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.
 

View CLAS Scholarships