Graduate Student Awards

Awards given to students based on an outstanding research presentation at the Division of Biology Graduate Student Research Forum.

James E. Ackert Award for Outstanding Presentation for a Graduate Student. J.E. Ackert was a long-time Dean of the Graduate School. He was a Parasitologist in the Department of Zoology. The award is given annually for an outstanding graduate student presentation by a student who has been in the Division of Biology graduate program less than two years.

Henley Haymaker Award for Outstanding Presentation for a Graduate Student. Haymaker was a KSU faculty member in the Department of Zoology for 40 years. It was established in 1975 by his family. The award is given annually for an outstanding graduate student presentation by a student who has been in the Division of Biology graduate program 2 or more years or has a M.S. degree.

Awards given based on outstanding research during a graduate program in the Division of Biology.

Students nominated by their major professor and/or their supervisory committee will be asked to submit a curriculum vitae in addition to a paragraph by the nominee outlining the student’s accomplishments while in the Division of Biology. The nominee will be required to present at the graduate forum during the year of their nomination. A formal letter of support by the student’s major professor and/or supervisory committee will also be solicited. The Graduate Affairs Committee will make the final selections for these awards.

John C. Frazier Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Research in Plant Science. J.C. Frazier was a plant physiologist in the Department of Plant Pathology and Botany before the formation of the Division of Biology. The endowment was established in 1976. The award is given at the discretion of the Director of the Division of Biology based on superior graduate student research in plant science, including a presentation given at the Annual Division of Biology Graduate Research Forum.

L. Evans Roth Award for Graduate Student Research in Cellular, Molecular or Developmental Biology. L.E. Roth was the first Director of the Division of Biology. This award is given at the discretion of the Director of the Division of Biology based on superior graduate student research in cell, molecular or developmental biology, including a presentation given at the Division of Biology Graduate Research Forum.

Chris Edler Award for Outstanding Research on Konza. This award was established in 1993 for Chris Edler who died while he was a graduate student in the Division. It is awarded annually to a graduate student who has an outstanding record as a graduate student teacher and has performed superior research and service on Konza Prairie. The student must give a presentation at the Biology Graduate Research Forum at some point in their graduate career.

Christopher C. Smith Graduate Student Award in Evolutionary Biology. This award was established in 2014 and recognizes the significant research contributions of Christopher C. Smith in evolutionary biology. The award will be given to a doctoral student who demonstrates excellence in a research program in evolutionary biology, and will be made annually at the discretion of the Director. Dr. Smith was an exemplary evolutionary ecologist interested in evolutionary trade-offs in foraging biology and reproduction in animals and plants. In his research and teaching, he had the knack of posing profound questions in just the right way to simplify the problem and obtain critical, testable hypotheses. His research focused on numerous ecological problems, often using evolution of foraging in squirrels as a system to provide broad evolutionary insights.The student must give a presentation at the Biology Graduate Research Forum in the year the award is given.

Robert J. Robel Graduate Student Award in Wildlife Biology and Ecology. This award recognizes the significant research contributions of Robert J. Robel in wildlife biology and ecology. This award will be made annually to a doctoral student at the discretion of the Director. Dr. Robel was an eminent wildlife biologist and ecologist who devoted more than 30 years to game bird research. His wide-ranging research interests included ecology, impact of environmental contamination on wildlife, population dynamics and bioenergetics of upland game birds, assessment of habitat, and the development of wildlife monitoring techniques with the goal of developing management leading to sustainable wildlife populations. Students nominated for the award should present a talk at the Division of Biology Graduate Student Forum in the academic year the award is made.