Department of Chemistry announces awards, scholarships for spring-summer 2022
LAWRENCE — The Department of Chemistry at the University of Kansas recognized the academic, research and teaching achievements of department majors by awarding over $170,000 in awards and scholarships at the Awards and Graduation Recognition Ceremony on May 7. In addition to presenting awards and scholarships, students graduating with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry were recognized.
Special guests at the ceremony — the first in-person student award gathering since 2019 — included KU Endowment donors, Chemistry Alumni Advisory Board (CAAB) members, emeritus faculty, chemistry department staff and faculty, and friends and family of those being honored.
Undergraduate scholarships and awards were presented to chemistry majors to recognize their academic and research achievements for the 2021-2022 academic year. Chemistry graduate students also earned awards and scholarships to recognize their contributions to academics, research and/or teaching.
With over $170,000 provided in scholarships and awards, 2022 marks the highest amount awarded in the past five years. In addition to the spring awards, the department announced the 2022 Chemistry Summer Scholars, a program in its third year that provides both graduate and undergraduates with a summer stipend to focus on research. The fund is made possible through gifts made via KU Endowment.
2022 Chemistry Undergraduate Awards & Scholarships for freshmen, sophomores and juniors:
Joshua Abbey, Gardner, Walter Gubar Memorial Scholarship
Eleazar Abraham, Indonesia, Jacob Kleinberg Award
Eden Brenneman, Wichita, Walter Gubar Memorial Scholarship
Kelsey Butler, Goddard, Walter Gubar Memorial Scholarship
Claire Dopp, Olathe, Kristina May Paquette Scholarship & Post Beckman Scholar Award
Spencer Einhaus, Salina, Roger Munsinger Scholarship
Brian Faintich, Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, Leland & Jill Weigel Scholarship
Thomas Finn, Overland Park, K. Barbara Schowen Scholarship
Samara Haenggi, Wichita, Chemistry Department Scholarship
Celine Khalife, Wichita, Adrienne Hiscox Mitchell Scholarship
Caitlyn Korte, Rose Hill, Walter Gubar Memorial Scholarship
Caden Kussatz, Gardner, James P. & Sharon A. Elrod Scholarship
Maria Matulis, Lenexa, Bijan & Mary Taylor Amini Scholarship
Taryn McNickle, Arkansas City, Frances Gayetta Hanna Lenser Scholarship
Trisha Nair, Overland Park, Owen W. Maloney Scholarship
Brandon Nguyen, Liberal, Bijan & Mary Taylor Amini Scholarship
Jiani Osborn, Olathe, Floyd & Ruth Fassnacht Scholarship & Kenyon Latham Award
Audrey Rips-Goodwin, Overland Park, Frances Gayetta Lenser Scholarship
Riley Stegmaier, Wichita, John Shapley Award for Excellence in Research and Leland & Jill Weigel Scholarship
Marcus Stevenson, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Kristina May Paquette Scholarship
Kaytlin Todd, Olathe, Chemistry Department Scholarship
Cole VandeVelde, Topeka, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship
Gavin Wolfmule, Salina, Leonard V. Sorg Scholarship
Elaine Yeh, Overland Park, Ralph E. & Esther Weik Badgley Award
2022 Chemistry Undergraduate Awards for Seniors:
Katherine Armstrong, Palisades Park, New Jersey, Chemistry Department Scholar Award
Rachel Walton, Bloomington, Minnesota, Chemistry Department Scholar Award
Jessica Bair, Sharon Springs, Keith & Dona Darlington Award
Robert Castaneda, Lawrence, Frank Newby Physical Science Award
Stephanie Castillo, Paola, Frank Newby Physical Science Award
Anh-Dao Do, Kansas City, Frank Newby Physical Science Award
Christian McCoy, Park City, Frank Newby Physical Science Award
Ambrosee Wilkinson, Salina, Frank Newby Physical Science Award
2022 Chemistry Undergraduate Top Senior Awards:
Benjamin Fuller, Bettendorf, Iowa, Wakarusa Valley ACS Section Award
Jonah Stiel, Topeka, American Institute of Chemists Award, Ted M. Gardiner Award and Chemistry Departmental Honors
Emma Cosner, Lawrence, Richard J. Bearman Chemistry Award and Chemistry Departmental Honors
Anton Barybin, Lawrence, Alpha Chi Sigma Award, Gini Adams Research Award in Analytical Chemistry and Chemistry Departmental Honors
2022 Chemistry Graduate Awards & Scholarships:
Neiley Karns, New Hampton, Missouri, Dains Memorial Scholarship
Davis Curry, Broussard, Louisiana, H. P. Cady Award
Rashmi Binjawadagi, India, Kenneth & Gertrude Marsi Scholarship
Miyuru De Silva, Sri Lanka, Kenneth & Gertrude Marsi Scholarship
James Martinez, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Kenneth & Gertrude Marsi Scholarship
Taylor Parsons, Ardmore, Oklahoma, Kenneth & Gertrude Marsi Scholarship
Jacob Theismann, Bel-Air, Maryland, Kenneth & Gertrude Marsi Scholarship
Sayuri Niyangoda, Sri Lanka, Adrienne Hiscox Mitchell Scholarship
Prabhavie Opallage, Sri Lanka, Adrienne Hiscox Mitchell Scholarship
Jenna Williams, St. Louis, Missouri, Adrienne Hiscox Mitchell Scholarship
Piyanka Hettiarachchi, Sri Lanka, Walter and Roy Cross Memorial Fund
Indika Warnakula, Sri Lanka, Walter and Roy Cross Memorial Fund
PJ Srivastava, India, Cornelius McCollum Research Scholarship
Dhanushka Weerasekara, Sri Lanka, Cornelius McCollum Research Scholarship
Ebbin Joseph, India, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship
Chathurika Rathnayaka, Sri Lanka, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship
Hasini Senanayake, Sri Lanka, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship
Priya Singh, India, Burton & Cheryle MacKenzie Scholarship
Ashley Borkowski, Grayson, Georgia, Luther & Eleanore Hall Student Support
Ian Freed, Swansea, Illinois, Luther & Eleanore Hall Student Support
Emily Kurfman, Greenville, South Carolina, Steve & Susan Snyder Chemistry Award
Kaihua Zhang, China, Steve & Susan Snyder Chemistry Award
Georgii Griaznov, Russia, Ray Q. Brewster Award
Dimuthu Vithanage, Sri Lanka, The Richard & Sue Givens Scholarship
Riddhi Golwankar, India, Reynold T. Iwamoto Scholarship
Sachindra Gamage, Sri Lanka, Bijan & Mary (Taylor) Amini Scholarship
Kristen Burns, Rocky Hill, Connecticut, Takeru & Aya Higuchi Award in Physical Chemistry and Women in Chemistry Opportunity Award
Elizabeth Grotemeyer, Orangevale, California, Glen & Karen Cox Chemistry Scholars
Galina Bulgakova, Russia, The George Wilson Prize
2022 Chemistry Graduate Top Overall Awards:
Alex Meier, Newton, Frank B. Dains Award in Organic Chemistry
Julie Leseberg, De Soto, Ernest Griswold Award in Inorganic Chemistry
Chase Stucky, Moundridge, J.K. Lee Award in Analytical Chemistry
Ty Balduf, Davenport, Iowa, Paul & Helen Gilles Award in Physical Chemistry
Wade Henke, Shawnee, Takeru Higuchi Doctoral Progress Award, Overall Superior Achievement in Chemistry
2022 Chemistry Undergraduate Summer Scholars:
Eleazar Abraham, Indonesia, Jack & Carolyn Landgrebe Research Scholarship
Brian Faintich, Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, Jack & Carolyn Landgrebe Research Scholarship
2022 Chemistry Graduate Summer Scholars:
Ashley Borkowski, Grayson, Georgia, Berger Summer Scholar
Kristen Burns, Rocky Hill, Connecticut, Berger Summer Scholar
Georgii Griaznov, Russia, Berger Summer Scholar
Piyanka Hettiarachchi, Sri Lanka, Berger Summer Scholar
Prabhavie Opallage, Sri Lanka, Berger Summer Scholar
Taylor Parsons, Ardmore, Oklahoma, Berger Summer Scholar
Dhanushka Weerasekara, Sri Lanka, Berger Summer Scholar
Chad Vietz, Lincoln, Nebraska, Berger Summer Scholar
James Martinez, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Higuchi Summer Scholar
Jenna Williams, St. Louis, Missouri, Higuchi Summer Scholar
Rafael Diaz Hernandez, Mexico, Landgrebe Summer Scholar
Riddhi Golwankar, India, Landgrebe Summer Scholar
Dimuthu Vithanage, Sri Lanka, Landgrebe Summer Scholar
Kasun Wekasinghe, Sri Lanka, Landgrebe Summer Scholar
Miyuru De Silva, Sri Lanka, Lee Summer Scholar
Elizabeth Grotemeyer, Orangevale, California, Lee Summer Scholar
Ebbin Joseph, India, Lee Summer Scholar
Chase Stucky, Moundridge, Lee Summer Scholar
Alex Meier, Newton, Schowen Summer Scholar
Priya Singh, India, Schowen Summer Scholar.
Photo of Summer Scholars: front row, left to right: Dimuthu Vithanage, Piyanka Hettiarachchi, Riddhi Golwankar, Priya Singh, Elizabeth Grotemeyer. Back row, left to right: Chase Stucky, Taylor Parsons, James Martinez, Miyuru De Silva, Chad Vietz, Rafael Diaz Hernandez, Ebbin Joseph, Georgii Griaznov, Kasun Wekasinghe, Ashley Borkowski.