Biology Department Top 100 Students

Every year, our biology students and faculty make Ball State University the one to watch by securing grants, winning awards, publishing in scientific journals and earning scholarships. Here’s what our students and faculty have been up to in the last year.

Fall 2022
Morgan L Adkins
Joshua O Alexander
Rachel S Alexander
Kevin Aragon
Logan T Ayres
Taylor J Baker
Aidan J Bane
Amanda N Barrett
Rachel B Baumgartner
Graysen A Beatty
Travis S Beckett
Julianna R Bennett
Samantha G Biernat
Dilynn G Blair
Matthew Boersma
Brooke V Bolton
Allison I Bond
Julianna N Borgia
Allison R Bornkamp
Kennedy A Brantley
Luke D Brewer
Angela M Broom
Elizabeth I Brown
Brandon L Bzdyl
Kolbi S Cambric
Grace L Carey
Olivia K Carolan
James B Carty
Alexis Cathey
Kylie M Catron
Charline Charles
Josephine L Cialkowski
Jillian R Cieslik
Emily J Clark
Cora J Conatser
Sydney W Cook
Natalie E Coomer
Carrie M Cooper-Randolph
Eliana M Cox
Chance S Creviston
AlJa X Culbreath
Nathaniel R Dallmann
Emily L Danzeisen
Shelby N Davis
Max L Deater
Alexandria E Deel
Emily Desai
Courtney P Detwiler
Stephen J Doll
Dante P Dowden
Hannah E Dukeman
Edward T Dziennik
Emily E Ellis
Abigale J Elgert
Abby N Engle
Emma S Eubank
Grace F Evans
Rianna N Evans
Jonathan Fason
Alyssa M Fernung
Jason D Fivush
Broc H Fletcher
Chaeli J Fletcher
Logan B Foster
Tabitha C Fox
Alexa G Fraley
Haley J Franklin
Jordyn A Friend
Jacey M Fultz
Erica H Galindo
Andrew J Galvez
Nathan W Garreth
Clayton W Garrison
Emma R Geisler
Grace A Gilbert
Olivia P Glaeser


Mya E Gregory
Lanie L Guinn
Maya G Guinn
Joseph M Gumina
Amelia G Guyer
Kaitlin N Gwin
Emma C Haefling
Reygan M Hall
Sai A Hamm
Christopher D Hardiman
Bryce H Harman
Sara A Harmeyer
Sydney R Harris
Katelyn R Harris
YaMenyce A Harris
Emily R Hartranft
Porter F Haught
Abigail A Hawkins
Natalie C Hedden
Gabrielle A Heiser
Allison E Helmer
Micah D Hess
Nicole R Hoefflicker
Shelby N Hofferth
Robert M Hook
Emma E Horton
Samantha L Horton
Celeste A Horvath
Benjamin S Houchin
Morgan J Houchins
Cassidy L Houston
Jeremy C Houston
Kerrigan H Huffman
Sarah K Huggins
Heidi M Hughes
Victoria N Hutchings
Luis A Ibarra
Kiera Irvin
Amy M Isaac
Eileen E Jarp
Jordyn E Jeffers
Abigail L Jenkins
Tanisha S Jimenez
Dre'An C Johnson
Lance J Johnson
Alexia Jones
Chloe J Jones
Lillyanna R Jones
Kyle M Jordan
Hayley M Joslyn
Breanna J Julian
Brian H Kacerski
Jassleen Kaur
Maria A Kelly
Alexandra M Kindley
Samuel W Klein
Sarah J Kloepper
Kaitlin J Knight
Lily G Kreun
Aislyn O Labadie
Ella M Lautzenheiser
Baylee D Lawler
Kami Leach
Lydia H LeClaire
Laura E Lemen
Alyssa R Linder
Wesley B Livingston
Sajahane R Lloyd
Sherlyn Lopez-Contreras
Kaylee K Luttman
Alyssa Pearl Mallorca
Alexandra L Marshall
Samuel J Marshall
Madison M Mathew
Fayden R Mauke
Lucy M McGovern
Ashton J Mcgrew
Michelle M McIntyre
Juvell Medina Valles
Logan Mercuri
Gabriel M Minichiello
Jacee M Moon
Adelyn R Moore
Skylar R Moore
Bridie T Murphy
Madison Murray
Snehashree Muthuramesh
William B Nicely
Sakdidach Nobpatsorn
Kaylin S Nolen

Joshua P Novack
Chloe M Nye
LiLi F O'Malley
Abdelrahman B Omar
Ashley M Owens
Olivia P Oyler
Kylie M Parr
Logan E Parrett
Reva F Patil
Ken'Nisha L Patton
Hailee E Pernsley
Emily R Peterson
Mary Kate E Phillips
Lily E Plumlee
Kelsey R Poehlein
Gwenyth A Porod
Aaron M Porter
Katelynn L Pranger
Izabela C Price
Noelle R Quiroga
Jaycee E Rardin
Makhai E Reed
Kenneth C Reed
Natilie N Ressler
Collin G Rhodes
Carlie A Richardson
Claire L Richter
Javon E Rodgers
Summer L Romick
Gregory J Rosen
Angelina N Russo
Amelia R Sabinske
Katelyn G Sadlon
Stephen D Schmidt
Alexa S Schwendenman
Dylan C Seiler
Mackensie L Shears
Blake A Shell
Corri A Shepherd
Bradley D Shue
Jaisha R Shumpert
Zeeshan A Siddiqui
Johnna M Siegrist
Jacob S Siewers
Kelsey G Slattery
Elena E Sloan
Leah M Sodo
Brayden A Sowers
Evan J Spell
Alexandra N Stapinski
Kali M Stinson
Sarah N Strecker
Julia A Stover
Nicholas E Stuber
Allison L Studenmund
Ophelia C Stultz
Kelly M Sulek
Grace E Sumner
Lillian M Sutton
Aleigha C Sweet
Jaliyah D Tate
Anastasia M Taylor
Tylar C Tebben
Alyson J Teeter
Makayla D Templeton
Griffin L Thomas
Austin L Tolston
Tiffani A Torres
Taran N Tyo
Kira M Verburg
Anna M Vincel
Rachel P Waechter
Bailey M Walker
Emma A Walker
Marisa S Wallace
Hailey A Wallett
Macy V Walters
Rheanna E Walther
Kyra D Watts
Matthew P Webber
Calvin J Whitney
Alyssa M Wilhelm
Maureen S Willauer
Alonna F Williams
Trinity E Wine
Donita L Wright
Abigail L Yake
Camden L Young
Fareeda F Yusuf
Katelyn S Zeiger


Outstanding Senior in Biology
Katelyn Harris

Robert Esther Cooper Science Student Award
Emma Stanley

Drs. Nancy and Mohammad Behforouz Biology Scholarship
Dylan Seiler

Dr. Robert R. and Mrs. Harriet M. Pinger Award for Student Travel
Veronica Hamilton

Russell E. Siverly Memorial Research Award for Environmental Biology Research
Barrett Sullivan

Thomas R. and Beatrice J. Mertens Award
Emily L. Danzeisen

Thomas and Carol McComish Award for Aquatic Biology & Fisheries Graduate Student of the Year
Grace Carter

Thomas and Carol McComish Award for Aquatic Biology & Fisheries Undergraduate Student of the Year
Noah Dilley

Thomas S. McComish Scholarship in Aquatic Biology
Jillian Cieslik

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Lab Sciences
Emma Eubank

Dr. Mahin D. Maines Biology Graduate Student Award for Outstanding Graduate Student in Lab Sciences
Connor Bailey

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Field Sciences
Jillian Cieslik

Outstanding Graduate Student in Field Sciences
Veronica Hamilton

Outstanding Senior in Wildlife Biology
Steve Doll

Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Science Education
Emily L. Danzeisen

Outstanding Teaching as a Graduate Student (Carl Warnes Award)
Kate (Kathryn) McGowan

Newell C. Cook Sr. & Jr. Scholarship in Microbiology
Kieran Claypool

Velvet Day Memorial Pre-Health Professions Scholarship
Charline Charles

Excellence in Physiology & Anatomy Research
Chhiring Sherpa

Homer D. Paschall Outstanding Anatomy and/or Physiology Graduate Assistant Award
Bryce Kuschel

Ashley Anderson - Ball State University Top 100 Recognition

Quinn Anderson - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

Cassandra Araujo - ASPiRE Research Grant

Esther Atutey - Poster presentation at Southeastern Fishes Council, Poster presentation at American Fisheries Society Conference, Poster presentation at Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference

Brian Ault - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

Connor Bailey - Presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences, Poster presentation at BSU Student Symposium, Manuscript published (co-author) in microPublication Biology, Manuscript published (co-author) in BioRxiv

Travis Beckett - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

Julianna Bennett - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

Jillian Campbell - Poster presentation at Southeastern Fishes Council

Grace Carter - ASPiRE Travel Grant, Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences, Presentation at Indiana Water Resources Association

Jillian Cieslik - ASPiRE Research Grant, Bernadette Perham Scholarship

Kieran Claypool - Manuscript published (co-author) in BioRxiv

Clayton Coll - Ball State University Top 50 Recognition

Alexandra Doerner - Manuscript published (co-author) in IEEE 20th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging

Steve Doll - Josie and Geoff Fox Travel Grant, National Udall Undergraduate Scholarship, Deborah S. Wehman Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship

Abdulgadir Elnajdi - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

Angela Fletcher - ASPiRE Travel Grant

Samantha Gosser - ASPiRE Research Grant, Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences, Manuscript published (co-author) in BioRxiv

Julian Grudens - ASPiRE Research Grant, Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

Joseph Gumina - Ball State University Top 100 Recognition

Corwyn Hall - Poster presentation at Southeastern Fishes Council

Katelyn Harris - Ball State University Top 10 Recognition

Brook Karasch - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences, Presentation at Indiana University Animal Behavior Meeting

Anu Kumal - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

Bryce Kuschel - ASPiRE Travel Grant, Presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences, Poster presentation at American Physiological Summit Conference, Poster presentation at BSU Student Symposium

Reaghan Lewis - Ball State University Top 50 Recognition

Alexandra Marshall - Book publication

Madison Mathew - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

Kate (Kathryn) McGowan - ASPiRE Travel Grant

Jacob Miller - ASPiRE Research Grant, Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences, Winner of Emerging Scientist Poster Competition for Cell Biology, Poster presentation at BSU Student Symposium, Manuscript published (co-author) in microPublication Biology, Manuscript published (co-author) in BioRxiv

Skylar Moore - Presidential Scholarship, Honors Scholarship

Brit Nahorney - ASPiRE Research Grant, Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

Ashley Owens - Book publication

Kenzie Persinger - ASPiRE Research Grant, Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences, Presentation at Indiana University Animal Behavior Meeting

Leah Reese - ASPiRE Research Grant

Evan Rogers - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

Hayden Schneider - ASPiRE Research Grant

Emeline Scott - ASPiRE Research Grant, Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

David Shearer - Presentation at Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Presentation at Indiana TWS Chapter Meeting, Manuscript published in Animal Cognition, Manuscript published in Ecology and Evolution Nature Notes

Chhiring Sherpa - ASPiRE Research Grant, Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences, Poster presentation at BSU Student Symposium

Grace Shiller - Presentation at Fine Focus Symposium

Mathew Simpson - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

Lauryn Snowden - Ball State University Top 100 Recognition

Brock Spahr - Ball State University Top 100 Recognition

Evan Spell - Poster presentation at RNA Rustbelt Meeting

Barrett Sullivan - ASPiRE Research Grant

Megan Teter - Ball State University Top 50 Recognition

Griffin Thomas - 2023 Goldwater Scholarship Recipient, Presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences, Presentation at Annual Meeting of American Chemical Society

Mary Tragesser-Tina - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences, Poster presentation at BSU Student Symposium, Manuscript published (co-author) in BioRxiv

Sam Walsh - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

Rheanna Walther - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences

Jessica (Jit) Weir - Manuscript published in PNAS Nexus, Manuscript published (co-author) in Cybium, Manuscript published (co-author) in Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries

Asia Wyatt - Poster presentation at Indiana Academy of Sciences