Every year the Department of Biology holds an award ceremony for our graduating seniors. We celebrate their accomplishments and recognize them publicly for their hard work. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

 J. Paul Visscher Memorial Award of the Cleveland Audubon Society for demonstrating outstanding ability and promise in the field of ecology or environmental science.

Winner: Ginny Kanzinger

“I will be continuing with my ecology research with Dr. Abbott over the summer and working as a seasonal naturalist at one of the Cleveland Metroparks nature centers.”

Francis Hobart Herrick Prize for Outstanding Biological Research and Academic Excellence in Biology

Winner: Sahil Dayal

“I am graduating from Case Western as a student-athlete with a BA in Biology and Economics and minor in Chemistry. This Summer I will travel, volunteer, and most likely do some clinical research. In October, I will be attending the University of Cambridge for an MPhil in Medical Science with a concentration in Stem Cell Biology. I will be doing full time Glioblastoma research at the Wellcome – MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute to produce a thesis which I will defend to receive my degree. Afterwards, I plan to apply to medical school next Spring and return to the US to matriculate in the Fall of 2026.”

Daniel Burke Prize for excellence in both Chemistry and Biology.

Winner: Nobel Zhou

“I plan to attend medical school at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians Surgeons, starting in August 2024.”

Flora Stone Mather Alumnae Award for Outstanding Academic Performance in Biology

Winner: Amanda Li

Ralph A. Spengler Jr. Award for excellence in plant science.

Winner: Jessica Furlough

Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award

Winners: Haajera Zanieb

“I plan on taking a gap year and work full time in a lab/healthcare setting while applying to medical school.”

and Anjali Raju

“After graduation, I’ll be working at the National Institutes of Health as a Post-Baccalaureate Intramural Research Training Fellow for 2 years in Dr. Jiansen Jiang’s lab in the field of structural biology and then pursuing graduate studies.”

Michelson Morley Research Competition in the Biological Sciences

1st prize: Ella Segal

“My post-grad plans include the NIH IRTA post-baccalaureate program which involves working in a research lab full time in DC for a year or two. I will then apply for PhD programs.”

2nd prize: Nobel Zhou

3rd prize: Laura Dang

The Francis Hobart Herrick Prize, for outstanding biological research and academic excellence in biology.

Winner: Vivian Wheeler

The Russell M. Lawall Prize in Biological Sciences, for excellence in biology.
Winner: Peter Coggan

The Ralph A. Spengler, Jr. Award, for excellence in plant science.
Winner: Noah Clayton

The Daniel Burke Prize, for excellence in both biology and chemistry.
Winner: Rachel Wyetzner

J. Paul Visscher Memorial Award of the Cleveland Audubon Society
Winner: Jordan Clark

Outstanding UTA Award (Undergraduate Teaching Assistant)
Winners: Gaurav Mittal

Michelson Morley Research Competition in the Biological Sciences
1st prize: Rachel Wyetzner
2nd prize: Christopher Kim
3rd prize: Anushka Nikhil

The Russell M. Lawall Prize in Biological Sciences, for excellence in biology.

Winner: Emily Belina

Emily graduated this year with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History. Next year, she will be at the University of Mainz in Germany on a Fulbright scholarship, researching cilia function in inherited retinal disorders. The following year, she will be returning to Cleveland as part of the CWRU School of Medicine’s class of 2023.

The Francis Hobart Herrick Prize, for outstanding biological research and academic excellence in biology.

Winner: Alyssa Magliaro

Alyssa graduated this Spring with a Bachelors of Science degree in Systems Biology with minors in Art Studio, Environmental Science, and Mathematics. This summer she will be working with the Southern Sierra Research Station to conduct surveys of the federally endangered Yellow-Billed Cuckoo in southeastern Arizona. She will then go to work at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Wildlife Refuge in Olympia, Washington as an Environmental Education Coordinator through AmeriCorps. According to Alyssa, “I hope to continue to work in wildlife conservation in whatever capacity I can for the rest of my life.”

The Ralph A. Spengler, Jr. Award, for excellence in plant science.

Winner: Danielle Sirivat

Next year, Danielle will attend the joint doctoral program in ecology at San Diego State University and UC Davis. As a part of the Global Change Research Group, she will study plant systems and their interactions with greenhouse gases. Danielle will start her research work this summer in the Arctic and Thailand.

The Daniel Burke Prize, for excellence in both biology and chemistry.

Winner: Nisha Busch

Nisha graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with minors in Chemistry and Human Nutrition. After graduating, Nisha will attend medical school at Drexel University College of Medicine in August 2022.

The Flora Stone Mather Alumnae Award, for outstanding academic performance in biology.
Winner: Grace Bellino

Outstanding UTA Award (Undergraduate Teaching Assistant)
Winners: Miles LaNicca and Emily Murphy

1st prize: Anish Reddy
Anish will be taking a gap year working with the non-profit organization Create Circles (that addresses health inequities primarily in nursing home care) while applying to medical school. He has enjoyed his research experiences with Dr. Sarah Bagby’s lab and encourages everyone to get involved with microbial ecology research! He states that his lab experiences have not only developed his skills in biology, but have also pushed him to become a more confident, communicative, and well-rounded individual.

2^nd prize Danielle Sirivat

Danielle also won the Ralph A. Spengler, Jr. Award, for excellence in plant science this year. She promises to send the department pictures from her upcoming research in Thailand and the Artic.

3^rd prize Shruti Narayan

Shruti will be taking a gap year working in clinical research before going to med school.

Click here to see the 2021 Undergrad Awards.

Click here to see the 2020 Undergrad Awards.