Academic Honors and Awards
Each year, a number of biological sciences students receive departmental awards of recognition, usually presented at the departmental awards ceremony in March or April. Undergraduate and graduate students are also frequent recipients of awards and scholarships at the national, university and college level.
University Awards
2021–2022
Phil and Mary Bradley Graduate Student Award for Mentoring in Creative Inquiry: Lauren Stoczynski, Ph.D. student, biological sciences
2020–2021
Phil and Mary Bradley Graduate Student Award for Mentoring in Creative Inquiry: Tokea “Kea” Payton, Ph.D. student, biological sciences.
2018–2019
Phil and Mary Bradley Graduate Student Award for Mentoring in Creative Inquiry: Kylie Smith, Ph.D. student, biological sciences.
College Awards
2022-2023
Outstanding Graduate in Learning: Daniel Malagon, Ph.D. student, biological sciences.
2021–2022
Outstanding Graduate in Learning: Lauren Stoczynski, Ph.D. student, biological sciences.
Outstanding Graduate in Discovery: Rhett Rautsaw, Ph.D. student, biological sciences.
Blue Key Academic & Leadership Award (recognizes a student who has distinguished themselves in academic scholarship and campus leadership): Kori Hays, biological sciences.
Science Student Advisory Board Outstanding Member Award: Kat Terwelp, microbiology.
2020–2021
Blue Key Academic & Leadership Award (recognizes a student who has distinguished themselves in academic scholarship and campus leadership): Charles Henry, microbiology. Faculty mentor: Hong Luo.
2019–2020
Phi Kappa Phi Certificate of Merit (ecognizes a graduating senior with a GPA of 3.4 or above who has made noteworthy contributions in areas such as leadership, service and creative endeavors to the department, college and Clemson University): Jill Walton, microbiology. Faculty mentor: Barbara Campbell.
Outstanding Junior in Science (recognizes the best overall junior on the basis of scholarship and character): Shaoni Dasgupta, biological sciences. Faculty mentor: Kerry Smith. Dasgupta is also a 2020 Goldwater Scholarship winner and a 2019 Beckman Scholar.
2018–2019
Outstanding Graduate in Learning: Lauren Stoczynski, Ph.D. student, biological sciences. Stoczynski was a teaching assistant in three different major and non-major 1000-level general biology labs where she taught two or three lab sections — with approximately 20–30 undergrads in each — for nine semesters. Stoczynski was an exceptional TA, far exceeding the base expectations for her role in teaching laboratories. She clearly kept her students engaged and actively participating throughout lab.
Outstanding Graduate in Engagement: Kylie Smith, Ph.D. student, biological sciences. This is the second time that the College of Science has awarded this honor to a graduate student who has excelled in strengthening and engaging with the community outside their specific research field in a partnership defined by two-way communication and mutual respect. Smith meets these criteria perfectly by engaging in multiple outreach opportunities to facilitate sharing her research findings in the most impactful ways. Smith was the team leader of the Conservation of Marine Resources Creative Inquiry team at Clemson and has mentored more than 50 undergrads in the past seven years. Smith transplanted corals to experimentally test ecological theory, and this approach promises to produce better strategies for successful coral reef restoration.
Departmental Awards: Graduate
2022-2023
Outstanding Graduate in Engagement Award (given to a graduate student who has excelled in strengthening and engaging with the community): Kea Payton, Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences. Faculty adviser/nominator: Michael Childress, Ph.D.
Outstanding Graduate in Learning Award (given to a graduate student who has been exemplary in undergraduate science teaching):
- Daniel Malagon, Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences. Faculty adviser/nominator: Sharon Bewick, Ph.D.
- Mir Alvee Ahmed, Ph.D candidate in microbiology. Faculty adviser: Barbara Campbell, Ph.D. Nominated by: Krista Rudolph, Ph.D.
Outstanding Graduate in Discovery Award (given to a graduating doctoral student who has made a distinctive and discernable contribution to their field): Peng Zhang, Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences. Faculty adviser/nominator: Matt Turnbull, Ph.D.
2021–2022
Outstanding Graduate in Engagement Award (given to a graduate student who has excelled in strengthening and engaging with the community): Randi Sims, M.S. in biological sciences. Faculty adviser/nominator: Michael Childress, Ph.D.
Outstanding Graduate in Learning Award (given to a graduate student who has been exemplary in undergraduate science teaching): Lauren Stoczynski, Ph.D. student in biological sciences. Faculty adviser: Peter van den Hurk, Ph.D. Nominated by Christine Minor.
Outstanding Graduate in Discovery Award (given to a graduating doctoral student who has made a distinctive and discernable contribution to their field): Rhett Rautsaw, Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences. Faculty adviser/nominator: Chris Parkinson, Ph.D.
2020–2021
Outstanding Graduate in Engagement Award (given to a graduate student who has excelled in strengthening and engaging with the community): Randi Sims, M.S. in environmental toxicology. Faculty mentor: Michael Childress.
Outstanding Graduate in Learning Award (given to a graduate student who has been exemplary in undergraduate science teaching):
- Jazmine Eccles, M.S. in biological sciences. Faculty mentor: Bill Baldwin. Nominated by John Cummings.
- Hayley Hassler, M.S. in microbiology. Faculty mentor: Vince Richards. Nominated by Krista Rudolph.
Outstanding Graduate in Discovery Award (given to a graduating doctoral student who has made a distinctive and discernible contribution to their field): Aidan Sokolov, Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences. Faculty mentor: David Feliciano.
The Clemson University Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award in Life Sciences: Heather Andrews Walters, M.S., biological sciences. Walters was one of only two master’s thesis awards presented by the Clemson University Graduate School across the entire campus.
Seven Clemson University graduate students were awarded the 2021 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, a highly competitive grant aimed at building future scientific and engineering leaders. Seven others received honorable mentions. The Department of Biological Sciences had two fellowship winners, Cierra Sullivan and Tristan Schramer, and an honorable mention: Harrison “Chris” Moss. Read the story on ClemsonNews.
2019–2020
Outstanding Graduate in Engagement Award (given to a graduate student who has excelled in strengthening and engaging with the community): Melissa Heintz, Ph.D. candidate in environmental toxicology. Faculty mentor: William Baldwin.
Outstanding Graduate in Learning Award (given to a graduate student who has been exemplary in undergraduate science teaching): Joseph Angeloni, Ph.D. candidate in microbiology. Faculty mentor: Min Cao.
Outstanding Graduate in Discovery Award (given to a graduating doctoral student who has made a distinctive and discernible contribution to their field): Andrew Mason, Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences. Faculty mentor: Christopher Parkinson.
Biological Sciences
Graduate Student Association Awards
For more information on the Biological Sciences Graduate Student Association, visit the organization’s website.
2022–2023
- Commitment to Service Award: Prakrit Subba and Kea Payton.
- Commitment to Research Award: Sophie Millard and Kea Payton.
- Commitment to Graduate Student Life Award: Jen Apland.
- Alfred “Hap” Wheeler Distinguished BSGSA Member: Keiffer Williams.
2021–2022
- Commitment to Service Award: Lauren Stoczynski.
- Commitment to Research Award: Kea Payton.
- Commitment to Graduate Student Life Award: Keiffer Williams.
- Alfred “Hap” Wheeler Distinguished BSGSA Member: Cierra Sullivan.
2020–2021
- Commitment to Service Award: Kursten Anderson.
- Commitment to Research Award: Kat Zapfe.
- Commitment to Graduate Student Life Award: Tim Cronin.
- Alfred “Hap” Wheeler Distinguished BSGSA Member: Amanda Palecek-McClung.
2019–2020
- Commitment to Service Award: Melissa Heintz.
- Commitment to Research Award: Amanda Palecek-McClung.
- Commitment to Graduate Student Life Award: Daniel Malagon.
- Alfred “Hap” Wheeler Distinguished BSGSA Member: Kara Noonan.
Departmental Awards: Undergraduate
2022–2023
Robert H. Martin Award (given to a graduating senior with the highest cumulative GPR in biochemistry, botany, microbiology or zoology): Alyssa Ciccone, microbiology.
Outstanding Senior in Discovery (given to a graduating senior who has performed outstanding original research in the sciences): Andrew Fiorentino, biological sciences. Faculty mentor: Faculty mentor: Hong Luo, Ph.D.
Outstanding Senior (recognizes the best senior on the basis of scholarship and character):
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Lauren Bulik, biological sciences. Faculty mentor: Michael Childress, Ph.D.
- Kasey Kiser, microbiology. Faculty mentor: Barbara Campbell, Ph.D.
2021–2022
Robert H. Martin Award (given to a graduating senior with the highest cumulative GPR in biochemistry, botany, microbiology or zoology): Taylor Thames, microbiology.
Outstanding Senior in Discovery (given to a graduating senior who has performed outstanding original research in the sciences): Grace Holliday, biological sciences. Faculty mentors: Sam Price, Ph.D. and Jennifer Hodge, Ph.D.
Outstanding Senior (recognizes the best senior on the basis of scholarship and character):
- Kori Hays, biological sciences. Faculty mentor: Michael Childress, Ph.D.
- Charles Henry, microbiology. Faculty mentor: Hong Luo, Ph.D.
Outstanding Junior (recognizes the best overall junior on the basis of scholarship and character): Andrew Fiorentino, biological sciences. Faculty mentor: Hong Luo, Ph.D.
2020–2021
Robert H. Martin Award (given to a graduating senior with the highest cumulative GPR in biochemistry, botany, microbiology or zoology): Lily Rumph, microbiology, biomedicine concentration with a minor in chemistry.
Outstanding Senior in Discovery (given to a graduating senior who has performed outstanding original research in the sciences):
- Erin Walker, microbiology. Faculty mentor: Barbara Campbell.
- Kori Hays, biological sciences. Faculty mentor: Michael Childress. Hays was also selected as a 2020 Ernest F. Hollings undergraduate scholar by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Outstanding Senior (recognizes the best senior on the basis of scholarship and character):
- Chris Moss, microbiology. Faculty mentor: Lesly Temesvari. Moss received the 2021 American Scandinavian Fellowship and will conduct research in Sweden for a year before enrolling at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He was also selected as a 2020 Astronaut Scholar.
- Megan Sajer, biological sciences. Faculty mentor: Chloe Dixon.
Outstanding Junior (recognizes the best overall junior on the basis of scholarship and character):
- Charles Henry, microbiology. Faculty mentor: Hong Luo. Henry also won the Blue Key Academic and Leadership Award at the College level.
- Morgan Steiner, biological sciences.
2019–2020
Senior Faculty Award for Most Outstanding Student (given to the most outstanding student majoring in biological sciences): Benjamin Camper, biological sciences. Faculty mentor: Sharon Bewick.
Robert H. Martin Award (given to a graduating senior with the highest cumulative GPR in biochemistry, botany, microbiology or zoology): Kristy Waldrep, microbiology.
Outstanding Senior in Discovery (given to a graduating senior who has performed outstanding original research in the sciences):
- Katherine Floyd, microbiology and biochemistry. Faculty mentor: Zhicheng Dou.
- Benjamin Camper, biological sciences. Faculty mentor: Sharon Bewick.
Outstanding Senior (recognizes the best senior on the basis of scholarship and character): Jillian Walton, Microbiology. Faculty mentor: Krista Rudolph.
Outstanding Junior (recognizes the best overall junior on the basis of scholarship and character):
- Chiara Micchelli, microbiology. Faculty mentor: Zhicheng Dou.
- Shaoni Dasgupta, biological sciences. Faculty mentor: Kerry Smith. Dasgupta also won this award at the College level and was 2020 Goldwater Scholarship winner as well as a 2019 Beckman Scholar.
