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Students honored for work in biological sciences

May 12, 2008

KALAMAZOO--Fourteen Western Michigan University students recently received an award from the Department of Biological Sciences. The awards were presented April 17 at a luncheon at the close of the 2007-08 academic year.

Boe L. Bissett of Delton, Mich., received the Frank Hinds Zoology Award, a $500 award given in honor of Frank Hinds, a dedicated teacher who served WMU for 35 years. This award involves a research or service project in zoology.

Brett R. Blaauw of Kalamazoo was named a Distinguished Biological Sciences Graduate Student, a $200 award given to a student who has completed the requirements for a Master of Arts degree in biology within the last year and who has shown outstanding research productivity.

Monica J. Czarnopys of Kalamazoo was named the Distinguished Pre-Professional in Biological Sciences, a $200 award given to the student deemed by faculty to be the outstanding biology or biomedical sciences major in a pre-professional curriculum. Students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.5.

Travis J. Dams of Holland, Mich., received the MPI Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award, a $1,000 award given to an outstanding undergraduate research student by MPI Research Inc. to encourage students to pursue careers in life sciences and to reward them for outstanding performance in scientific research.

Stephen C. Denuyl of Clinton, Mich., received the Presidential Scholar Award, a $200 award given to the outstanding undergraduate major in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Derrick S. Hilton of Kalamazoo received the Hazel Wirick Scholarship, a $1,000 award given by the Federated Garden Clubs of Michigan Foundation to an upper-level biology major with a project in the area of botany or ecology. Students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.5.

Austin J. Klint of Sawyer, Mich., received the Merrill Wiseman Award in Microbiology, a $200 award named in honor of Merrill Wiseman, a distinguished professor who was on the Biological Sciences faculty for 40 years, is made to an outstanding student in the field of microbiology.

Victoria M. Koepke
of Plainfield, Ill.., was named the Distinguished Senior in Biomedical Sciences, a $200 award given to an outstanding senior biomedical sciences major with a minimum grade point average of 3.5.

Kerry A. McMartin of Kalamazoo received the Colin J. Gould Memorial Scholarship, a $500 scholarship given to a Lee Honors College student majoring in the biological sciences. This award was established as a memorial to the late student Colin J. Gould.

Laura Nejedlik of Lambertville, Mich., received the MPI Outstanding Graduate Research Award, a $1,000 award given to an outstanding graduate research student by MPI Research Inc. to encourage students to pursue careers in life sciences and as a reward for outstanding performance in scientific research.

Aida Shafreena Ahmad Puad of Kalamazoo received a Hazel Wirick Scholarship, a $1,000 award given by the Federated Garden Clubs of Michigan Foundation to an upper-level biology major with a project in the area of botany or ecology. Students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.5. She also received the Leo C. Vander Beek Graduate Student in Plant Biology Award, a $500 award given to a beginning graduate student in plant biology. This award was established in memory of the late Leo C. Vander Beek, a distinguished faculty member in the biological sciences department for 33 years.

Julie A. Ryan of Kalamazoo was named a Distinguished Biological Sciences Graduate Student, a $200 award given to a student who has completed the requirements for a Master of Arts degree in biology within the last year and who has shown outstanding research productivity.

Jennifer L. Trout of Kalamazoo was named the Distinguished Senior in Biology, a $200 award given to an outstanding senior biology major with a minimum grade point average of 3.5.

Erica A. Ulch of Kalamazoo received the Margaret Thomas DuMond Award, a $500 award given to an upper-level biology or biomedical sciences major who has demonstrated outstanding potential for a career in biological sciences. Students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0. The award honors WMU alumna Margaret Thomas DuMond.

Media contact: Deanne Molinari, (269) 387-8400, deanne.molinari@wmich.edu

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