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.

Summer 2024

Kelsey Slattery
Magdalene Acheampong-kusi
Ahmad Ahmad
Reva Allam
Brad Shue
Morgan Anderson
Kyle Carnes
Gabriel Baker
Johnathan Burnworth
Kiernyn Cassady
Grace Claycamp
Jurnee Cooper
Kennedy Cunningham
Des Drew
Kendra Eller
Angel Esquivel Vazquez
Zachary Fair

Summer 2023

Ahmad Ahmad
Christa J Allen
Taylor J Baker
Allison I Brannon
Kennedy A Brantley
Kiernyn H Cassady
Tyler R Cavender
Piper L Conway
Kennedy A Cunningham
Ashleigh N Davis
Bethanie J Gehen
Olivia P Glaeser


Spring 2023

Morgan L Adkins
Joshua O Alexander
Christa J Allen
Cassandra J Anthony
Kevin Aragon
Abdelrahman B Atallah
Kelsey G Ayres
Taylor J Baker
Aidan J Bane
Rachel B Baumgartner
Travis S Beckett
Matthew C Bell
Adam J Betz
Samantha G Biernat
Dilynn G Blair
Matthew Boersma
Brooke V Bolton
Allison I Bond
Julianna N Borgia
Caitlyn M Brandt
Luke D Brewer
Sydney E Broviak
Emma C Burns
Johnathan M Burnworth
Brandon L Bzdyl
Grace L Carey
Kyle A Carnes
James B Carty
Alexis Cathey
Kylie M Catron
Charline Charles
Jillian R Cieslik
Emily J Clark
Peyton L Clay
Kieran P Claypool
Michael P Clingerman
Olivia G Coltharp
Jasney M Combs
Sydney W Cook
Natalie E Coomer
Carrie M Cooper-Randolph
Eliana M Cox
Jackson T Cranston
Chance S Creviston
Sarah O Crossley
Krista M Crouch
Mackenzie M Cummings
Nathaniel R Dallmann
Shelby N Davis
Max L Deater
Olivia N DeClue
Alexandria E Deel
Ruth E Dennison
Courtney P Detwiler
Stephen J Doll
Dante P Dowden
William T Dugan
Hannah E Dukeman
Jenna N Dupont
Cadence A Eaton
Abigale J Elgert
Emily E Ellis
Abby N Engle
Grace F Evans
Jonathan Fason
Kaylee M Fender
Alyssa M Fernung
Danielle M Finicle
Ashley P Fitch
Jason D Fivush
Hannah M Flanagan

 

Tony Williamson
Lexi Fraley
Kellin Pike
Dylan Mann
Alonna Williams
Elizabeth Munoz
Braydon Webster
Alexia Jones
Kenya Lee
Anna Syler
Moris Lalim
Payton Lumpkin
Lucy McGovern
Shelby Oliver
Kira Verburg
Sarah Strecker
Gwenyth Porod

 

Omar B Habous
Allison E Helmer
Sarah K Huggins
Cory R Kalber
Lily G Kreun
Marise E Lalim
Kaitlyn M Lassen
Chloe J Livensparger
Lucy M McGovern
Juvell Medina Valles
Star A Moon
Skylar R Moore
Snehashree Muthuramesh
Reva F Patil


Clayton W Garrison
Grace A Gilbert
Cheyenne M Gillett
Olivia P Glaeser
Jennifer L Golc
Matteson A Gragert
Mya E Gregory
Arianna L Grindstaff
Maya G Guinn
Joseph M Gumina
Amelia G Guyer
Kaitlin N Gwin
Omar B Habous
Emma C Haefling
Sai A Hamm
Sara A Harmeyer
Katelyn R Harris
Sydney R Harris
YaMenyce A Harris
Emily R Hartranft
Maya J Harty
Gabrielle A Heiser
Dylon M Herring
Micah D Hess
Titus Hill
Sade A Hodson
Nicole R Hoefflicker
Shelby N Hofferth
Brett D Holliday
Emma E Horton
Samantha L Horton
Celeste A Horvath
Morgan J Houchins
Cassidy L Houston
Sarah K Huggins
Heidi M Hughes
Luis A Ibarra
Conor S Imhoff
Kiera Irvin
Amy M Isaac
Eileen E Jarp
Cassidy W Jean
Jordyn E Jeffers
Dre'An C Johnson
Caleb S Johnston
Nellie M Joiner
Alexia Jones
Chloe J Jones
Kyle M Jordan
Brian H Kacerski
Jassleen Kaur
Kaylah R Keating
Samuel W Klein
Sarah J Kloepper
Kaitlin J Knight
Fleur I Knopert
Lily G Kreun
Aislyn O Labadie
Kaitlyn M Lassen
Ella M Lautzenheiser
Baylee D Lawler
Kami Leach
Laura E Lemen
Khalilah O Lewis
Brooke A Ligacki
Alyssa R Linder
Wesley B Livingston
Dylan J Mann
Zachary R Mann
Alexandra L Marshall
Samuel J Marshall
Madison M Mathew
Miu Matsumuro
Fayden R Mauke
Genevieve E McClure
Lucy M McGovern
Ashton J Mcgrew
Kayla L Merriman
Claire M Mills
Gabriel M Minichiello
Star A Moon
Skylar R Moore
Bridie T Murphy



Olivia Glaeser
Bracee BallardMaya Shebeshi
Charlie Rogers
Gem Sambugaro
Emma Walker
Katie Wapnick
Kelsey Slattery
Curran O'Connor
Claire Price
Madyson Jones
Emma Stanley
Morgann Miller
Sneha Muthuramesh
Reva Patil
Katie Mottweiler
Madi Hord








Lily E Plumlee
Hal J Plummer
Gwenyth A Porod
Aaron M Porter
Karl E Rademacher
Claire L Richter
Olivia R Robinson
Kelsey G Slattery
Sarah N Strecker
Kaelyn O White
Ella S Wilhelm
Maureen S Willauer
Trinity E Wine





Snehashree Muthuramesh
Angel K Nkosi
Joshua P Novack
Chloe M Nye
Shelby N Oliver
LiLi F O'Malley
Ashley M Owens
Kylie M Parr
Logan E Parrett
Mishwa B Patel
Reva F Patil
Ken'Nisha L Patton
Andrew R Pennycuff
Emily R Peterson
Paige A Phelps
Mary Kate E Phillips
Lily E Plumlee
Haley J Plummer
Kelsey R Poehlein
Gwenyth A Porod
Aaron M Porter
Sydney J Powell
Katelynn L Pranger
Izabela C Price
Noelle R Quiroga
Karl E Rademacher
Jaycee E Rardin
Brittney M Reece
Kenneth C Reed
Natilie N Ressler
William D Retherford
Collin G Rhodes
Carlie A Richardson
Claire L Richter
Olivia Rickle
Peyton K Rodgers
Summer L Romick
Stephen D Schmidt
Alexa S Schwendenman
Laney M Scott
Dylan C Seiler
Mackensie L Shears
Bradley D Shue
Zeeshan A Siddiqui
Johnna M Siegrist
Jacob S Siewers
Kelsey G Slattery
Elena E Sloan
Seth A Snyder
Leah M Sodo
Solmari E Solano
Brayden A Sowers
Evan J Spell
Alexandra N Stapinski
Sarah N Strecker
Nicholas E Stuber
Ophelia C Stultz
Kelly M Sulek
Riley T Sullivan
Grace E Sumner
Tylar C Tebben
Makayla D Templeton
Griffin L Thomas
Taran N Tyo
Allison Valladay
Kira M Verburg
Rachel P Waechter
Emma A Walker
Marisa S Wallace
Macy V Walters
Rheanna E Walther
Kyra D Watts
Brennan S Wells
Calvin J Whitney
Tyler L Wilburn
Alyssa M Wilhelm
Nicholas J Wilkinson
Eeve F Williams
Trinity E Wine
Donita L Wright
Abigail L Yake
Isaiah John M Yuhico

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