseph S. Fotos
2004 - Bryan Townsend
2003 - Erwin Puente
2002 - Suzanne Biehn
