Excellence Awards

Undergraduate Awards 

Presented by: Dr. Natalia Toro, Director, Office of Undergraduate Research & Student Research Week Co-Chair

• Graduate Mentor of the Year Award 
  • Jared Long-Fox, Department of Physics

• Mentor of the Year Award 
  • Dr. Mohsen Rakhshan, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Presented by: Dr. Winston Shoenfeld, Vice President for Research 

• Champion of Undergraduate Research – Rising Star Award
  • Dr, Christopher Randles, Department of Chemistry 

• Champion of Undergraduate Research Award 
  • Dr. Ann Miller, Nicholson School of Communication and Media
  • Dr. Stephen Kuebler, Departments of Chemistry and Optics, Founding Associate Director, UCF Center for Ethics

Presented by: Carly Rich, Coordinator, Office of Undergraduate Research

• Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Awards 
  • Luis Santori (Faculty Mentor: Kerri Donaldson Hanna Department of Physics, COS) 
  • Isabella Marcon (Faculty Mentor: Steven L. Berman, Department of Psychology, COS)
  • Melanie Paredes (Faculty Mentor: Susanny Beltran, Department of Social Work, CHPS) 
  • Akhila Damarla (Faculty Mentor: Ann Miller, Nicholson School of Communication, COS)
  • Disha Iyengar (Faculty Mentor: Kausik Mukhopadhyay, Materials Science and Engineering, CECS)
  • Samantha Migliore (Faculty Mentor: Albert Manero, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, CECS) 
  • Mitchell Dyen (Faculty Mentor: Robert Fitak, Biology, COS)
  • Yuka Kimura (Faculty Mentor: Manish Gupta, BSBS, COM)
  • Shreya Pawar (Faculty Mentor: Sudipta Seal, Materials Science and Engineering, CECS)
  • Percy Brashear (Faculty Mentor: Ilenia Colon Mendoza, Art, CAH)
  • Zaima Aline (Faculty Mentor: Kenneth Teter, BSBS, COM)
  • Mariam Sonbol (Faculty Mentor: Melinda Donnelly, Biology, COS)
    
    
• Student Undergraduate Research Council Member Recognition 
  • Arlette Morcelo 
  • Chloe Pinkston 
  • Erik Marcelo 
  • Jaehyun Ahn 
  • Katia Destine 
  • Om Vishanagra 
  • Ornella Vintimilla 
  • Pranav Nadella 
  • Robin Marquez 
  • Sabrina Almeyda 
  • Sophia Sakakibara 
  • Sun Latt 

Graduate Awards  

Presented by: Dr. John Weishampel, Interim Dean College of Graduate Studies 

• Graduate Teaching Assistant 

  • Serene Hasan, College of Community Innovation and Education 

• Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching 

  • Terrie Bradshaw, College of Community Innovation and Education

Presented by: Tyler Campbell, Director, Office of Graduate Student Life & Student Research Week Co-Chair

• Excellence by a Graduate Student Researcher 
  • Fall 2024
    • Master’s Runner Up – Jospeh Ciurca, Biomedical Sciences, MS 
    • Master’s Winner – Mario Villavicencio, Feature Film MFA 
    • Doctoral Runner Up – Sanjay Gandham, Computer Engineering PhD 
    • Doctoral Winner – Juliana Hirn, Education PhD, Exceptional Education  
  • Spring 2025
    • Master’s Runner Up – Carli Brent, Communications Sciences and Disorders MS  
    • Master’s Winner -Lily Annand, Emerging Media MFA, Animation and Visual Effects 
    • Doctoral Runner Up – Nilver Tovar Ospina – Integrative Anthropological Sciences  
    • Doctoral Winner – Brittany Stieferman – Chemistry PhD 

Partnership Award

Presented by: Tyler Campbell & Natalia Toro, SRW Co-chairs 

• Richard Harrison Student Research Week Partnership Award
  • Dr. Cameron Ford, Associate Professor, Management, Director, Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

Forthcoming

Forthcoming

Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching: Erica Goldstein

She is in the Education PhD, Exercise Physiology Track, College of Health Professions and Sciences. Erica was nominated by Associate Professor Dr. Matthew Stock in the School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy. 

Graduate Teaching Assistant: Davide Dal Pos

He is in the College of Sciences and is earning a doctorate in Biology. Davide was nominated by the following faculty: Dr. Barb Sharanowski; Ms. Michelle Yeargain; and Dr. John Fauth. 

Undergraduate Mentor of the Year: Dr. Nicole Lapeyrouse, Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences

 This year’s Mentor of the Year has had a profound impact on her students’ undergraduate careers. One of her mentees writes “what really stood out to me was the incredible encouragement, support, and patience she displayed as my research advisor…I can truly say that she is always pushing her students to success.”

Champions of Undergraduate Research

• Chrysalis Wright, Department of Psychology, College of Sciences
• Jonathan Caranto, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences

Distinguished Undergraduate Research Awards

2021

• May: Riley Shurack, whose mentor is Dr. Jeanette Garcia, Health Sciences
• June: Juliet Cahow whose mentor is Dr. Anne Bubriski, Women’s and Gender Studies,
• July: Geela Margo Ramos who is mentored by Dr. Joon-Hyuk Park, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• August: Julia Rifenberg, whose mentor is Dr. Valerie Sims, Psychology
• September: Cerena Moreno who is mentored by Dr. Wencai Zhang, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences
• October: Angela Shar who is mentored by Dr. Mehdi Razavi, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences
• November: Christine Sarkis whose mentor is Dr. Anna Forsman, Biology
• December: Neda Hamood whose mentor is Dr. Raheleh Ahangari, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences

2022

• January: Ana Garcia whose mentor is Dr. Jeffrey Bedwell, Psychology
• February: Marnie Williams who is mentored by Dr. James Hickman, Chemistry
• March: Tyler Morrill who’s mentored by Dr. Carlos Borges, Mathematics

Forthcoming

Forthcoming