Student Recognition Awards
Every year, Penn State recognizes talented graduate students for their contributions to research, teaching, and outreach. The Fox Graduate School administers these awards in conjunction with the Graduate Council.
Inquiries regarding these programs can be directed to the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards Administration.
2025–26 Student Award Recipients
Alumni Association Dissertation Award
- Chad Brunswick, Neuroscience
- Houman Riazi Jorshari, Architecture
- Satwik Kundu, Computer Science and Engineering
- Gasto Lyakurwa, Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management with a Dual Title in Transdisciplinary Research in Environment and Society
- Breneil Malcolm, Learning, Design, and Technology
- Shreya Mathela, Chemistry
- Ioannis Mouratidis, Bioinformatics and Genomics
- Kripa Neupane, Forest Resources
- Alexandra Nusawardhana, Biomedical Sciences
- Shio Sakon, Physics
- Albert Suceava, Materials Science and Engineering
- Esma Yerlikaya, Biomedical Sciences
- Cheyenne Zaremba, Communication Arts and Sciences
AT&T Graduate Fellowship
- Syed Md Mukit Rashid, Computer Science and Engineering
Distinguished Master's Thesis Award
- Mia Esoldo, Entomology
- Nathan D. Manna, Art History
- Andres Mayorga Corleto, Rural Sociology
- Anika Rahnuma, Electrical Engineering
Graduate Student Excellence in Mentoring Award
- Mia Sullivan, Education, Development, and Community Engagement with a Dual Title in International Agriculture and Development
Graduate Student International Research Award
- Sanika Khadkikar, Physics
Harold F. Martin Graduate Assistant Outstanding Teaching Award
- Arezou Darvishi, Dual‑title in French and Francophone Studies, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
- Alejandro Giraldo, Geosciences
- Lynsey Medd, Communication Arts and Science
- Madiha Noor, Curriculum and Instruction with a Dual Title in Comparative International Education
- Paul Ruelos, Kinesiology
- Kristin Schoenecker, Geography
- Xiaozhen Song, Energy and Mineral Engineering
- Christine Ta, Anthropology with a Dual Title in Microbiome Sciences
- Nusrat Tabassum, Architecture
- Ying Xiong, Applied Linguistics
Harold K. Schilling Dean's Graduate Scholarship
- Vaibhav Pal, Chemistry
Intercollege Graduate Student Outreach Achievement Award
- Robert Witkowski, Plant Biology
Penn State Alumni Association Scholarship for Penn State Alumni in the Fox Graduate School
- Scout Bucks, Nuclear Engineering
- Samantha Splendido, Mechanical Engineering
Professional Master's Excellence Award
- Yasaman Ghaffarian, Architecture
- Dhrupad Umesh Joshi, Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations
- Jasmeen Kaur Khosa, Forensic Science
- Megan von Abo, Biotechnology
Thomas and June Beaver Fund
- Mohammadreza Shariatmadari, Mechanical Engineering
The Fox Graduate School is proud to sponsor the awards below for our students annually. Learn more about each award and how to nominate a student below.