Graduate Awards

The University, College of Arts and Sciences, and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry recognize exceptional work by graduate students via annual awards. Chemistry students are well represented among the winners of University- and College-level awards.

Lists of recent award recipients from the chemistry graduate programs follow; for more information about awards given at the College or University level, visit the College’s graduate student awards page.

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

The Outstanding First-Year Graduate Student Teaching Award is to recognize a graduate student who is in his/her first year of teaching at The University of Alabama and has shown great devotion and excellence in his/her teaching duties.  Candidates must have at least a B average in their first year graduate course work.

  • 2023: Sachini Lokusuriya
  • 2022: Megan M. Wysocki
  • 2021: Logan Smith
  • 2020: Megan Ensley, Vanessa Wiltsie
  • 2019: Paula Kahn, Flor I. Lozada Santiago

See more former award winners.

The Outstanding Second-Year Graduate Student Award is given by the Chemistry Faculty to a second-year student who is making outstanding progress in the Ph.D.

  • 2023: Damian Duda, Divya
  • 2022: Brooke Holcombe, Cory H. Rogers
  • 2021: Weerachai Silprakob
  • 2020: Amala Phadkule
  • 2019: Mahendra Acharya, Courtney Petersen

See more former award winners.

The Outstanding Third-Year Graduate Student Award is given by the Chemistry Faculty to a third-year student who is making outstanding progress in the Ph.D. Program in Chemistry as judged by satisfactory academic performance in the program and outstanding progress and effort on his/her dissertation research project.

  • 2023: Logan Smith
  • 2022: Taoguang Qu, Vanessa Wiltsie
  • 2021: Yiqin Hu
  • 2020: Skye Travis
  • 2019: Sanjit Das

See more former award winners.

The Outstanding Graduate Student Award is to recognize an outstanding Ph.D. candidate in chemistry. This award is based upon academic performance, research performance, teaching performance, and departmental leadership and citizenship activities. Normally a student receiving this award should have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. except research and dissertation.

  • 2023: Yiqin Hu
  • 2022: Sanjit Das
  • 2021: Michael Ihde
  • 2020: Kyle Edwards/Ashley McNeill
  • 2019: Molly Lockart, Louis Reisman

See more former award winners.

The Outstanding Graduate Student Dissertation Award recognizes the best dissertation submitted by a Ph.D. student in the past year. The award is based on research performance and the quality of the written dissertation.

  • 2020: Molly Lockart
  • 2019: Juliette Commodore Botoklo
  • 2018: Kerry Barnett
  • 2017: C. J. Pruitt
  • 2016: Ashley Jolly

See more former awards winners.

The Outstanding Graduate Student Dissertation Research Award is to recognize outstanding research performance by a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry. Recipients of this award are nominated for the college and university-level dissertation research awards.

  • 2021: Ashley McNeill
  • 2020: Louis Reisman
  • 2019: Nelly Kaneza
  • 2018: Shengjie Zhang
  • 2017: Archana Panikar

See more former award winners.

The Outstanding Masters Thesis Award recognizes the best thesis submitted by a graduate student this past year. The award is based on research performance and the quality of the written thesis. Recipients are nominated for the college and university-level awards.

  • 2017: Ben McCormick
  • 2005: Elizabeth C. Western
  • 2004: Juius N. Henderson
  • 2003: Yunlong Chu
  • 2002: Brent Boudreaux

College of Arts and Sciences

  • 2020: Molly Lockart
  • 2019: Juliette Commodore Botoklo
  • 2014: Mier An
  • 2013: Samantha Bokatzian-Johnson
  • 2012: Yu-Hsiang Wang
  • 2008: Andrei Honciuc
  • 2007: Elizabeth C. Western
  • 2006: Luyi Sun
  • 2001: Trent Selby

  • 2005: Elizabeth C. Western
  • 2004: Julius Nathan Henderson
  • 2003: Yunlong Chu
  • 2002: Brent Boudreaux

  • 2020: Louis Reisman
  • 2017: Archana Panikar
  • 2014: Mingyang Chen
  • 2010: Daniel Grant
  • 2008: Marcin Smiglak
  • 2007: Keith E. Gutowski
  • 2003: Ann Visser

  • 2008: Christopher C. Hines

The University of Alabama

  • 2007: Elizabeth C. Western
  • 2001: Trent Selby

  • 2004: Julius Nathan Henderson
  • 2003: Yunlong Chu
  • 2002: Brent Boudreaux

  • 2020: Louis Reisman
  • 2010: Daniel Grant
  • 2008: Marcin Smiglak
  • 2007: Keith E. Gutowski
  • 2003: Ann Visser

  • 2008: Christopher C. Hines

National and International

  • 2003: Rick Swatloski — Hancock Memorial Award in Green Chemistry
  • 2002: Ann Visser — AIChE Graduate Student Research in Separations Award

  • 2022: Ashley Miller, NAA Graduate Fellowship
  • 2022: Phoebe Willis, Graduate Council Fellowship
  • 2019: Courtney Petersen, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
  • 2013: Jordyn Johnson, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
  • 2012: Parker McCrary, National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship
  • 2010: Steven Kelley, DOE Nuclear Energy University Program Fellowship
  • 2010: Melody Kelley, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
  • 2010: Melody Kelley, Merck-UNCF Graduate Fellowship

  • 2013: Michele Stover, Steven Kelley
  • 2005: Keith Gutowski
  • 2003: Rick Swatloski