2026 Award Recipients
View all the 2026 graduate student award recipients from our annual recognition awards, Graduate Exhibition, and Three Minute Thesis. Talented faculty, staff, and alumni also received prestigious awards. We're proud to celebrate all these amazing people and their exemplary contributions to graduate education at Penn State. Congratulations!
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Recognition Award Recipients
Forty-two graduate students were recognized with University awards that highlight their impact across areas of scholarship, teaching, outreach, mentoring, and more. The awards are administered by the Fox Graduate School and sponsored by the Office of the President.
Graduate Exhibition Award Recipients
Thirty-one graduate students received awards at the annual Graduate Exhibition, the premier annual showcase of Penn State graduate research, scholarship, and creative activity.
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Three Minute Thesis Award Recipients
Four students earned awards at the 2025-26 Penn State Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Julia Ho, a doctoral student in architectural engineering, took home first place. Sayan Deep De, a doctoral student in kinesiology, and Shakshi Sekar, a doctoral student in energy and mineral engineering, tied for second place. Zilfa Irakoze, a doctoral candidate in food science with a dual title in international agriculture and development, received the People's Choice Award, sponsored by the Graduate and Professional Student Association.
Faculty and Staff Award Recipients
Jason Kaye, distinguished professor of soil biogeochemistry, received the Fox Graduate School Alumni Society Program Chair Leadership Award.
Qiushi Chen, Korb Early Career Associate Professor in Industrial Engineering, earned the 2026 Graduate Faculty Teaching Award.
Ted Jaenicke, professor of agricultural economics, was named the recipient of the 2026 Howard B. Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award.
Alumni Award Recipients
Three accomplished alumni received our annual alumni awards:
- Early Career Award: Ashley Kuzmik, 2021, Ph.D., Public Health
- Outstanding Service Award: Maya Nehme, 2009, Ph.D., Entomology
- Lifetime Achievement Award: David W. Mayzck, 1996, M.S. and 2000, Ph.D., Environmental Engineering