Undergraduate Research Awards
Biology programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offer the following awards for outstanding undergraduate research. Assignment of all awards is made by the Biology Honors Committee following the Biology Undergraduate Research Colloquium, which is held annually during the last week of classes.
Awards are announced and presented at the Biology Undergraduate Reception following the UConn Commencement Ceremony. Students seeking a combined MS/BS degree should present their thesis during their fourth and/or senior year of the BS portion of their degree or sooner. Mid-year graduates are eligible to participate during the academic year of their graduation or sooner.
Awards
Participation in the Biology Undergraduate Research Colloquium is required for a student to be considered for any of these awards. Students do not need to be part of the honors program to be eligible for these awards. Requirements unique to each award are listed in the table below.
Margaret F. Ertman Award
The Margaret F. Ertman Award will be awarded to the outstanding senior across all four biology degree programs: Biological Sciences, EEB, MCB, and PNB. The student will have distinguished themself both through outstanding scholarship in EEB, MCB, and PNB during their undergraduate career, and through original research conducted in biology (broadly defined) at UConn. The Margaret F. Ertman Award was established in 1983 by Irvin L. Ertman (class of 1939) and Ronnie Ertman (class of 1941) in honor of their daughter Margaret F. Ertman (class of 1974).
Prize: $1000 + certificate
Requirements for Eligibility: Classes must have been taken in all three biology departments: EEB, MCB, and PNB
2023-2024 Awardee
Olivia Bowes
Past Recipients
2022-2023: Gracie Berthiaume
2021-2022: Olivia Lemieux
2020-2021: Julia Horan
2019-2020: Monica Antony
2018-2019: Eric Beltra, Joshua Tellier
2017-2018: Nicholas Russo
2016-2017: Brock Chimileski, Dinah Parker
2015-2016: Cristina Maklem
2014-2015: Miryam Wilson
2013-2014: Meredith Milligan
2012-2013: Anna Green
2011-2012: Ryan D'Souza
2010-2011: Mary Ledoux
2009-2010: Alexander Meeske
2008-2009: Krishna Patel
2007-2008: Ryan Notti
2006-2007: Meghan Twohig
2005-2006: Jacqueline Samson
2004-2005: Erika Avery
2003-2004: Michele Guidone
2002-2003: Amanda Birdsey
2001-2002: Steven Boyden
2000-2001: Christopher Ehrhardt
1999-2000: Jessica Stopka
1998-1999: Michele Harris
1997-1998: Timothy Fenn
1996-1997: Sarah Webster
1995-1996: Gaines Tyler
Connecticut Museum of Natural History Award
The Connecticut Museum of Natural History Award will be awarded to a senior in Biological Sciences, EEB, MCB, or PNB who has demonstrated an outstanding level of scholarship as an undergraduate at UConn, and who has conducted original research concentrating on the natural history, behavior, or overall biology of a focal organism during their undergraduate career.
Prize: $200 + certificate
Requirements for Eligibility: Research must be focused on natural history, behavior, or overall biology of a focal organism
2023-2024 Awardee
Sila Inanoglu
Past Recipients
2022-2023: Erin Lindsay
2021-2022: Peyton DeBowsky
2020-2021: Brandon Smith
2019-2020: Amanda Pastore
2018-2019: Benjamin Ranelli
2017-2018: Not awarded
2016-2017: Diler Haji
2015-2016: Nick Arisco
2014-2015: Emily Behling
2013-2014: Sarah Banker
2012-2013: Taylor Ferguson
2011-2012: Erika Norton
2010-2011: Joseph Keller
2009-2010: Kevin Burgio
2008-2009: LeRoy Robinson
2007-2008: Cassandra Daley
2006-2007: Nelson Bricker
2005-2006: Selena Humphries
2004-2005: Roberta Engel
Outstanding Senior in EEB Award
The Outstanding Senior in EEB Award will be awarded to an EEB or Biological Sciences major who has demonstrated exceptional academic and research accomplishment within the EEB department during their undergraduate career.
Prize: $1000 + certificate
Requirements for Eligibility: Student must be an EEB or Biological Science major with research focused in EEB
2023-2024 Awardee
Laurel Humphrey and Annaliese Seibel
Past Recipients
2022-2023: Abigail Bar
2021-2022: Nathan Schaumburger
2020-2021: Jordana Graveley
2019-2020: Sarah Baker
2018-2019: Sarah Rumsey
2017-2018: Zoe Mandese
2016-2017: Michael Stankov
2015-2016: Alison Koontz
2014-2015: Rebecca Colby
2013-2014: Samanta Beynor
2012-2013: Theodore Katz
2011-2012: Colin Carlson
2010-2011: Graziella DiRenzo
2009-2010: April Rodd
2008-2009: Laurel Dwyer
2007-2008: Logan Senack
2006-2007: Kerri Mocko
2005-2006: Kira Sullivan-Wiley
2004-2005: Philip Nista
2003-2004: Paul Gignac
2002-2003: Roslyn Seisky
2001-2002: Alesia Burge
2000-2001: Megan Feniel
1999-2000: Kathryn Heath
1998-1999: Andrew Czaja
1997-1998: Charlotte Lanteri
1996-1997: Sejal Dalwadi
1995-1996: Jon Swnason
Outstanding Senior in MCB Award
The Outstanding Senior in MCB Award will be awarded to a MCB or Biological Sciences major who has demonstrated exceptional academic and research accomplishment within the MCB department during their undergraduate career.
Prize: $1000 + certificate
Requirements for Eligibility: Student must be a MCB or Biological Science major with research focused in MCB
2023-2024 Awardee
Emma Beard
Past Recipients
2022-2023: Teresa Tamborra-Walton
2021-2022: Lauren Daddi
2020-2021: Emily Kilian
2019-2020: Mishah Aziz
2018-2019: Brian Aguilera, Jennifer Messina
2017-2018: Alyssa Mathiowetz
2016-2017: Isabel Nip
2015-2016: Sona Haupt
2014-2015: Prakhar Bansal, Matthew Grenwood
2013-2014: Savas Tsikis
2012-2013: Alexandra Goetjen
2011-2012: Meaghan Roy-Oreilly
2010-2011: Stephanie Davis
2009-2010: Linda Droxdowicz
2008-2009: Kathryn Grive
2007-2008: Ross Bickford
2006-2007: James Chen
2005-2006: Erin Twohig
2004-2005: Alilson Laufer
2003-2004: Melissa Mueller
2002-2003: Sara Colpitts
2001-2002: Andrew Greenstein
2000-2001: Cynthia Hughes
1999-2000: Eric Boyden
1998-1999: Hlary Whitlach
1997-1998: Andrew Heaford
1996-1997: John Lee
1995-1996: Derek Fong
Outstanding Senior in PNB Award
The Outstanding Senior in PNB Award will be awarded to a PNB or Biological Sciences major who has demonstrated exceptional academic and research accomplishment within the PNB department during their undergraduate career.
Prize: $1000 + certificate
Requirements for Eligibility: Student must be a PNB or Biological Science major with research focused in PNB
2023-2024 Awardee
Akshara Iyer
Past Recipients
2022-2023: Amelia Mezger, Rebecca Tripp
2021-2022: Cindy Li, Amisha Paul
2020-2021: Veronica Eskander, Lily Zhong
2019-2020: Celina Caetano
2018-2019: Elizabeth Rodier
2017-2018: Colin Cleary
2016-2017: Ashley Trinh
2015-2016: Richard Wolferz, Bingyao Zhou
2014-2015: Nick Gallo, Ye Sun
2013-2014: Nisarg Chhaya
2012-2013: Chris Lemoine
2011-2012: Chana Rich
2010-2011: Carla Maffeo
2009-2010: Aaron Lee
2008-2009: Emily Cote
2007-2008: Racheal Simpson
2006-2007: Alexandra Czap
2005-2006: Bina Patel
2004-2005: Richard Lee
2003-2004: Khalid El-Sayed
2002-2003: Greg Fuher
2001-2002: Jennifer Traski
2000-2001: Clifford Rios
1999-2000: Dishant Shah
1998-1999: Jennifer Brewer
1997-1998: Melanie Roberts
1996-1997: Karen Fish
1995-1996: Valerie Levick
Excellence in Applied Genetics and Technology Award
Each year UConn's Center for Applied Genetics and Technology of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences sponsors the award that is given to an outstanding graduating senior who has conducted original research in applied genetics/genomics using an innovative technology or conducted research applied to a broadly defined problem of interest to society. The Center provides critical infrastructure support for research and training in genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics.
Prize: $1000 + certificate
Requirements for Eligibility: Research must be focused on genetics/genomics project in innovative technology or research applied to a broadly defined problem of interest to society.
2023-2024 Awardee
Sindy Gorka
Past Recipients
2022-2023: Sara Bernardo, Rayna Esch
2021-2022: Roshni Mehta
2020-2021: Eman Ahmed
2019-2020: Alyssa Ferreira
2018-2019: Not awarded
2017-2018: Madison Caballero
2016-2017: Sean Cosselin
2015-2016: Not awarded
2014-2015: Nathan Laclar
2013-2014: Ragini Phansaikar
2012-2013: Sarah Grout
2011-2012: Sandip Shah
2010-2011: Ryan Molony
2009-2010: Michael Wheeloc
2008-2009: Tamara Roman
2007-2008: Caitlin Finn
2006-2007: Timothy Holzhauer
2005-2006: Molly McBeth
Biological Sciences Director’s Awards
Each year the Director of the Biological Sciences Program sponsors an award given to an outstanding graduating senior who has conducted original research in biology. The research is expected to be cross-discipline and employing approaches from molecular biology, physiology, biochemistry, ecology, and evolutionary biology to address a critical research question in biology.
Prize: $1000 + certificate
Requirements for Eligibility: Student can be a biological sciences, EEB, MCB, or PNB major with research broadly focused in biology
2023-2024 Awardee
Carrie Epstein and Alana Grant
Past Recipients
2022-2023: Taylor Domingue
2021-2022: Anusha Gopinath, Emily Kilian
2010-2021: Akriti Bhattarai
2019-2020: Kelsey Herbert
2018-2019: Miriam Katz
2017-2018: Jacob Naparstek
Find Scholarships
Biology students can apply for additional awards and scholarships through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and its departments.