Awards in the Natural, Computational, and Psychological Sciences

Visiting Recipients

2025

Award for Excellence

• Hannah Swarm, Biology
  Virginia Tech: Advisor: Dr. Tom Kuhar

  Application of Novel Insecticides Against Pesky Potato Pests

Honorable Mention

• Lindsey Pegram, Public Health
  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Advisor: Dr. Michael Fisher

  Designing Smart Technology for the Digital Age: Transforming Turbidity Measurement for Safer Water Access

2020

Award for Excellence

• Sean Womack, Clinical Psychology
  University of Virginia, Advisor: Dr. Melvin Wilson
  Causal Effects of Environmental Instability in Early Childhood on the Development of Disruptive Behaviors into Adolescence 

2019

Award for Excellence

• Madeleine Bruce, Psychology
  Virginia Tech, Advisor: Dr. Robin Panneton
  Large-Scale Evaluation of Infants' Looking Patterns to Dynamic Audiovisual Displays

Honorable Mention

• Syed Rizvi, Computer Science
  Old Dominion University, Advisor: Dr. Stephan Olariu
  ASAP: An Agent-Assisted Smart; Auction-Based Parking System in Internet of Things

2018

Award for Excellence

• Jessica McCanless, Biology
  Appalachian State University, Advisor: Dr. Maryam Ahmed
  Modulation of the Breast Cancer Tumor Microenvironment by Oncolytic Vesicular Stomatitis Virus

Honorable Mentions

• Negin Forouzesh, Computer Science
  Virginia Tech, Advisor: Dr. Alexey Onufriev
  Fast and Accurate Atomistic Calculation of Free Energies for Molecular Modeling & Simulation
• Rachel Walker, Chemistry
  West Virginia University, Advisor: Dr. Alfred Stiller
  Development of a Paraffin-Impregnated Graphite Electrode (PIGE) for the Study of Calcium Carbide Particles

2017

Award for Excellence

• Amanda Bromilow, Fisheries Science
  Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Advisor: Dr. Romuald Lipcius
  Predation on Juvenile Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in the York River, Virginia

Honorable Mentions

• Katherine Bemis, Fisheries Science
  Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Advisor: Dr. Miriam Jenkins
  Comparative anatomy of the dentition of Ocean Sunfishes (Molidae) and Porcupinefishes
  (Diodontidae)
• Miriam Jenkins, Forestry and Enviornemntal Conservation
  Clemson University, Advisor: Dr. Robert Baldwin
  Enhancing Native Pollinator Populations for Watermelon Production in Coastal South Carolina

2016

Award for Excellence

• Nicholas George, Applied Science
  Virginia Commonwealth University, Advisor: Dr. Jeffrey Dupree
  Axon Initial Segment Loss in Chronic Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis is Reversible

Honorable Mention

• Michael A. Carlo, Biology
  Clemson University, Advisor: Dr. Michael Sears
  Can lizard embryos survive climate warming? Thermal constraints on the physiology of developing astern fence lizards

2015

Award for Excellence

• Miranda Klees, Biology
  Clemson University, Advisor: Dr. Min Cao
  The Effect of Probiotics Supplementation on Health Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model System

Honorable Mention

• Elizabeth Falwell, Biology
  Clemson University, Advisor: Dr. Andrew Mount
  The Potential Role of Cv1MMP in Wound Healing and Shell Repair in the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica

2014

Award for Excellence

• Stevara Clinton, Chemistry
  Virginia Commonwealth University, Advisor: Dr. B. Frank Gupton
  Continuous Synthesis of Quinolone Analog

Honorable Mention

• Rawan Al-Nsour, Medical and Nuclear Engineering
  Virginia Commonwealth University, Advisor: Dr. Mohamed Gad-el-Hak
  Parameterization of New Force Fields for Polytetrafluoroethylene

2013

Award for Excellence

• Erin Heller, Biological Sciences
  Old Dominion University, Advisor: Dr. Eric Walters
  The effects of urbanization on the relationship among birds, ticks, and tick-borne diseases

Honorable Mention

• Sandra Addo, Statistics
  University of Georgia, Advisor: Dr. Jeongyoun Ahn
  Multi-class Sparse LDA via Linear Programming

• Anusha Liyange, Physics
  Hampton University, Advisor: Dr. Michael Kohl
  Measurement of the Proton Electric to Magnetic Form Factor Ratio with Polarized Beam and Target

2012

Award for Excellence

• Samiur Arif, Computer Science
  Old Dominion University, Advisor: Dr. Stephan Olariu
  A Versatile Model for Stem Cell Growth

Honorable Mention

• Heather M. Stowe, Animal and Veterinary Sciences
  Clemson University, Advisor: Dr. Scott Pratt
  Characterization of Porcine Argonaute-2

2011

Award for Excellence

• Eva Kwong, Biology
  Virginia Commonwealth University, Advisor: Dr. Jeffrey Dupree
  The clustering of voltage-gated sodium channel 1.6 at the peripheral node of Ranvier is altered in the absence of sulfatide

Honorable Mention

• Rabia Hussain, Applied Science
  Norfolk State University, Advisor: Dr. Natalia Noginova
  Proton NMR and spin relaxation in viscous and multi-component systems with magnetic nanoparticles

• Senthilraja Singaravelu, Physics
  Old Dominion University, Advisor: Dr. Michael Kelley
  Laser Melt Smoothing of Niobium Superconducting Radio-Frequency Cavity Surfaces 

2010

Award for Excellence

• Samuel Shimp III, Biomedical Engineering
  Virginia Tech.  Advisors: Dr. Marissa Rylander & Dr. Christopher Reilly
  Computational modeling of Hsp90 as a therapeutic target to inhibit immune-mediated inflammation in systemic lupus erythematosus

Honorable Mention

• Senthilraja Singaravelu, Physics
  Old Dominion University.  Advisors: Dr. Michael Kelley & Dr. Geoffrey Krafft
  Laser Processing on bulk Niobium to produce Niobium nitride

2008

Award for Excellence

• Richard S. Groover, Environment Science & Policy
  George Mason University.  Advisor: Dr. R. Christian Jones
  Temporal and Spatial Aspects of the Colonization and Re-colonization in Lentic Habitats

Honorable Mention

• Mark Shepherd, Anatomy & Neurobiology
  Virginia Commonwealth University.  Advisor: Dr. Jeffery Dupree
  Nodes of Ranvier Undergo Molecular Reorganization with Age

2007

Award for Excellence

• Kristen Webb, Biology
  George Washington University.  Advisor: Dr. Marc Allard
  A Study of the Evolution of the Domestic Dog, Canis Familiaris, Using Mitochondrial DNA

Honorable Mention

• Jorge Vasconcelos, Computer Science
  Johns Hopkins University.  Advisors: Dr. Susan Blunck & Dr. Scott Smith
  Development Adaptive-Questioning Techniques to Screen Problem Solving Abilities Related to Computer Programming Instruction