The Office of Graduate Studies congratulates the recipients of the Graduate Recognition Awards & Fellowships for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Presidential Fellowship
This award is given to advanced doctoral or MFA students.
| Name | Department |
| Gayoung Choi | TLTE |
Fling Fellowship
This award is given to advanced masters or doctoral students.
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Christina Fragel | Biological Sciences |
| Alejandra Vasquez | Political Sciences |
| Kevin Lievano-Romero | Biological Sciences |
| Roopan Miriam George | Child, Youth & Family Studies |
Dean's Fellowship
This award is given to advanced masters or doctoral students.
| Name | Program |
|---|---|
| Omid Armantalab | Civil & Enviro Engineering |
| Shilu Daha | Plant Pathology |
| Rebecca Howard Valdivia | Psychology |
| Adda Ireba | Nat Resources Sciences |
| Kanak Kanti Kar | Civil & Enviro Engineering |
| Christina | SGIS |
| Rinto Sen | Bio Systems Engineering |
| Trisaam Sapkota | Bio Systems Engineering |
| Tina Shetabi | TMFD |
| Fatema Yeasmin Tanni | Biochemistry |
| Ankit Yadav | Agro & Hort |
| Yuru Zhang | School of Computing |
| Junxiao Zhang | Bio Systems Engineering |
Graduate Student Excellence in Mentoring Award
Graduate Student Excellence in Mentoring Award
This award recognizes graduate students who have demonstrated excellence in mentoring undergraduate and other graduate students in research and creative activities.
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Casey Tisdale | Psychology |
| Kasey Peterson | English |
| Anjana Bhandari- Mathematics | Mathematics |
| Brooke Parrisha | Animal Science |
| Portia Plange | Bio Systems Engineering |
Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
This award recognizes graduate teaching assistants who have demonstrated special effectiveness in teaching undergraduates at Nebraska.
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Rebecca Wolfe | Psychology |
| Hassan Fazayeli | Bio Systems Engineering |
| Donovan Phoenix | ALEC |
Outstanding Research & Creative Activities Award
Outstanding Research & Creative Activities Award
This award recognizes excellence in graduate student research and creativity at Nebraska.
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Barbie Zaman Wahid | Nutrition & Health Sciences |
| Cailin Smith | Biochemistry |
| Peace Adegbite | Physics & Astronomy |
| Anika Azme | Civil & Enviro Engineering |
| Nitish Bastola | Civil & Enviro Engineering |
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Education
Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Education
This award honors faculty members whose dedication to graduate students and commitment to excellence in graduate mentoring have made a significant contribution to graduate education at Nebraska.
| Name | Position | Department |
|---|---|---|
| Ross Miller | Associate Professor | Political Sciences |
| Byrav Ramamurthy | Professor | School of Computing |
| Stacey Waite | Associate Professor | English |
Folsom Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award
Folsom Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award
This award recognizes the outstanding research and creative accomplishments of the university's doctoral students.
| Name | Program |
|---|---|
| Vipin Kumar | Agronomy & Horticulture |
| Krishna Muuva | School of Computing |
Folsom Distinguished Master's Thesis Award
Folsom Distinguished Master's Thesis Award
This award recognizes the outstanding research and creative accomplishments of the university's master's students.
| Name | Program |
|---|---|
| Kashish Verma | Entomology |
Outstanding Postdoc Award
Outstanding Postdoc Award
Honoring the achievements of exceptional postdoctoral scholars for their comprehensive efforts in research, teaching, mentoring, innovation, and University or community service.
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Biquan Zhao | Animal Science |
| Siva Shanmugam | Food Science |
Outstanding Postdoc Mentor Award
Outstanding Postdoc Mentor Award
Honoring a UNL faculty member or PI who has demonstrated a sustained commitment and exceptional ability in mentoring postdoctoral scholars' professional and career development.
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Clemenica Rojas | Plant Pathology |