Announcing the 2025 Outstanding Undergraduates in Biochemistry or Chemical Biology

The Division of Biochemistry and Chemical Biology is happy to announce the recipients of the 2025 DBC Undergraduate Achievement in Biochemistry or Chemical Biology Award. This award is intended to recognize graduating seniors who display a significant aptitude for biochemistry or chemical biology and to encourage further interest in the field.

Departments of Chemistry or Biochemistry that offer ACS-approved Bachelor’s degree programs across the country were invited to select a top graduating senior student from their university. Individuals were selected based upon demonstrated excellence in a combination of coursework, research, service to the program, and a desire to pursue a career in biochemistry or chemical biology.

Recipients were awarded a certificate signed by the division chair, a commemorative pin, and a letter of recognition from the ACS Division of Biochemistry and Chemical Biology. They also received a one-year membership to the Division of Biochemistry and Chemical Biology.

Please join us in congratulating the recipients!

• Alabama

  Ashlyn Smith
  Jacksonville State University

• California

  Nadia Gabel
  Sonoma State University

  Noemi Hernandez
  University of San Diego

  Cameel Juman
  California State University, Northridge

  Ethan Lin
  California Institute of Technology

  Ethan Lucsik
  California State University, Long Beach

  Dominic Milla
  California State University, Fullerton

  Nichakorn Ponpakpong
  California State University

  Valerie Sandino-Murphy
  University of San Francisco

  Tvisha SIngh
  University of Southern California

  Makenzie Wiseman
  High Point University

• Colorado

  Stephen Mendoza
  Metropolitan State University of Denver

• Connecticut

  Mark Delima
  Southern Connecticut State University

  Samantha Erickson
  Fairfield University

  Hannah Marzo
  Trinity College

  Anna Sziabowski
  Connecticut College

• District of Columbia

  Miray Samuel
  Georgetown University

• Florida

  Hannah Roscom
  University of West Florida

• Georgia

  Sarah Fraser
  University of North Georgie

  Kiersten Ley
  Valdosta State University

  William James Alexander Russell
  Georgia Southern University

• Idaho

  Juliette Rollins
  Idaho State University

• Illinois

  Luke Ademoski
  Northern Illinois University

  Ishika Bhatia
  DePaul University

  Jesus Gomez
  Southern Illinois University

  Ty Hanlan
  Eastern Illinois University

  Maria Massa
  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  Chelsea Smith
  Bradley University

• Indiana

  Amy Apfelbaum
  DePauw University

  Margaret Rakonick
  University of Notre Dame

  Ali Hameed Salih
  Purdue University

  Daniel Shappard
  Indiana State University

  Gabriel Swinney
  Taylor University

• Iowa

  Eamon Cole
  Grinnell College

• Kansas

  Mark White
  Wichita State University

• Kentucky

  Natalee Creech
  Northern Kentucky University

  Alexandria Evans
  Murray State University

• Louisiana

  Mousa Ghazawneh
  Louisiana State University in Shreveport

  Megan White
  Nicholls State University

• Maine

  Elizabeth  Fredenburg
  University of Southern Maine

  Danielle Goodman
  Bates College

• Maryland

  Jumana Al-Anesi
  University of Maryland, Baltimore County

  Alexandria Camp
  University of Maryland Eastern Shore

  Jenna Doleschal
  Salisbury University

  Emily Friedman
  St. Mary's College of Maryland

• Massachusetts

  Nalin Aggarwall
  Boston University

  Peter Allen
  Worcester Polytechnic Institute

  Abigail Allworth
  Salem State University

  Elena De Pra
  University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

  Alexandra Dobbins
  Tufts University

  Chloe Fields
  Boston College

  Krishna Gajjar
  Clark University

  Haley Murphy
  College of the Holy Cross

  Audrey Schneider
  Mount Holyoke College

  Maxwell Strazdus
  Northeastern University

  Anna-Lee Thompson
  Smith College

  Jiali Zha
  Wellesley College

• Michigan

  Olivia Clarino
  Eastern Michigan University

  Jason Fahmy
  Wayne State University

  Jennifer Jaster
  Oakland University

  Nicholas Miller
  Albion College

  Nguyen "Jenny" Nguyen
  Kalamazoo College

• Minnesota

  Mirnesa Delic
  Hamline University

  Aiden Lesneski
  Carleton College

  Fuxuan Liu
  Macalester College

• Missouri

  Ashwin Biju Pillai
  Saint Louis University

  Kailyn Dewar
  Missouri Western State University

  Lillian Holmer
  Rockhurst University

  Luke Moore
  University of Missouri, Kansas City

  Kylie Villadolid
  Lindenwood University

• Nebraska

  Lydia Roudabush
  Creighton University

• Nevada

  Ashley Fitzpatrick
  University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• New Jersey

  Chrisnaelle Beaucejour
  Montclair State University

  Marium Bhattim
  Stockton University

  Will Hazelton
  Stevens Institute of Technology

  Chidinma Ralph-Mbah
  New Jersey City University

• New York

  Emmerson Bartels
  Colgate University

  Jebadiah Braunscheidel
  Canisius University

  Melodie Cadichon
  State University of New York at Old Westbury

  Ishika Chourasia
  Union College

  Lydia Coombs  
  Nazareth University

  Reggie Gold
  University at Albany, SUNY

  Phia Guertin
  Siena College

  Micaela Panella
  Iona University

  Sara Reeners
  SUNY Brockport

  Cheyenne Titus
  SUNY Oswego

  Amy Yarygina
  Pace University

• North Carolina

  Tyrone Salters
  Fayetteville State University

  Gracie Giacoletto
  Appalachian State University

• North Dakota

  Liam Ghahreman
  University of North Dakota

• Ohio

  Kaitlyn Frasher
  Capital University

  Justin Katona
  Wittenberg University

  Morgan Klein
  The University of Mount Union

  Nikola Kovácová
  Kenyon College

  Emily Munson
  The College of Wooster

  Graham Seditz
  Youngstown State University

• Oregon

  Isabella Jupiter
  Reed College

  Grant Moen
  Linfield Unviersity

• Pennsylvania

  Kiana Bagnell
  Waynesburg University

  Muna Charles-Monwuba
  Millersville University

  Michelle Chen
  Swarthmore College

  Xinnuo (Sidney) Chen
  Haverford College

  Adrien Chen
  The Pennsylvania State University

  Lauren Culos
  Allegheny College

  Ryan Fisher
  Gannon University

  Krysta Frankowski
  Slippery Rock University

  Sailor Gettle
  University of Pittsburgh

  Elizabeth Glass
  Gettysburg College

  Dzhumile Hodzhova 
  East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

  Alexander Hutchinson
  Messiah University

  Ruofei (Faye) Li
  Bryn Mawr College

  Erin Mulvey
  Villanova University

  Jaden Perin
  Shippensburg University

  Tyler Roberts
  Lafayette College

  Caleb Rokosky
  Indiana University of Pennsylvania

  Michael Wageley
  Washington & Jefferson College

  Madeleine Whitsitt
  Bucknell University

  Victoria Zultevicz
  King’s College

• Puerto Rico

  Walter Gonzalez Iglesias
  Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Gurabo Campus

• South Carolina

  Gregory Kubista
  Furman University

• South Dakota

  Taylor Moran
  South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

• Tennessee

  Alexander Castaneda
  University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

• Texas

  Melvin B. Balderas
  East Texas A&M University

  Elizabeth Batchinsky 
  Trinity University

  Maiko Estrada
  Stephen F. Austin State University

  Tris Flores
  Abilene Christian University

  Briaunna Zamarripa
  University of Texas at San Antonio

• Utah

  Cooper Gangi
  University of Utah

• Virginia

  Samson Hill
  Roanoke College

  Isabella McNulty
  Randolph-Macon College

  Kassidy Owens
  Longwood University

  Angelina Sardelli
  James Madison University

• Washington

  Kaela Williams
  Pacific Lutheran University

  Isabelle Young 
  Western Washington University

• Wisconsin

  Zack Anderson
  University of Wisconsin-River Falls

  Ben Marecek
  University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

  Elizabeth Reece
  University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

  Jakob Rucinski
  University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh