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Student Awards

Student Success in the Department of Biological Sciences

Each year, a number of Biological Sciences students receive departmental awards of recognition, usually presented at our departmental awards ceremony in March or April. Our undergraduate and graduate students are also frequent recipients of awards and scholarships at the national, university, and college level.

University AwardsKylie Smith

  • 2018-2019 - Kylie Smith, PhD Student, Biological Sciences - The Phil and Mary Bradley Graduate Student Award for Mentoring in Creative Inquiry

College Awards

  • 2019-2020 Phi Kappa Phi Certificate of Merit: Recognizes 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 his or her department, college, and Clemson University
    Jill Walton, Microbiology. Faculty Mentor: Dr. Barbara Campbell
  • 2019-2020 Outstanding Junior in Science: Recognizes the best overall junior on the basis of scholarship and character
    Shaoni Dasgupta, Biological Sciences. Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kerry Smith
    Shaoni is also a 2020 Goldwater Scholarship winner!
  • 2018-2019 Outstanding Graduate in Learning - Lauren Stoczynski, PhD 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 is an exceptional TA, far exceeding the base expectations for her role in teaching laboratories. She clearly keeps her students engaged and actively participating throughout lab. Dr. Childress, Kylie Smith, Dr. DeWalt, Lauren Stoczynski, Dr. Baeza
  • 2018-2019 Outstanding Graduate in Engagement: Kylie Smith , PhD 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 his/her 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 is 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 transplant corals to experimentally test ecological theory, and this approach promises to produce better strategies for successful coral reef restoration.

Departmental Awards - Graduate Students

  • 2019-2020photos of 2020 award winners
    Engagement Award.     Given to a graduate student who has excelled in strengthening and engaging with the community.
    Melissa Heintz, PhD candidate in Environmental Toxicology. Faculty Mentor: Dr. William Baldwin
    Learning Award. Given to a graduate student who has been exemplary in undergraduate science teaching.
    Joseph Angeloni, PhD candidate in Microbiology. Faculty Mentor: Dr. Min Cao
    Discovery Award. Given to a graduating doctoral student who has made a distinctive and discernable contribution to their field.
    Andrew Mason, PhD candidate in Biological Sciences. Faculty Mentor: Dr. Christopher Parkinson

Biological Sciences Graduate Student Association (BSGSA) Awards

  • 2019-2020photos of 2020 BSGSA award winners
    Commitment to Service     – Melissa Heintz
    Commitment to Research     - Amanda Palecek-McClung
    Commitment to Graduate Student Life     - Daniel Malagon
    Alfred “Hap” Wheeler Distinguished BSGSA Member     – Kara Noonan

Departmental Awards - Undergraduate Students

  • 2019-2020photo of 2020 undergrad award winners
    Senior Faculty Award for Most Outstanding Student.Given to the most outstanding student majoring in Biological Sciences.
    Benjamin Camper, Biological Sciences. Faculty Mentor: Dr. 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: Dr. Zhicheng Dou
    Benjamin Camper, Biological Sciences.  Faculty Mentor:  Dr. Sharon Bewick
    Outstanding Senior: Recognizes the best senior on the basis of scholarship and character.
    Jillian Walton, Microbiology.  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Krista Rudolph
    Outstanding Junior:  Recognizes the best overall junior on the basis of scholarship and character.
    Chiara Micchelli, Microbiology. Faculty Mentor: Dr. Zhicheng Dou
    Shaoni Dasgupta, Biological Sciences. Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kerry Smith.  Shaoni also won this award at the College level and was 2020 Goldwater Scholarship winner!

Fellowships

2019/2020

  • Andrew Mason, BioSci PhD student in Dr. Chris Parkinson’s lab, was awarded the Dr. Harry Findley ’71 and Catherine T. Findley Student Assistance Endowment for graduate education in biology or microbiology.
  • Heather Walters, BioSci PhD student in Dr. Lesly Temesvari’s lab, was awarded the Alexander P. Anderson and Lydia Anderson fellowship for Clemson graduates conducting advanced research in the biological sciences including bacteriology and entomology.
  • Sophie Millard, Micro rotation PhD student, was awarded the Catherine G. Nettles Cutter, PhD ’92 Graduate Student Assistant Endowment for graduate assistants who are enrolled in Microbiology MS or PhD degree programs.
  • Shayesteh Beladi-Behbahani, Micro PhD student in Dr. Jeremy Tzeng’s lab, was awarded the J. Michael & Ellen Dobson Henson Student Assistance Endowment in Microbiology for graduate assistants who are enrolled in Microbiology MS or PhD degree programs.

Undergraduate Students

G. Tripp Jones, M.D. and Anne B. Jones Scholarship Endowment

  • Lindsey O. Collins, Biological Sciences
  • Grant T. Connell, Biological Sciences
  • Berkeley Elizabeth Livingston, Biological Sciences
  • Maddie Anne Swalgren, Biological Sciences
  • Shelby H. Waites, Biological Sciences
  • Katarina Sue Williams, Biological Sciences

Dr. H. W. Moore Scholarship

  • Tori Huey - Senior, Biological Sciences. Nominated by Dr. Susan Chapman
  • Eleanor Petyak - Senior, Biological Sciences. Nominated by Dr. Tamara McNutt-Scott
  • Destiny Mathews - Senior, Biological Sciences. Nominated by Dr. Kara Powder

R. H. Martin '37 Memorial Scholarship

  • Stephanie Litzenberger - Senior, Biological Sciences. Nominated by Dr. Krista Ruldolph

Dr. Joe A. Nantz, Jr. Microbiology Scholarship

  • Caleb B. Cantrell, Microbiology
  • Blake Michael Dehler, Microbiology

Dr. Larry E. Vereen '63 Annual Scholarship

  •  Emma Aileen Barnett, Microbiology

Dr. Alfred P. Wheeler Scholarship

  • Emilia Anne Musial, Biological Sciences
  • Grace D. Rhodes, Biological Sciences

Dr. Harriet C. Reavis '77 Annual Scholarship

  • Regan Mckinley, Biological Sciences

Sonny Caudle Memorial Scholarship

  • Rachel Carter, Microbiology