Awards Opportunities
The Texas A&M University Office of Graduate and Professional Studies annually presents four awards to graduate students who have excelled academically, as student leaders, and have a had a positive impact on the Texas A&M University Graduate Community. Click the links below to view nomination information and past award recipients.
Association of Former Students Distinguished Graduate Student Award
U.S. Senator Phil Gramm Doctoral Fellowship
Texas A&M Distinguished Dissertation Award
The Graduate Student Research and Presentation Travel Award provides graduate students with educational and professional development opportunities through reimbursing up to $750 for travel expenses associated with academic conferences and research projects in the United States and abroad.
2024 Tillman Scholarship
Congratulations to GGEN PhD Candidate, Sarah Ingram from the Dr. Shaunna Clark’s lab. Sarah was selected to be a 2024 Tillman Scholarship recipient!
The Tillman Scholarship honors Pat Tillman legacy, who left his NFL career to serve his country by supporting veterans, active-duty service members, and their spouses committed to service. Sarah is great inspiration to us all and we hope to continue witnessing her accomplishments!
2024 ASPIRE Grant
Congratulations to Ph.D. Candidate, Hannah Carter, from Dr. Weston Porter Lab! Hannah is one of the 32 recipients from 27 prestigious institutions around the world to be selected for an ASPIRE grant!! She received an $80,000 research grant from the Susan G. Komen Foundation to study sirtuins, a type of protein known to reduce signs of aging that may also play a role in breast cancer metastasis. The two-year grant, called A Supplement to Promote Inclusion for Research Excellence (ASPIRE), aims to increase the diversity of the breast cancer research workforce by providing funding to trainees from communities historically minoritized and marginalized in research. As supplemental funding, the award is given to trainees who work with established breast cancer scientists.
Read the full announcements:
https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/press-releases/hannah-carter-grant/
We are so excited to celebrate this special moment with you, and we can’t wait to see how your research will help many women to treat breast cancer!
2024 NIH F31 Award
Congratulations to our Ph.D. Candidates, Jordyn Vanportfliet, from Dr. A. Phillip West Lab and Eduardo Martinez from Dr. Robert Watson Lab who received an NIH F31 award for their projects!
Whoop! This is an exciting achievement! We are so proud of both of you and we can’t wait to see where your research takes you next!
2023 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
Congratulations to our Genetics and Genomics students, Emmarie Alexander, from Dr. Bill Murphy’s laboratory, and Aaron DeSalvio, from Dr. Seth Murray’s laboratory, on being selected for the prestigious 2023 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)! Emmarie and Aaron are two of 6 winners from Texas A&M, with only 3 in the Life Sciences at Texas A&M!
Emmarie is interested in using genomic tools to investigate the complex evolutionary history of mammals by way of their genome to their phylogeographic structure. She is particularly interested in mammals of conservation concern, such as pangolins and felids. Currently, Emmarie is parsing the evolutionary origins and structure of mammalian sex chromosomes.
Aaron’s goal is to uncover the applicability of temporal spectral data to predict agronomically relevant traits in maize (corn) using a combination of high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) data captured by unoccupied aerial systems (drones) and genomic marker data. His current project is focused on performing single plant analysis, with the intent of uncovering differences in the performance of genetically identical plants. The goal is to enable single plant selection, which could greatly reduce the plant breeding cycle’s turnover time and increase genetic gains more rapidly. Additionally, he aims to enable researchers across the globe to implement HTP into their programs through methods-based publications and demonstrations using open-access data collected on our lab’s agricultural experiments in College Station.
We are so excited to celebrate this achievement with you!
Association of Former Students Distinguished Graduate Student Award
The Distinguished Graduate Student Award represents one of Texas A&M’s highest honors for outstanding achievements by a graduate student in research. Each year, only a handful of graduate students are recognized with the coveted award that honors their important contributions to Texas A&M’s world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. Students are nominated by their faculty advisors or their departments — an accomplishment in and of itself, officials say, due to the strenuous eligibility requirements. The award recipients are chosen by a panel of reviewers that includes faculty and administrators and recognize the top tier of Texas A&M’s graduate students for exemplifying our core values in classrooms and laboratories. These awards have been presented annually since 1965, thanks to generous gifts to The Association of Former Students’ Annual Fund.
2023
Michelle Jonika Michelle Jonika is a doctoral candidate in the Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics and Genomics under the advisement of biology professor Dr. Heath Blackmon. Prior to her graduate work, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M in forensic and investigative science, studying forensic genetics under the guidance of Dr. Aaron Tarone. Her graduate research at Texas A&M focuses on the evolution of genome structure and sex chromosomes using computational and machine-learning methods. While at Texas A&M, Jonika completed an internship at Bayer Crop Science, where she developed a statistical framework to identify interactions between loci in crops of interest and completed a computational biology internship at PetDx, a biotech startup company, where she applied machine learning approaches to high-complexity clinical data sets to predict canine cancer types. Jonika is the recipient of the Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics and Genomics Research Excellence Award (2022), Texas A&M’s Data Science Ambassador Fellowship (2022-2023), Texas A&M Graduate and Professional School’s Montgomery Award (2023), and numerous research presentation awards. She has published four first-author papers, seven collaborative papers, and six popular science articles. Jonika has mentored seven undergraduate biology and genetics students, several of whom published their work and have pursued graduate and professional school or careers in industry. Jonika defended her dissertation in January 2023 and will be graduating in May 2023.
Learn more about Dr. Michelle Jonika here: https://michellejonika.github.io/
Montgomery Award
The Montgomery Award is awarded to student leaders making major contributions to the academic and professional opportunities, and quality of life of their fellow graduate and professional students here at Texas A&M. Whether through demonstrated leadership in recognized graduate student groups or service organizations, students must show their dedication to serving Aggie graduate and professional students in addition to excellent academics and scholarship.
2023
Michelle Jonika is a doctoral candidate in the Genetics and Genomics Interdisciplinary Program and the Department of Biology. Her research employs computational and machine learning methods to explore the evolution of genome structure and sex chromosomes. She is widely recognized for her expertise in her field, having published 11 peer-reviewed papers and six popular science articles and given 14 invited talks. Throughout her program, Michelle has demonstrated outstanding leadership and service by holding various leadership positions in the Genetics Graduate Student Association, including her most recent role as President. Michelle is deeply committed to advancing science outreach and has been actively involved in various initiatives, such as Women in Science and Engineering, as well as College of Science outreach programs. She has also organized several successful local genetics and genomics conferences and facilitated numerous coding workshops.
Learn more about Dr. Michelle Jonika here: https://michellejonika.github.io/
2022
U.S. Senator Phil Gramm Doctoral Fellowship Award
2022
Other Awards
2024-2025
Student Research Week 2025, College Station, TX
Natalie Wideman
Advisor: Dr. Zach Adelman
2025 Texas Genetics Society (TGS), College Station, TX, from March 20-22, 2025
William Leach
Advisor: Dr. David Threadgill
Graduate Student Lightning Talks competition of the Genome Editing Symposium (GES) in College Station, TX from November 2024
Benjamin Thomas and Stephanie McMahon
Advisor: Dr. Zhilei Chen and Dr. Jessica Galloway-Peña
1st and 2nd place
Plant, Animal and Genome International Conference (PAG32) in San Diego, CA, from Jan. 10-14, 2025
Mayra Mendoza
Advisor: Dr. Terje Raudsepp
2025 VMBS-GSA travel award
Genetics Graduate Student Association Conference Award
Summer 2025
International Congress for Conservation Biology in Queensland, Australia, from June 14-19, 2025
Ana Velasquez
Advisor: Dr. David Threadgill
“Genetic biocontrol tools for the suppression of invasive rodents”
Human and Mammalian Genetics and Genomics: The McKusick Short Course in Jackson Laboratory Bar Harbor, ME from July 20 to Aug. 2, 2025
Brighton Garrett
Advisor: Dr. Masako Suzuki
“Establishing a machine learning-based hepatic retinoid-level prediction model for a precision nutrition foundation”
Nucleic Acids Gordon Research Conference (DNA and RNA: Chemistry, Mechanistic Biology, Cellular Processing Machinery, and Applications) in Barga, Italy from June 22-27, 2025
Benjamin Thomas
Advisor: Dr. Zhilei Chen
“Novel Protein DNA Circuit for the Detection of Shiga Toxin”
Evolution in Athens, Georgia, from June 19-25, 2025
Isabella Childers
Advisor: Dr. William Murphy
“Elucidating the unusual sex chromosomes of the Hoffmann’s Two-Toed Sloth”
International Society for Animal Genetics Conference (ISAG) in Daejeon, Republic of Korea, from July 20-25, 2025
Mayra Mendoza
Advisor: Dr. Terje Raudsepp
“High-Quality Alpaca Genome VicPac4 and Oligo-FISH Reveal Large-Scale Satellite Repeat Clusters specific to South American Camelids”
Mendoza, Mayra
Spring 2025
Texas Genetics Society in College Station, TX, from March 20-22, 2025
Marianny Alvarado
Advisor: Dr. Masako Suzuki
Poster Title: “A comprehensive multi-omics analysis to assess the strain-dependent effects of dietary vitamin A and fat intake on the liver of female mice”
International Mammalian Genome Conference in Glasgow, Scotland from April 6-10, 2025
Kaitlyn Carter
Advisor: Dr. David Threadgill
“Background-dependent tumor progression and the preclinical implications for disease modeling”
International Mammalian Genome Conference in Glasgow, Scotland from April 6-10, 2025
Alexandra Naron
Advisor: Dr. David Threadgill
“Dietary methyl donor intervention reverses memory of prior American diet exposure in B6 males”
2025 Society of Biological Psychiatry Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada, from April 24-26, 2025
Sarah Ingram
Advisor: Dr. Shaunna Clark
Talk Title: “A large-scale methylome-wide analysis of cell-type specific associations with lifetime anxiety”
Fall 2024
Mitochondrial Biology in Health and Disease (Keystone Symposia) in Taipei, Taiwan, from Jan. 13-16, 2025
Harpreet Kaur
Advisor: Dr. Weston Porter
Poster Title: “SIM2 Regulation of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Down Syndrome”
The Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG) 32 in San Diego, CA from Jan. 10-15, 2025
Pei-Jung Hsin
Advisor: Dr. Brian Davis
Poster Title: ‘‘Genetic basis of feather pigmentation patterns and shape using a Mendelian intercross of red junglefowl and silver Sebright”
Summer 2024
The American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) International Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX from Nov. 10-13, 2024
Fatma Ozair
Advisor: Dr. Seth Murray
Talk Title: ‘‘Phenotypic Plasticity in Maize Grain Yield: Insights of Response to Environmental Gradients”
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Brain Aging in Niagara Falls, New York from Sept. 15-19, 2024
Charles Mitchell
Advisor: Dr. Dmitry Kurouski
Poster Title: ‘‘Neuroprotective Effects of Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Nanoflowers: Potential Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutic”
Spring 2024
Annual Meeting of Society of Molecular and Evolutionary Biology in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from July 7-11, 2024
Emmarie Alexander
Advisor: Dr. William Murphy
Poster Title: ‘‘Using the Y-Chromosome to Resolve Controversial Mammalian Phylogenetic Relationships”
Annual Meeting of Society of Molecular and Evolutionary Biology in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from July 7-11, 2024
Isabella Childers
Advisor: Dr. William Murphy
Poster Title: ‘‘Elucidating the Evolution of the Recombinational Landscape of Placental Mammals Using Comparative Genomics”
Annual Meeting of Society of Molecular and Evolutionary Biology in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from July 7-11, 2024
Andrew Harris
Advisor: Dr. William Murphy
Talk Title: ‘‘Single-Haplotype Genome Assemblies Reveal the Enigmatic Evolution of Felid Genome Architecture”
International Retinoids Conference (IRC) in St. Paul, Minnesota from July 7-11, 2024
Marianny Alvarado-Gonzalez
Advisor: Dr. Masako Suzuki
Poster Title: ‘‘Strain specific differences in the effects of dietary vitamin A and fat intakes on female mice”.
Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society (PNIRS) Meeting in Halifax, Canada from June 24-27, 2024
Emily Reed
Advisor: Dr. Adam Case
Talk Title: ‘Hemoglobin regulates T-lymphocyte function after psychological trauma’
47th Annual Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) Meeting in Minneapolis, MN from June 22-26, 2024
Destani Derrico
Advisor: Dr. Michael Golding
Talk Title: ‘Paternal Contributions to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Exploration of Antioxidants as Potential Safeguards’
The Allied Genetics Conference (TAGC) 2024 in Washington, DC from March 6-10, 2024
Ana Velasquez
Advisor: Dr. David Threadgill
Poster Title: “Understanding the reproductive aberrations caused by the mouse t-haplotype”
Texas Genetics Society (TGS) 2024 in College Station, TX from March 21-23, 2024
Ari Velasquez
Advisor: Dr. Irtisha Singh
Talk Title: “Consequences of IPA isoform loss in multiple myeloma”
Fall 2023
American Chemical Society – Many Flavors of Chemistry meeting
New Orleans, Louisiana (March 17-21, 2024)
Daniela Ruiz
Ph.D. Student – Advisor: Dr. Qing Sun
Poster Title: “Microbe interaction unveiled through Click Chemistry”
Society of Developmental Biology 82nd Annual Meeting
Chicago, Illinois (July 20-23, 2023)
Hannah Carter
Ph.D. Candidate – Advisor: Dr. Weston Porter
Poster Title: “Exploring a Singleminded-2s/Sirtuin interaction in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics”
4th international Conference on Precision Nutrition and Metabolism in Public Health and Medicine
Ioannina, Greece (June 25-30, 2023)
Alexandra Naron
Ph.D. Candidate – Advisor: Dr. David Threadgill
Platform Talk Title: “Multiple loci drive diet-induced thermogenesis in mice exposed to a ketogenic diet”
The Evolution 2023 Conference
Albuquerque, New Mexico (June 21-25, 2023)
Andres Barboza Pereira
Ph.D. Student – Advisor: Dr. Heath Blackmon
Poster Title: “Rest and Activity Behavior of Betta Fish: Insights into Crepuscular Patterns”
Texas Genetics Society Meeting
Austin, Texas (March 23-25, 2023)
Kaitlyn Carter
Ph.D. Candidate – Advisor: Dr. David Threadgill
Poster Title: “Identifying the candidate gene mechanisms and underlying modifier genes that lead to genetic context dependencies on tumor growth in the absence of ERBB3 in colorectal cancer”
36th International Mammalian Genome Conference
Tsukuba, Japan (March 28-31, 2023)
Michael McGill, PhD (Advisor: Dr. David Threadgill)
Platform Talk Title: “The EGFR/ERBB receptor tyrosine kinase family: compelling genetic context-dependent targets for intervention during colorectal cancer”
Aravindh Nagarajan, PhD (Advisor: Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis)
Platform Talk Title: “Multiple host genes are involved in the differential outcome to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) septic infections”
International Plant and Animal Genome Conference
San Diego, CA ( January 13-18, 2023)
Mayra Mendoza Cerna
Ph.D. Candidate – Advisor: Dr. Terje Raudsepp
Platform Talk Title: “VicPac4, a chromosome-level reference genome of the alpaca (Vicugna pacos)”
2023 Plant & Animal Genome Conference
San Diego, CA (January 12-19, 2023)
Khushboo Rastogi
Ph.D. Candidate – Advisor: Dr. Endang M. Septiningsih
Poster Title: “CRISPR/Cas9 Mediated Multiplex Genome Editing to develop High Lysine in the US Rice Cultivar Presidio”
Spring 2023
2022 ID Week
Walter E Washington Convention
Center in Washington D.C
Stephanie McMahon
Ph.D. Candidate
Advisor: Dr. Jessica Galloway-Peña
Platform Talk Title: “Contribution of the Oral Cavity and Gastrointestinal Microbiome on Bloodstream Infections in Leukemia Patients”
Fall 2022
2022 Texas Genetics Society (TGS)
College Station, TX
Michelle Jonika
Ph.D. Candidate and Student board member of TGS
Advisor: Dr. Heath Blackmon
Platform Talk Title: “The Role of Centromeres in Chromosome Number Evolution”
2022 International Symposium on the Biology of Actinomycetes (ISBA) – Toronto, Canada
Sandy LaBonte
Ph.D. Student – Advisor: Dr. Paul Straight
Poster title: “Identifying Streptomyces metabolites that mobilize a population of B. subtilis.”
2022 International Mammalian Genome Society Annual Meeting
Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Michael McGill
Ph.D. Candidate – Advisor: Dr. David Threadgill
Platform Talk Title: “A constitutionally EGFR-deficient model of CRC: compensatory mechanisms mediated by other ERBB family members.”
35th International Mammalian Genome Conference (IMGC 2022)
Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Aravindh Nagarajan
Ph.D. Candidate – Advisor: Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis
Platform Talk Title: “Multiple host genes are involved in the differential outcome to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) septic infections.”
2022 Plant Biology Conference sponsored by American Society of Plant Biologists, Worldwide Summit
Portland, Oregon
Khushboo Rastogi
Ph.D. Candidate – Advisor: Dr. Endang Septiningsih
Poster title: “Genome Editing to develop High Lysine in the US Rice Cultivar Presidio.”
2022 American Chemical Society (ACS)
San Diego, California
Benjamin Thomas
Ph.D. Student – Advisor: Dr. Zhilei Chen
Poster title: “Novel Protein DNA circuit for the detection of Shiga toxin.”
The Gordon Research Conference on Genetic Biocontrol
Four Points, Ventura, CA
Joseph Romanowski
Ph.D. Student – Advisor: Dr. Zach Adelman
Poster Title: “Effect of DNA double-strand break site location on CRISPR/CAs9-induced transgene elimination in Aedes aegypti.”
Genetics and Genomics Recruitment Symposium Oral Presentations
2025
ENGINEERING A CRISPR INTERFERENCE SYSTEM FOR TARGETED GENE REPRESSION IN Aedes aegypti
Esmé Cope
Advisor: Dr. Zach Adelman
Utilizing Machine Learning to Turn Patient Data Into Personalized Treatment
Stephanie McMahon
Advisor: Dr. Jessica Galloway-Peña
Uncovering the Role of Structural Variants in Complex Trait Variation Using a Pangenome Graph
Trevor Millar
Advisor: Dr. Mahul Chakraborty
2024
THE ROLE OF LIPID PEROXIDES IN Mycobacterium tuberculosis INFECTION
Lily Ellzey
Advisor: Dr. Robert Watson
UNDERSTANDING DNA DOUBLE-STRAND BREAK (DSB) REPAIR FOR A SELF-ELIMINATING TRANSGENE IN THE MAJOR DENGUE VECTOR, Aedes aegypti
Joseph Romanowski
Advisor: Dr. Zach Adelman
2023
NOVEL PROTEIN DNA CIRCUIT FOR THE DETECTION OF SHIGA TOXIN
Benjamin Thomas
Advisor: Dr. Zhilei Chen
THE TALES OF THE TROJANMOUSE
Ana Velasquez
Advisor: Dr. David Threadgill
THE IMPACT OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ON EPIGENETIC AGING IN YOUTH
Sarah Ingram
Advisor: Dr. Shaunna Clark
2022
A NOVEL TECHNOLOGY FOR ENGINEERING
BINDERS TO MEMBRANE PROTEINS
Benjamin Thomas
Advisor: Dr. Zhilei Chen
UNRAVELLING THE GENETIC BASIS FOR COLD TOLERANCE IN RICE SEEDLING USING GENOME WIDE ASSOCIATION PANEL
Khushboo Rastogi
Advisor: Dr. Endang M. Septiningsih
Genetics and Genomics Graduate Student Awards
2024-2025
Research Excellence Award
Samantha Franklin
Advisor: Dr. Jessica Galloway Peña
Clint Magill Outstanding GGSA Member Award
Ana Velasquez (Advisor: Dr. David Threadgill)
Award for Teaching Excellence
Osiris Lopez-Garcia
Advisor: Dr. Daniel Paredes-Sabja
Student Choice Award for Teaching
Harpreet Kaur
Advisor: Dr. Weston Porter
2023-2024
Research Excellence Award
Sandy LaBonte
Advisor: Dr. Paul Straight
Clint Magill Outstanding GGSA Member Awards
Ana Velasquez (Advisor: Dr. David Threadgill)
Emmarie Alexander (Advisor: Dr. William Murphy)
Award for Teaching Excellence
Andres Barboza
Advisor: Dr. Heath Blackmon
Student Choice Award for Teaching
Emmarie Alexander
Advisor: Dr. William Murphy
2022-2023
Research Excellence Award
Andrew Harris
Advisor: Dr. Bill Murphy
Clint Magill Outstanding GGSA Member Award
Dr. Michelle Jonika
Advisor: Dr. Heath Blackmon
Clint Magill Outstanding GGSA Member Award
Sandy LaBonte
Advisor: Dr. Paul Straight
Award for Teaching Excellence
Aaron DeSalvio
Advisor: Dr. Seth Murray
Student Choice Award for Teaching
Anthony Matarazzo
Advisor: Dr. Mendell Rimer
2021-2022
Research Excellence Award
Michelle Jonika
Advisor: Dr. Heath Blackmon
Research Excellence Award
Matthew Jevit
Advisor: Dr. Terje Raudsepp
Clint Magill Outstanding GGSA Member Award
Serina Taluja
Advisor: Dr. David Stelly
Clint Magill Outstanding GGSA Member Award
Khushboo Rastogi
Advisor: Dr. Endang Septiningsih
Award for Teaching Excellence
Osiris K. Lopez Garcia
Advisor: Dr. Daniel Paredes-Sabja
Student Choice Award for Teaching
Allie N. Denham
Advisor: Dr. Vladimir Vladimirov
2020-2021
Award for Teaching Excellence
Andrew Harris
Advisor: Dr. Bill Murphy
Student Choice Award for Teaching
Amanda Jons
Advisor: Dr. Sarah Bondos
2019-2020
Award for Teaching Excellence
Brittni A. Ming-Whitfield
Advisor: Dr. David Threadgill
Student Choice Award for Teaching
Aravindh Nagarajan
Advisor: Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis