Eleven Undergraduates Receive Research Awards!

Many of our college of sciences undergraduate students are actively involved in scholarly research. Today we are very pleased to announce that eleven of our undergraduate researchers received Advance Leaf Awards for Excellence in Research, Creativity, and Scholarship!

On 3 April 2025 the Student Center for Research, Creativity, and Scholarship hosted a ceremony to present the 2025 Advance Leaf Awards for Excellence in Research, Creativity, and Scholarship and to honor the award recipients. Thirteen awards were presented to eleven College of Sciences undergraduate students (two of our students each received two awards!)

The 15 nominees from the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences are: Londyn Bardash, Hallie Blondiau, Paul Curry, Princess Ezevillo, Moiz Fazal Ur Rehman, Dev Gautam, Kinley Glass, Ramudhi Kariyawasam, Joseph Kolb, Waylon Saragusa, Jonas Schmidt, Kelly Sonnier, Hayden Smith, Samantha Watson, and Scott Whitman.

Descriptions of the awards that were presented to our students, the names and majors of our award recipients, and the names of their mentors are listed below. A photo of the recipient with Advance director Sherry Krayesky-Self is provided when available.

Award in Computer and Informational Sciences

This category covers research including disciplines of Computer Science and Informatics. This category may also be appropriate for Health Information Management, or Engineering.

• 
  Jonas Schmidt, Computer Science and Mathematics double major
  Mentors: Sercan Aygun, Abu Kaisar Mohammad Masum, and Reeti Pradhanang.

Award in Health

This category covers research methods in health sciences. Disciplines represented include Nursing, Health Information Management, Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Health Services Administration, and Pre-Dental Hygiene.

• 
  Paul Curry, Biology major
  Mentors: Francois Villinger and Ritwij Kulkarni

Awards in Life Sciences

This category covers research methods in life science. Disciplines represented include such fields as Biology, Microbiology, Environmental Science, Botany or Agricultural Science.

• 
  Waylon Saragusa, Biology major
  Mentor: Karl H. Hasenstein
• 
  (Kelly could not attend the ceremony so this photo shows Kelly's mother.)
  Kelly Sonnier, Biology major
  Mentor: Craig McClain
• 
  Hayden Smith, Environmental Science major
  Mentor: Courtney Poirier Chicola, and Rodney Yantis

Award in Mathematics and Statistics

This category includes students preforming mathematical and statistical research, but it also includes work completed in any other field that applies unique or exceptional mathematical or statistical applications to the work.

• 
  Scott Whitman, Mathematics major
  Mentors: Leonel Robert Gonzalez, Bruce Wade, and Habib M. Ammari

Awards in Physical Sciences

This category covers research methods in physical science or related projects. Disciplines represented include such fields as Geology, Physics, and Chemistry. This category may also be appropriate for Mathematics or Engineering.

• 
  Londyn Bardash, Chemistry major
  Mentor: Tolga Karsili
• 
  Samantha Watson, Chemistry major
  Mentor: Febee Louka

Award in Diversity and Social Justice

Applicants in any of the other categories have the option of also submitting their project for consideration in the Diversity and Social Justice category. These submissions could utilize humanities or scientific methodologies, involve creative work or literature reviews, but should relate in some way to the overall theme of Diversity and Social Justice.

• 
  Joseph Kolb, Environmental Science major
  Mentor: Courtney Poirier Chicola

Awards in Exceptional Performance in Dissemination

This category awards exceptional performance in dissemination of student research experiences (SREs), written or oral communications as well as performances and presentations were considered.

• Hallie Blondiau, Biology major
  Mentor: William Schmidt
• Ramudhi Kariyawasam, Biology and Chemistry double major
  Mentors: Karen Smith and Jackie Barua

Provost Awards

This award is for work that is interdisciplinary or work that displays excellence across other award categories. This award also honors students who have completed exceptional research or creative/scholarly works despite challenging circumstances.

• 
  (This photo shows Paul with Provost Jaimie Hebert.)
  Paul Curry, Biology major
  Mentors: Francois Villnger and Ritwij Kulkarni
• Hallie Blondiau, Biology major
  Mentor: William Schmidt