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Graduate Awards and Fellowships

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