College of Science announces 2026 Graduate Student Awards

Every spring, the College of Science celebrates the achievements of its graduate students through the Graduate Awards, recognizing excellence in three categories—Scholarship, Service and Teaching. The 2026 Graduate Awards was hosted Thursday, April 23, as the college honored students whose work exemplifies academic distinction, leadership and a commitment to community.

These awards highlight graduate students who are making meaningful contributions both within their disciplines and beyond. From groundbreaking research and scholarly achievement to impactful service and exceptional teaching, each recipient reflects the strength and breadth of the College of Science.

Below is the full list of 2026 Graduate Award recipients.

Outstanding Scholarship Award
The award is given to outstanding graduate students for their research efforts and publications, presentations at meetings and symposiums, and for scholarships awarded.

Luke Basler
Dingshan Deng
Leila Fischer
Katherine Gold
Rollie Grinder
Mohammed Amin Mirrezaei
Riley O'Neil
Chance Parkinson
Tanner Reese
Anna Roche
Gowri Somasekhar
Yang Sun

Outstanding Service Award
The award is given to outstanding graduate students for their attention to broader impacts and involvement in activities outside of academic responsibilities that benefit the department, university and the larger community.

Alexis Garbarczyk
Parneet Gill
Evelyn Cheng
Soley Hyman
Hossein Yousefi
Zachary Yahiku
Alexandra O'Keefe
Cecilia Martinez
Chloe Marzano
Cole Meyer
Dominique Simms
Savannah Fuqua

Outstanding Teaching Award
The award is given to outstanding graduate students for their teaching or mentoring that goes above and beyond what is required, including positive evaluations or other feedback from students and a demonstrated commitment to supporting student success.

Hayden Foote
Alexis Goad
Ryan Hecksel
Nonoka Ishizaki
Bhargav Kale
Sahar Mohsenzadeh Karimi
SoRi La
Maša Miščević
Breanna Retin
Lucas Smith
Isaiah Spring
Shelbi Foster
Waleed Yual

Congratulations to all of this year's awardees!