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K-State Today

May 11, 2016

Division of Biology undergraduates recognized for outstanding achievements

Submitted by Nancy Thompson

The Division of Biology honors several of its students majoring in biology, microbiology and fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology for outstanding achievement each spring. This year's awardees and their guests were recognized at a luncheon May 7.

Twelve students received the Most Promising Student Award:

Molly Bassette, junior, Atchison; Anna Kucera, junior, Kansas City, Kansas; Samantha Grieger, junior, Manhattan; Vaithish Velazhahan, sophomore, Manhattan; Chelsea Moore, senior, Overbrook; Victoria Floyd, senior, Overland Park; Tracie Thibault, sophomore, Salina; Victoria Cox, senior, Topeka; Matthew Kranick, junior, Wichita; Gene Coker, junior, Port Charlotte, Florida; Jesseca Pirkle, sophomore, Arenzville, Illinois; and Julie Cooper, junior, Flower Mound, Texas.

The Most Promising Student Award is intended to encourage students who are early in their careers and have demonstrated enthusiasm, creativity, and imagination in biologically-oriented courses and projects. Students are nominated by the faculty and award recipients are chosen by a committee within the Division of Biology. Selection is based on faculty letters of recommendation, quality and quantity of classroom work and extracurricular accomplishments, and an interview with the selection committee.

Erika Peters, Topeka, received the 2016 H.H. Haymaker Award for Excellence. Peters is studying microbiology and pre-medicine, and plans to attend medical school upon graduation.

The H.H. Haymaker Award for Excellence was named in honor of Herbert Henley Haymaker, a K-State alumnus and faculty member, and is given to a graduating senior who has both a high level of accomplishment as an undergraduate and the promise to continue such quality performance in a biological sciences-related career. Nomination and selection criteria are the same as for the Most Promising Student Award.