Graduate Student Awards Archive

List of previous graduate student awards:

2015

  • Flor Acevedo, Ph.D. candidate in Entomology, received a NE SARE grant for her project: "Boosting plant defenses using silicon fertilization." (2015)
  • Mali Doke, Ph.D. candidate in Entomology, received a NE SARE Graduate Student Award for his proposal titled "Winter is coming: Improving overwintering survival of honey bee colonies in Pennsylvania." (2015)
  • Anjel Helms, Ph.D. Candidate in Ecology, received the University's Alumni Association Dissertation Award. The Alumni Association Dissertation Award provides funding and recognition to outstanding full-time doctor of philosophy students. This award is considered to be among the most prestigious available to Penn State graduate students and recognizes outstanding achievement in scholarship and professional accomplishment. (1/15)

2014

  • Gabe Villar, Ph.D. candidate in Entomology, received a USDA-NIFA Graduate Fellowship to support his studies of the chemical ecology of honey bee mating behavior. (11/14)
  • Anthony Vaudo, Ph.D. Candidate in Entomology, was awarded a USDA NIFA Graduate Fellowship for his work on the nutritional ecology of bumble bees. (11/14)
  • Gabe Villar, Ph.D. candidate in Entomology, had his NE SARE graduate student research grant, "Development of pheromonal tools for honey bee breeding", funded.
  • Jermaine Hinds, Ph.D. candidate in Entomology, had his NE SARE graduate student research grant, "The role of cover crop diversity on key generalist predator attraction and pest suppression," funded.
  • Mitzy Porras, Ph.D. candidate in Entomology, awarded the Jose de la Torre Award. This award is given to one graduate student per year enrolled in the College of Agricultural Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University whose home address of record is in the Caribbean or Latin America and whose cultural, ethnic, or national background contribute to the diversity of the student body. (5/14)
  • Jermaine Hinds, Ph.D. candidate in Entomology, was awarded a Sloan University Center for Exemplary Scholar scholarship. The award is made through the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Penn State Graduate School, and the College of Agricultural Sciences. (5/14)
  • Gabe Villar, Ph.D. candidate in Entomology, was selected as a 2014 Sloan Scholar. The awards are from a partnership between the Sloan Foundation, Penn State, Cornell, and Georgia Institute of Technology, which created the Penn State University Center of Exemplary Mentoring. (5/14)
  • Victoria Bolden, undergraduate in Horticulture with a minor in Entomology, is the recipient of the 2014 Dutch Gold Scholarship in Honey Bee Health. (4/14)
  • Alex McMenamin, M.S. candidate in Entomology, was awarded the 2014 Barry Goldwater Scholarship! (3/14)
  • Anthony Vaudo, Ph.D. Candidate in Entomology, received a North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) Bee Health Improvement Project Grant. (2/14)

2013

  • Anne Jones, Ph.D. candidate in Entomology, received the Fitch Award from the ESA. (12/13)
  • Eric Bohnenblust, Ph. D. candidate in Entomology, awarded the 2014 Eastern Branch John Henry Comstock Award from the Eastern Branch of the Entomological Society of America. (12/13)
  • Seung Ho Chung, placed first in the poster competition for his section at the recent ESA meeting. (11/13)
  • Anjel Helms, Ph.D. Candidate in Ecology, won the President's Prize for Best Talk at the Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America in Austin. (She also won the competition last year at the same meeting.) (11/13)
  • Paul Ayayee, Ph.D. candidate in Entomology, recieved the President's prize in an oral presentation section at ESA. (11/13)
  • Julia Fine, Ph.D. candidate in Entomology, awarded a Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research
  • Anjel Helms, Ph.D. Candidate in Ecolog, 1st place for Oral Presentations by a PhD student at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Branch of the Entomological Society of America. (3/13)
  • Salvatore Anzaldo, undergrad, 2nd place in the MS/Undergrad Poster presentations at the same eastern branch meeting. (3/13)
  • Ian Grettenberger, Ph.D. candidate, 1st Place in the Poster Competition an the 16th Annual Environmental Chemistry and Microbiology Student Symposium. (3/13)
  • Holly Holt, Ph.D. candidate, awarded the 2013 Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bee Scholarship
  • Elina Lastro Nino, awarded the John Henry Comstock Graduate Student Award from the Eastern Branch of the Entomological Society of America

2012

  • 2012 Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America held in Knoxville, TN, the following students won first place awards for the best presentations (talk or poster) in their sections: Jason Smith (talk), Kerry Mauck (talk), Anjel Helms (talk), Ian Grettenberger (talk), and Flor Acevedo (poster)
  • Ian Grettenberger, Ph.D. candidate, selected to receive the Kenneth & Barbara Starks Plant Resistance to Insects Graduate Student Research Award from the Entomological Foundation of the EntSoc of America. (9/12)
  • Maggie Douglas, Ph.D. candidate, recognized by the International Organization for Biological Control (Neatric Region Section) with the Outstanding MSc Student in Biological Control Award. (9/12)
  • Elina Lastro Nino, received the 2012 International Congress on Insect Neurochemistry and Neurophysiology Student Recognition Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry, Toxicology, and Molecular Biology. (8/12)
  • Seung Ho Chung, Ph.D. candidate, was selected as the 2012 Stan Beck Fellowship awardee from the Entomological Society of America. (8/12)
  • Kerry Mauck, received the Henry & Sylvia Richardson Research Grant. (8/12)
  • Eric Bohnenblust, Ph.D. candidate, received an EPA STAR Graduate Fellowship. (4/12)
  • Ian Grettenberger, Ph.D. candidate, awarded 2nd place in the Student Oral Presentation Competition at the Eastern Branch Meeting of ESA. (3/12)
  • Sheena Sidhu, Ph.D. Candidate, successful application for a USDA NIFA Fellowship to study wild bee resource utilization in agroecosystems. (4/12)
  • Elina Lastro Nino, Ph.D. Entomology, successful application for a USDA NIFA Post-doctoral Fellowship to study the molecular and sociological basis of queen breeding. (4/12)
  • Anthony Vaudo, Ph.D. Candidate, awarded a Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research for his studies of the role of nutrition in floral resources in shaping plant-pollinator networks. (4/12)
  • Jason Smith, Ph.D. candidate, was awarded an AFRI NIFA pre-doctoral fellowship from the USDA. (4/12)
  • Justin George, Ph.D. candidate, awarded the 2012 Harold K. Schilling Dean's Graduate Scholarship. (1/12)
  • Elina Lastro Nino, Ph.D. candidate, received the Alumni Association's Dissertation Award for 2012. (1/12)

2011

  • Maggie Douglas, M.S. candidate, awarded the Asa Fitch Memorial Award, by the ESA Eastern Branch. (12/11)
  • 2011 ESA Science Project Winners (Paul Ayayee, Maggie Douglas, Rupresh Kariyat, and Jason Smith)
  • Justin George, Ph.D. candidate, 2nd place, ESA President's prize poster competition. (11/11)
  • Maggie Douglas, M.S. candidate, winner of the ESA President's Prize for Best Talk. (11/11)
  • Paul Ayayee, Ph.D. candidate, winner of the Entomological Foundation's Science Project contest. (10/2011)
  • Becky Heinig, Ph.D. Candidate, Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research (4/11)

2010

  • Liz Bosak, Ph.D. candidate
    - Second Place, Student Oral Presentation, 26th International Society of Chemical Ecology Annual Meeting (8/2010)
    - Second Place, Poster Competition, Bridges STEM symposium, Graduate Women In Science National Meeting (6/2010)
  • Holly Holt, Ph.D. candidate, awarded a Sigma Xi Grant in Aid for Research (4/2010)
  • Ezra Schwartzberg, Ph.D. candidate, was selected as a winner in the Penn State Alumni Association Dissertation Award competition. (3/2010)
  • Kerry Mauck, Ph.D. candidate, awarded an NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant to support her ongoing work on the chemical ecology of plant viruses (3/2010)
  • Amanda Bachmann, Ph.D. candidate, recipient of the 2010 Evans Family Award for Graduate Student Extension (3/18/2010)
  • ESA-Eastern Branch meeting 2010
    Linnaean Games: First place, Penn State University. (Daniel Schmehl, Robert Anderson, Ian Grettenbuger, and Paul Ayayee)
    Student Oral Presentation Competition: Third place, Penn State University. (Sheena Sidhu)

2009

  • Eric Bohnenblust, Ph.D. candidate, received Eastern Branch ASA Fitch Award (11/2009)
  • Alexis Barbarin, Ph.D. candidate, named to 2009 Worth Watching List in Pest Management Professional's June Issue (6/2009)
  • Daniel Schmehl, Ph.D. candidate, to receive a grant from the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign to investigate the effects of pesticides on honey bee development and learning (5/20/2009)
  • Tom Bentley, Ph.D. candidate, awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (5/2009)
  • Hannah Stout, Ph.D. candidate, awarded North American Benthological Society (NABS) Graduate Student Conservation Research Award (4/2009)
  • Jason Smith and Tom Bentley, Ph.D. candidates, awarded Sigma Xi Grants in Aid for Research (4/2009)
  • Beth Irwin, Ph.D. candidate, awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (4/2009)
  • Neelendra Joshi, Ph.D. graduate student, recipient of 2009 Ardeth and Frisbey International Student Award (4/2009)
  • Scott Geib, recent Entomology Ph.D. graduate, received Eastern Branch ESA Comstock Award (3/2009)
  • Christy Harris, Ph.D. graduate student, received 1st place in student oral presentations symposium at the recent Eastern Branch ESA meetings. (3/2009)
  • Dr. Jon Lelito, recent graduate, has been awarded the Penn State Alumni Association Dissertation Award! (1/2009)
  • The Comstock Award was presented to Dr. Scott Geib, one of the department's recent Ph.D. graduates.
  • Randa Jabbour was awarded the President's Prize for Poster Presentation in the Biological Control Section.
  • Alexis Barbarin, Ph.D. graduate student, received NPMA MIPM Scholarship
  • Lori Shapiro receives National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award

2008

  • Ezra Schwartzberg, Ph.D. graduate student, received IOBC/NRS Ph.D. Student Award for 2008 (9/3/2008)
  • Scott Geib, Ph.D. graduate student, to receive NRI Postdoctoral Fellowship!
  • Randa Jabbour, Ph.D. graduate student, received the J. Brian Horton Memorial Award, recognizing outstanding achievement and service to the graduate community by a student in the Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology (4/15/2008)
  • Katie Szulewski, M.S. graduate student, awarded Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research (4/16/2008)
  • Alexis Barbarin, Ph.D. graduate student, receives College of Ag Sciences research award (4/2/2008)
  • Penn State Entomology graduate students (Rob Anderson, Jim McNeil, Maya Nehme, Dan Schmehl) won first place honors at the Eastern Branch Linnean Games (3/12/2008)
  • Neelandra Joshi, Ph.D. candidate, won PSU LaMarr Kopp graduate student award! (1/2008)
  • Jennifer Dean, Ph.D. candidate, recipient of Alumni Association Dissertation Award (1/2008)

2007

  • Casey Delphia, Jennifer Dean, Scott Geib, and Jim McNeil - Entomological Society of America 1st Place winners in student paper competitions (12/21/2007)
  • Kerry Mauck and Emily Kuhns - Entomological Society of America 2nd Place winners in poster competitions (12/21/2007)
  • Dr. Consuelo De Moraes to receive PSU College of Ag Sciences 2007 Community of Teaching Excellence Award (10/1/2007)
  • Wilma Aponte awarded ESA-EF Stan Beck Fellowship (9/20/2007)
  • Jim McNeil, Ph.D. graduate student, received Graduate Student Award for Contributions in Outreach (6/2007)
  • Ezra Schwartzberg, Ph.D. graduate student, received Michael E. Duke Memorial Scholarship (6/2007)
  • Neelendra Joshi, Ph.D. graduate student, received Vartkes Miroyan Memorial Award (6/2007)
  • Neelendra Joshi, Ph.D. graduate student, received Garretson Endowment Award (6/2007)
  • Casey Delphia, Ph.D. graduate student, received the Ralph O. Mumma Graduate Award for 2007 (6/2007)
  • Kerry Mauck receives Sigma Xi Grant in Aid for Research (4/2007)
  • Jim McNeil to receive Society for Invertebrate Pathology 2007 Mauro E. Martignoni Student Award! (5/2007)
  • Maya Nehme selected to receive Ardeth & Norman Frisbey International Student Award! (4/2007)
  • Jennifer Dean to receive NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant; received 1st Place for ESA-EB Graduate Student Oral Presentation (3/2007)
  • Graduate Student Linnean Games Team took 1st Place at the ESA EB Meetings - Jim McNeil, Ezra Schwartzberg, Amanda Bachmann, and Tim Leslie (3/2007)