Each year, the BCMB department recognizes outstanding graduate students who have excelled in research and teaching. A reception will be held at Calhoun’s on the River, May 10, 2023.
The award & fellowship winners will be notified via email. The winner’s names will be posted on the BCMB webpage after the awards ceremony.
Applications are due by midnight on Monday, April 3, 2023 to Chrissy Wills-Maples. Materials can be delivered to the BCMB office (Room 309, Ken & Blaire Mossman Bldg.) or emailed to rwills@utk.edu. Please do not apply to more than three (3) awards/fellowships.
These awards/fellowships are for BCMB graduate students only, except the Ray Holton Plant Science Award.
Biochemistry Alumni Graduate Assistant Award ($1,500)
This award was established by a former faculty member and department head of the Biochemistry Department, Ken Monty. This award is given annually to a BCMB graduate student that shows excellence both in research scholarship as well as in teaching activities. The application for this award should include: a statement summarizing both research and teaching activities and accomplishments, two letters of recommendation from faculty or instructors that also comment on research as well as teaching accomplishments, and the student’s CV.
| 2022 | Udodirim Onwubiko | Maitreyi Das Lab |
| 2021 | Elsie Adams | Bruce McKee Lab |
| 2020 | Rosela Golloshi | Rachel P. McCord Lab |
| 2019 | Deepika Nambiar | Liz Howell Lab |
| 2018 | Rosela Golloshi | Rachel P. McCord Lab |
| 2017 | Jessica Gullett | Gladys Alexandre Lab |
| 2016 | Randy Lacey | Brad Binder Lab |
| 2015 | Kristen Holbrook | Barry Bruce Lab |
David and Becky Eaker Graduate Student Award ($1,500)
This award was established by the children of David and Becky Eaker to support a graduate student’s professional development. The graduate student should submit no more than one page on how this award will advance their professional development. In addition, they need a recommendation letter form their faculty member and a copy of their CV.
| 2022 | Victoria Norman | Rebecca Prosser Lab |
| 2021 | Yujie Ye | Fran Barrera Lab |
| 2020 | Udodirim Onwubiko | Maitreyi Das Lab |
| 2019 | Nathan Brady | Barry Bruce Lab |
| 2018 | Gabriel Fuente | Liz Howell Lab |
Dr. Ray Holton Plant Science Award (2 awards/$2,500 each)
This award recognizes a PhD student working in the plant sciences area who demonstrates excellence in scholarship and research. The application for this award should include a letter indicating interest in and accomplishments demonstrating worthiness for receipt of the award. It should be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from the mentor as well as one from an additional committee member, and the student’s CV.
The Holton Award is available to students from other Biology Units conducting research in the Plant Sciences.
| 2022 | Bridget O’Banion Anwesha Dasgupta |
Sarah Lebeis Lab (Microbiology) Albrecht von Arnim Lab |
| 2021 | Alex Teodor Eric Shershen |
Barry Bruce Lab (GST) Jessica Budke Lab (EEB) |
| 2020 | Jessica Fernandez Jyotirmoy Mondal |
Tessa Burch-Smith Lab Barry Bruce Lab |
| 2019 | Brandon Reagan Katherine Moccia |
Tessa Burch-Smith Lab Sarah Lebeis Lab (Microbiology) |
| 2018 | Ramya Enganti | Albrecht von Arnim Lab |
| 2017 | Pawel Kosentka | Elena Shpak Lab |
| 2016 | Ben Ernest | Albrecht von Arnim Lab |
| 2015 | Arkadipta Bakshi | Brad Binder Lab |
| 2014 | Kristen Holbrook | Barry Bruce Lab |
| 2013 | Ansul Lokdarshi | Dan Roberts Lab |
| 2012 | Rebecca Wilson | Brad Binder Lab |
| 2011 | Ansul Lokdarshi | Dan Roberts Lab |
| 2010 | Stephanie Madison | Andreas Nebenführ Lab |
| 2009 | Justin Vaughan | Albrecht von Arnim Lab |
Lizzie Howell Graduate Student Award ($1,000)
Dr. Elizabeth Howell was long time faculty member in the BCMB department. This award was set up by her family in her honor and memory. This award has been developed to help support professional development to current graduate students in the BCMB department. The graduate student should submit no more than one page on how this award will advance their professional development. In addition, they need a recommendation letter from their faculty member and a copy of their CV. Preference given to female graduate students.
| 2022 | Yujie Ye | Fran Barrera Lab |
| 2021 | Debalina Acharyya | Rebecca Prosser Lab |
W. Sherman Kouns Excellence in Teaching Award ($3,000)
This award honors an outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant in the BCMB department who demonstrates a commitment to teaching and a distinguished record in this role. The application for this award should include a letter indicating interest in and accomplishments demonstrating worthiness for receipt of this award. It should include teaching evaluations and letters of recommendation from two different faculty for whom the applicant has served as a teaching assistant, and the student’s CV.
| 2022 | Elsie Adams Mike Mykins |
Bruce McKee Lab Keerthi Krishnan Lab |
| 2021 | Zach Beamer | Dan Roberts Lab |
| 2020 | Gabriel Fuente-Gomez | Liz Howell Lab |
| 2019 | Gabriel Fuente-Gomez | Liz Howell Lab |
| 2018 | Zach Beamer | Dan Roberts Lab |
| 2017 | Jyotirmoy Mondal | Barry Bruce Lab |
| 2016 | Craig Conner | Dan Roberts Lab |
| 2015 | Letitia Puster | Cynthia Peterson Lab |
| 2014 | Stephanie Madison and Letitia Puster | Andreas Nebenführ and Cynthia Peterson Lab |
| 2013 | Shih-Jui Hsu | Mariano Labrador Lab |
| 2011 | Pintu Massalkar | Dan Roberts Lab |
| 2010 | Ansul Lokdarshi | Dan Roberts Lab |
| 2009 | Sumit Goswami | Cynthia Peterson Lab |
Graduate Students applying to the following fellowships need to be at least a 2nd year student and graduating December 2023 or later. These fellowships will be distributed through the Financial Aid Office.
Ranjan & Nivedita Ganguly Fellowship ($1,000)
This fellowship was established in memory of Dr. Nivedita (Nita) Ganguly, the wife of BCMB Emeritus Faculty member, Dr. Ranjan Ganguly. This was established to help graduate students who are pursuing an interest in molecular and genetic research, while showing excellence in academic endeavors, productive research, and outstanding professional promise. Preference given to applicants who maintain a 3.5 GPA. Must be pursuing BCMB graduate degree. Financial need may be considered. Applicants must submit a letter summarizing their accomplishments in these areas, a CV and a letter of support from mentor and proof of current GPA.
| 2022 | Bright Amankwaa | Mariano Labrador Lab |
Robert and Nell Keenan Bioscience Fellowship ($3,500):
This award recognizes a graduate student pursuing a major in BCMB. The Keenan’s wished to promote biological science studies. The BCMB student needs to show excellence in academic endeavor, productive research scholarship, and outstanding professional promise. The student shall have demonstrated academic excellence with a 3.5 GPA or above and must maintain this GPA to retain the fellowship. Preference is to be given to students from Davidson, Warren or Williamson County, Tennessee. The applicant will need to submit a letter summarizing their accomplishments in these areas, a CV, two letters of support from faculty recommenders, and proof of current GPA.
| 2022 | Charles “Boomer” Russell | Fran Barrera Lab |
| 2021 | Maddie Davis | Barry Bruce Lab |
| 2020 | Jacob Sanders | Rachel McCord Lab |
| 2019 | Jacob Sanders | Rachel McCord Lab |
| 2018 | Lindsey O’Neal | Gladys Alexandre Lab |
| 2017 | Lindsey O’Neal | Gladys Alexandre Lab |
| 2016 | Haden Scott | Francisco Barrera Lab |
| 2015 | Joanna Cooper | Rebecca Prosser Lab |
Dr. Cynthia B. Peterson Fellowship ($1,000)
Recognizes a graduate student pursuing a major in BCMB. The BCMB student needs to show excellence in academic endeavor, productive research scholarship, and outstanding professional promise. The student shall have demonstrated academic excellence with a 3.5 GPA or above and must maintain this GPA to retain the fellowship. The applicant will need to submit a letter summarizing their accomplishments in these areas, a CV, and two letters of support from faculty recommenders and proof of current GPA.
| 2022 | Ryan Schuck | Fran Barrera Lab |
| 2021 | Boomer Russell | Fran Barrera Lab |
| 2020 | Yujie Ye | Fran Barrera Lab |
| 2019 | Rosela Golloshi | Rachel McCord Lab |
| 2018 | Vanessa Nguyen | Fran Barrera Lab |
| 2017 | Joanna Cooper | Rebecca Prosser Lab |
James and Dora Wright Fellowship ($1,000)
This fellowship recognizes a graduate student in the BCMB program who demonstrates leadership and excellence in scholarship and research. The application for this award should include a letter indicating interest in and accomplishments demonstrating worthiness for receipt of the award. It should be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from the mentor as well as one from an additional committee member, and the student’s CV. James and Dora Wright Fellowship recipients include:
| 2022 | Debalina Acharyya | Rebecca Prosser Lab |
| 2021 | Mike Mykins | Keerthi Krishnan Lab |
| 2020 | Nathan Brady | Barry Bruce Lab |
| 2019 | Seda Kocaman | Liz Howell Lab (Engin Serpersu’ s Grad Student) |
| 2018 | Prashasti | Engin Serpersu Lab |
| 2017 | Haden Scott | Francisco Barrera Lab |
| 2016 | Sudershana Nair | Jae Park Lab |
| 2015 | Xiaomin Jing | Engin Serpersu Lab |
| 2014 | Purva Bhojane Jianzhuang Yao |
Liz Howell Lab Hong Guo Lab |
| 2012 | Randy Lacey | Brad Binder Lab |
| 2011 | Shaofei Zhang | Mariano Labrador Lab |
| 2010 | Sumit Goswami | Cynthia Peterson Lab |
| 2009 | Adrianne Norris | Engin Serpersu Lab |