Chemistry Awards and Scholarships for Spring and Summer 2022

LAWRENCE — The Department of Chemistry at the University of Kansas recognized the academic, research and teaching achievements of department majors by awarding over $220,000 in awards and scholarships at the Awards and Graduation Recognition Ceremony on May 7. In addition to presenting awards and scholarships, students graduating with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry were recognized.

Special guests at the ceremony — the first in-person student award gathering since 2019 — included KU Endowment donors, Chemistry Alumni Advisory Board (CAAB) members, emeritus faculty, chemistry department staff and faculty, and friends and family of those being honored.

Undergraduate scholarships and awards were presented to chemistry majors to recognize their academic and research achievements for the 2021-2022 academic year. Chemistry graduate students also earned awards and scholarships to recognize their contributions to academics, research and/or teaching.

With over $220,000 provided in scholarships and awards, 2022 marks the highest amount awarded in the past five years. In addition to the spring awards, the department announced the 2022 Chemistry Summer Scholars, a program in its third year that provides both graduate and undergraduates with a summer stipend to focus on research. The fund is made possible through gifts made via KU Endowment.

2022 Chemistry Undergraduate Awards & Scholarships for freshmen, sophomores and juniors:

Joshua Abbey, Gardner, Walter Gubar Memorial Scholarship

Eleazar Abraham, Indonesia, Jacob Kleinberg Award

Eden Brenneman, Wichita, Walter Gubar Memorial Scholarship

Kelsey Butler, Goddard, Walter Gubar Memorial Scholarship

Claire Dopp, Olathe, Kristina May Paquette Scholarship & Post Beckman Scholar Award

Spencer Einhaus, Salina, Roger Munsinger Scholarship

Brian Faintich, Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, Leland & Jill Weigel Scholarship

Thomas Finn, Overland Park, K. Barbara Schowen Scholarship

Samara Haenggi, Wichita, Chemistry Department Scholarship

Celine Khalife, Wichita, Adrienne Hiscox Mitchell Scholarship

Caitlyn Korte, Rose Hill, Walter Gubar Memorial Scholarship

Caden Kussatz, Gardner, James P. & Sharon A. Elrod Scholarship

Maria Matulis, Lenexa, Bijan & Mary Taylor Amini Scholarship

Taryn McNickle, Arkansas City, Frances Gayetta Hanna Lenser Scholarship

Trisha Nair, Overland Park, Owen W. Maloney Scholarship

Brandon Nguyen, Liberal, Bijan & Mary Taylor Amini Scholarship

Jiani Osborn, Olathe, Floyd & Ruth Fassnacht Scholarship & Kenyon Latham Award

Audrey Rips-Goodwin, Overland Park, Frances Gayetta Lenser Scholarship

Riley Stegmaier, Wichita, John Shapley Award for Excellence in Research and Leland & Jill Weigel Scholarship

Marcus Stevenson, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Kristina May Paquette Scholarship

Kaytlin Todd, Olathe, Chemistry Department Scholarship

Cole VandeVelde, Topeka, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship

Gavin Wolfmule, Salina, Leonard V. Sorg Scholarship

Elaine Yeh, Overland Park, Ralph E. & Esther Weik Badgley Award

 

2022 Chemistry Undergraduate Awards for Seniors:

Katherine Armstrong, Palisades Park, New Jersey, Chemistry Department Scholar Award

Rachel Walton, Bloomington, Minnesota, Chemistry Department Scholar Award

Jessica Bair, Sharon Springs, Keith & Dona Darlington Award

Robert Castaneda, Lawrence, Frank Newby Physical Science Award

Stephanie Castillo, Paola, Frank Newby Physical Science Award

Anh-Dao Do, Kansas City, Frank Newby Physical Science Award

Christian McCoy, Park City, Frank Newby Physical Science Award

Ambrosee Wilkinson, Salina, Frank Newby Physical Science Award

 

2022 Chemistry Undergraduate Top Senior Awards:

Benjamin Fuller, Bettendorf, Iowa, Wakarusa Valley ACS Section Award

Jonah Stiel, Topeka, American Institute of Chemists Award, Ted M. Gardiner Award and Chemistry Departmental Honors

Emma Cosner, Lawrence, Richard J. Bearman Chemistry Award and Chemistry Departmental Honors

Anton Barybin, Lawrence, Alpha Chi Sigma Award, Gini Adams Research Award in Analytical Chemistry and Chemistry Departmental Honors

 

2022 Chemistry Graduate Awards & Scholarships:

Neiley Karns, New Hampton, Missouri, Dains Memorial Scholarship

Davis Curry, Broussard, Louisiana, H. P. Cady Award

Rashmi Binjawadagi, India, Kenneth & Gertrude Marsi Scholarship

Miyuru De Silva, Sri Lanka, Kenneth & Gertrude Marsi Scholarship

James Martinez, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Kenneth & Gertrude Marsi Scholarship

Taylor Parsons, Ardmore, Oklahoma, Kenneth & Gertrude Marsi Scholarship

Jacob Theismann, Bel-Air, Maryland, Kenneth & Gertrude Marsi Scholarship

Sayuri Niyangoda, Sri Lanka, Adrienne Hiscox Mitchell Scholarship

Prabhavie Opallage, Sri Lanka, Adrienne Hiscox Mitchell Scholarship

Jenna Williams, St. Louis, Missouri, Adrienne Hiscox Mitchell Scholarship

Piyanka Hettiarachchi, Sri Lanka, Walter and Roy Cross Memorial Fund

Indika Warnakula, Sri Lanka, Walter and Roy Cross Memorial Fund

PJ Srivastava, India, Cornelius McCollum Research Scholarship

Dhanushka Weerasekara, Sri Lanka, Cornelius McCollum Research Scholarship

Ebbin Joseph, India, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship

Chathurika Rathnayaka, Sri Lanka, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship

Hasini Senanayake, Sri Lanka, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship

Priya Singh, India, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship

Ashley Borkowski, Grayson, Georgia, Luther & Eleanore Hall Student Support

Ian Freed, Swansea, Illinois, Luther & Eleanore Hall Student Support

Emily Kurfman, Greenville, South Carolina, Steve & Susan Snyder Chemistry Award

Kaihua Zhang, China, Steve & Susan Snyder Chemistry Award

Georgii Griaznov, Russia, Ray Q. Brewster Award

Dimuthu Vithanage, Sri Lanka, The Richard & Sue Givens Scholarship

Riddhi Golwankar, India, Reynold T. Iwamoto Scholarship

Sachindra Gamage, Sri Lanka, Bijan & Mary (Taylor) Amini Scholarship

Kristen Burns, Rocky Hill, Connecticut, Takeru & Aya Higuchi Award in Physical Chemistry and Women in Chemistry Opportunity Award

Elizabeth Grotemeyer, Orangevale, California, Glen & Karen Cox Chemistry Scholars

Galina Bulgakova, Russia, The George Wilson Prize

 

2022 Chemistry Graduate Top Overall Awards:

Alex Meier, Newton, Frank B. Dains Award in Organic Chemistry

Julie Leseberg, De Soto, Ernest Griswold Award in Inorganic Chemistry

Chase Stucky, Moundridge, J.K. Lee Award in Analytical Chemistry

Ty Balduf, Davenport, Iowa, Paul & Helen Gilles Award in Physical Chemistry

Wade Henke, Shawnee, Takeru Higuchi Doctoral Progress Award, Overall Superior Achievement in Chemistry

 

2022 Chemistry Undergraduate Summer Scholars:

Eleazar Abraham, Indonesia, Jack & Carolyn Landgrebe Research Scholarship

Brian Faintich, Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, Jack & Carolyn Landgrebe Research Scholarship

 

2022 Chemistry Graduate Summer Scholars:

Ashley Borkowski, Grayson, Georgia, Berger Summer Scholar

Kristen Burns, Rocky Hill, Connecticut, Berger Summer Scholar

Georgii Griaznov, Russia, Berger Summer Scholar

Piyanka Hettiarachchi, Sri Lanka, Berger Summer Scholar

Prabhavie Opallage, Sri Lanka, Berger Summer Scholar

Taylor Parsons, Ardmore, Oklahoma, Berger Summer Scholar

Dhanushka Weerasekara, Sri Lanka, Berger Summer Scholar

Chad Vietz, Lincoln, Nebraska, Berger Summer Scholar

James Martinez, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Higuchi Summer Scholar

Jenna Williams, St. Louis, Missouri, Higuchi Summer Scholar

Rafael Diaz Hernandez, Mexico, Landgrebe Summer Scholar

Riddhi Golwankar, India, Landgrebe Summer Scholar

Dimuthu Vithanage, Sri Lanka, Landgrebe Summer Scholar

Kasun Wekasinghe, Sri Lanka, Landgrebe Summer Scholar

Miyuru De Silva, Sri Lanka, Lee Summer Scholar

Elizabeth Grotemeyer, Orangevale, California, Lee Summer Scholar

Ebbin Joseph, India, Lee Summer Scholar

Chase Stucky, Moundridge, Metrohm Summer Scholar

Alex Meier, Newton, Schowen Summer Scholar

Priya Singh, India, Schowen Summer Scholar.

Photo of Summer Scholars: front row, left to right: Dimuthu Vithanage, Piyanka Hettiarachchi, Riddhi Golwankar, Priya Singh, Elizabeth Grotemeyer. Back row, left to right: Chase Stucky, Taylor Parsons, James Martinez, Miyuru De Silva, Chad Vietz, Rafael Diaz Hernandez, Ebbin Joseph, Georgii Griaznov, Kasun Wekasinghe, Ashley Borkowski.

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