Department of Chemistry announces spring, summer awards and scholarships

LAWRENCE — The Department of Chemistry at the University of Kansas has announced the recipients of spring and summer 2024 awards and scholarships.  More than 80 of the department’s top students were recognized at the annual awards banquet for their academic, research and teaching achievements.  The recipients also include graduate summer scholars, who receive scholarships to advance their doctoral research over the summer 2024 term. In total, the department will distribute more than $437,000 in awards and scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students. 

The department held its annual awards and graduation recognition banquet May 4.  In addition to presenting awards and scholarships, 24 students graduating with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry were recognized. 

Many special guests attended this celebration, including the Chemistry Alumni Advisory Board (CAAB) members who were in town for their annual meeting, emeritus faculty, donors, department staff and faculty, and family and friends of students being honored. 

These awards and scholarships are only made possible due to the generosity of the department’s donors. 

2024 Chemistry Undergraduate Awards & Scholarships for Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors 

• Raina Fair, Lawrence, Owen W. Maloney Scholarship 
• Jackson Kleeman, Wichita, Owen W. Maloney Scholarship 
• Thomas Loub, Manhattan, Drs. Bijan & Mary Taylor Amini Scholarship 
• Ben Winslow, Troy, Illinois, Drs. Bijan & Mary Taylor Amini Scholarship 
• Aubrey Sanchez, Lenexa, Frances Gayetta Hanna Lenser Scholarship 
• Milo McKay, Lawrence, Leonard V. Sorg Scholarship 
• Jax Rosekrans, Olathe, Michelle & A.C. Buchanan Scholarship 
• Ethan Le, Wichita, Kenyon Latham Opportunity Award 
• Corbin Fairchild, Lawrence, James P. & Sharon A. Elrod Scholarship 
• Lily Tackett, Davenport, Iowa, K. Barbara Schowen Scholarship 
• Andrew Farrar, Red Wing, Minnesota, Jacob Kleinberg Award 
• Noah Tucker, Lenexa, Roger Munsinger Scholarship 
• Stanslaus Kariuki, Overland Park, John R. Shapley Award for Excellence in Research 
• Allison Babbit, Lawrence, Leland & Jill Weigel Scholarship 
• Cecilia Paranjothi, Lawrence, Leland & Jill Weigel Scholarship 
• Celine Khalife, Wichita, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship 
• Darya Moiny, Stilwell, Ralph E. & Esther Weik Badgley Award 
• Mike Kim, Overland Park, Jo A. & Judith Beran Chemistry Scholarship 
• Delara Mafi, Lawrence, Kristina May Paquette Scholarship 
• Audrey Rips-Goodwin, Overland Park, Kristina May Paquette Scholarship 
• Ben Mosier, Manhattan, Kristina May Paquette Scholarship 
• Hannah Chern, Shawnee, Steve & Susan Snyder Award & the Gini Adams Research Award in Analytical Chemistry 
• Colleen Thach, Phoenix, Arizona, Walter Gubar Memorial Scholarship 
• Marion Malone, McPherson, Walter Gubar Memorial Scholarship 
• Trisha Nair, Overland Park, Keith & Dona Darlington Award 
• Jonah Ludiker, Lee's Summit, Missouri, Floyd & Ruth Fassnacht Memorial Scholarship 
• Harrison Le, Overland Park, Emily V. Berger Award 
• Patryk Hupert, Lawrence, Emily V. Berger Award 
• Chase Courbot, Salina, Emily V. Berger Award 
• Brandon Nguyen, Liberal, Ted M. Gardiner Chemistry Award.

2024 Chemistry Undergraduate Awards for Seniors 

• Roy Manns, Topeka, Frank Newby Physical Science Award 
• Theresa Read, Shawnee, Frank Newby Physical Science Award 
• Jenyn Pinkley, Drexel, Missouri, Frank Newby Physical Science Award 

2024 Chemistry Undergraduate Top Senior Awards 

• Eden Brenneman, Wichita, Wakarusa Valley ACS Section Award  
• Eleazar Abraham, Indonesia, American Institute of Chemists Award  
• Brian Faintich, Lake St. Louis, Missouri, Richard J. Bearman Chemistry Award & ACS Undergraduate Award in Physical Chemistry 
• Jiani Osborn, Olathe, Alpha Chi Sigma Award.

2024 Chemistry Undergraduate Research Support for Summer 2024 

• Meredith Goldstein, Overland Park, Franklin Strain Travel Award 
• Mike Kim, Overland Park, Jack & Carolyn Landgrebe Summer Undergraduate Research Scholarship 
• Darya Moiny, Stilwell, Stephen C. Glover Summer Undergraduate Research Scholarship 
• Colleen Thach, Phoenix, Arizona, Chemistry Department Summer Undergraduate Research Scholarship.

2024 Chemistry Undergraduate Bricker ChemScholars 

• Brian Faintich, Lake St. Louis, Missouri
• Raina Fair, Lawrence 
• Trisha Nair, Overland Park 
• Brandon Nguyen, Liberal 
• Aubrey Sanchez, Lenexa.

2024 Chemistry Undergraduate Kansas ChemScholars 

• Eden Brenneman, Wichita 
• Roy Manns, Topeka 
• Jiani Osborn, Olathe.

2024 Chemistry Graduate Awards & Scholarships 

• Pramodi Vithanage, Sri Lanka, Dains Memorial Scholarship 
• Natalie Lind, Lawrence, H. P. Cady Award 
• Rafael Diaz Hernandez, Mexico, Richard & Sue Givens Scholarship 
• Caitlin McEntee, Fremont, Nebraska, Ray Q. Brewster Award 
• Markell Lomax, St. Louis, Cornelius McCollum Research Scholarship 
• Alec Lininger, St. Louis, Cornelius McCollum Research Scholarship 
• Emmanuel Forson, Ghana, Cornelius McCollum Research Scholarship 
• Fynn Cooper, Lawrence, Cornelius McCollum Research Scholarship 
• Deshkanwar Brar, India, Cornelius McCollum Research Scholarship 
• Lindsey Penland, Lawrence, Elmer McCollum Research Scholarship 
• Katelynn White, Lawrence, Chemistry Department Graduate Scholarship 
• Esther Holt, Belton, Missouri, Chemistry Department Graduate Scholarship 
• Elizabeth Bartlett, Eaton, Minnesota, Chemistry Department Graduate Scholarship 
• Disni Dedunupitiya, Sri Lanka, Chemistry Department Graduate Scholarship 
• Aleesa Chua, Los Angeles, Chemistry Department Graduate Scholarship 
• James Martinez, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Chemistry Department Graduate Scholarship 
• Shreyaa Brahmachari, India, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship 
• Neiley Karns, New Hampton, Missouri, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship 
• Joe Mandigo, Lawrence, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship 
• Chris Johnson, Lawrence, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship 
• Alex Ervin, Lawrence, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship 
• Davis Curry, Lawrence, Drs. Walter & Roy Cross Memorial Award 
• Madeline Isom, Lawrence, Drs. Walter & Roy Cross Memorial Award 
• Chien-Wei Wang, Taiwan, Kristina May Paquette Scholarship 
• Nishama Mohotti, Sri Lanka, Steve & Susan Snyder Chemistry Award  
• Emily Kurfman, Lawrence, Women in Chemistry Opportunity Award 
• Shaun Kelsey, Olathe, Charles & Beatrice Kulier Scholarship 
• Sam Brunclik, Birchwood, Wisconsin, Charles & Beatrice Kulier Scholarship 
• Sayuri Niyangoda, Sri Lanka, Glen & Karen Cox Chemistry Scholarship  
• Eliza Hanson, Lawrence, Glen & Karen Cox Chemistry Scholarship  
• Prabhavie Opallage, Sri Lanka, George & Beverley Wilson International Student Support Award 

2024 Chemistry Graduate Top Overall Awards 

• Emily Mikeska, Lawrence, Ernest & Marvel Griswold Award in Inorganic Chemistry 
• Naviya Schuster-Little, Oberlin, Ohio, J.K. Lee Award in Analytical Chemistry 
• Miyuru De Silva, Sri Lanka, Takeru Higuchi Doctoral Progress Award, Overall Superior Achievement in Chemistry.

2024 Chemistry Graduate Summer Scholars 

• Grant Arehart, Lawrence, Berger Summer Scholar 
• Hirushan Hetti Arachchige, Sri Lanka, Berger Summer Scholar 
• Matthew Zupan, Lawrence, Berger Summer Scholar 
• Anna Marstall, Marion, Iowa, Hall Summer Scholar 
• Hasini Siyambalangamuwe, Sri Lanka, Higuchi Summer Scholar 
• Katelynn White, Lawrence, Landgrebe Summer Scholar 
• Apurba Adhikary, India, Lee Summer Scholar 
• Neiley Karns, New Hampton, Missouri, Lee Summer Scholar 
• Joe Mandigo, Lawrence, Lee Summer Scholar 
• Ruvini Oliviya Rodrigo, Sri Lanka, Lee Summer Scholar 
• Markell Lomax, St. Louis, Missouri, Marsi Summer Scholar 
• Colin Waller, Rinard, Illinois, Schowen Summer Scholar 
• Shreyaa Brahmachari, India, Wilson Summer Scholar.