Celebrating Spring 2024 Commencement, Student Awards and Scholarship Recipients
July 10, 2024
Western’s Biology Department celebrated on the front steps of the Biology building post commencement on Friday, June 14. Faculty and staff were excited to continue the tradition of celebrating student accomplishments with graduates and their family and friends on the building's front steps. The Biology department had 67 undergraduate students graduate spring quarter and 121 graduates between Summer 2023-Spring 2024. Congratulations to all the graduates!
Students and faculty in commencement regalia stand on the front steps of the Biology building.
Proud undergraduate and graduate MMEL members who graduated spring quarter of 2024. Photo by K. Rodriguez.
Biology professors waiting for commencement ceremony to begin. From L to R: Annelise Snyder, Shawn Arellano, Lina Dahlberg, Suzanne Lee, Lynn Pillitteri, Matt Zinkgraf, Ben Miner, Adrienne Wang, Chris Templeton
Kyla Gustave-Schelling (left) and Professor Adrienne Wang (right) celebrate at commencement.
L to R: Professor Brady Olson, Professor Matt Zinkgraf, Will Penrose, Professor Shawn Arellano, Professor Ben Miner
L to R: Biology Student Ambassador Reva Karnik, Jennifer Black, Professor Lina Dahlberg, Professor Laura Pillay, Professor and Chair Lynn Pillitteri.
Biology Department Awards
Biology awards both undergraduate and graduate students with Departmental Awards. These students are nominated and selected by faculty based on a combination of grades, research, future promise and service to the community.
Biology Outstanding Grad Student Award: Biology - Heino Hulsey-Vincent (read more about Heino in WWU Graduate School article); Biology MESP - Alexandrea Otto (read more about Alexandrea in WWU News)
Grad TA Award: Lauren Cohen, Victoria Vinceke (read more about Victoria in CSE News)
Grad Student Research Award: Astoria Tershy
Biology Outstanding Undergraduate Award: Aidan Hostetler, Aryana Merritt-Johnson, Hannah Thorp (read more about Hannah in WWU Foundation article)
Biology 2024-25 Scholarship Recipients
The Biology Department awards scholarships to full-time Biology undergraduate majors and graduate students. Congratulations to our 2024-25 Academic Year recipients!
Biology Alumni Student Research Fellowships: Jason Gronich, Summer Simpson
Biology Department Tuition Waiver Scholars: Emma Strand
Declan Barron Memorial Scholarship: Madilynn Reichel, Meilin Scott, Callie Seymour, Emma Strand
Hodgson Family Scholarship: Emmy Kroontje
Student Athlete Scholarship: McKenna Crum
Biology Faculty Fellowship: Charlotte Clark-Slakey, Jason Gronich, Summer Simpson, Nadine Tietz
Frances and Alfred Baker Memorial Scholarship: Kayli Greeley
Rathmann Family Foundation Endowment for Chemistry and Biology: Emily Grunert
Ronald Heimark Biology Scholarship: Meilin Scott, Callie Seymour