Graduate Student Research Awards
The Graduate College, in partnership with the Office of Research, recognizes outstanding graduate students whose research, scholarship and creative work advance the university’s research mission and commitment to creative excellence.
Presented annually, these awards celebrate the bold, forward-thinking work that defines Next Lives Here, highlighting excellence in innovation, impact and interdisciplinary collaboration.
2026 Award Recipients
Innovation
Nicole Pek, doctoral student, molecular and developmental biology, College of Medicine (first-place winner of the Graduate College’s 2024 Three Minute Thesis Competition)
Impact
Zachery (Ziqi) Ma, doctoral student, business administration and accounting, Carl H. Lindner College of Business (Graduate College Dean’s Dissertation Completion Fellow, 2025–26 academic year)
Interdisciplinarity
Karen Noda Morishita, doctoral student, environmental engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Science
Each recipient is recognized for outstanding contributions that advance knowledge, foster collaboration and demonstrate the real-world impact of graduate research.
The 2026 awards were presented during Research + Innovation Week.
2026 Nominees
The Graduate College also recognizes the many outstanding graduate students nominated for this year’s awards. Their work reflects the depth, diversity and impact of graduate research across the university.
Ahmad Al Saghir
Zuhair Abdulrahman Alqahtani
Hesham Abdelfattah
Francisca Akhigbe
Milad Ahmed
Ahmed Elgohary
Ahmed Mohamed
Usman Bah
Mitch Batschelett
Maura Bennett
Arati Bhandari
Sandra Boateng
Maddie Charles-Carlin
Letsema DikgaleMadison Dixon
Amour Dondi
Anna D’Orazio
Suchandrima Dutta
Kwame Edjah
Adriana Gonzalez Sanchez
Chenyang Han
Carson Hartlage
Sarah Hudson
Anudeep Katepalli
Sneha Kesaraju
Samieh Askarian Khanamani
Kendall Kellerman
Gabrielle A. Kroger
Nora Lakes
Zachery (Ziqi) Ma
Zoe Marczak
Lindsey Marquez
Bilal Masokano
C. Griffin McDaniel
Lorena Mesquita Ragonesi
Karen Noda Morishita
Samantha Nusbaum
Esra N. Oz Cetindere
Sunkanmi Oluwadare
Shobha Pai
Nicole Pek
Bozhi Peng
Seyed Mohammad Pishnamazi
LaMar Price
Meranda Quijas
Pradeep Ramtel
Fatemeh Rezaei
Abby Ryan
Yehia Zakaria Said
Angel Perez-Vila
Supreeth Setty
Iman Shayegani
Kendrick Smith
Hanzhong Sun
Mohamed Tolba
Aura Vargas
Joseph Verry
Tarek Yahia
Barbara Zhao
Award Categories
Innovation
Recognizes work that challenges conventions, advances knowledge and reimagines what’s possible across disciplines.
Impact
Honors work that creates meaningful change beyond the university and contributes to the public good.
Interdisciplinarity
Recognizes work that bridges fields and integrates perspectives to generate new knowledge and creative possibilities.
Nomination and Review Process
Faculty and staff submit nominations through the Graduate Student Research Awards online form, with each submission aligned to a single award category.
A committee of faculty and university representatives evaluates nominations based on:
- Innovation in research, scholarship or creative work
- Impact beyond the university
- Interdisciplinary collaboration and integration
- Contributions to advancing knowledge and addressing real-world challenges
For questions, contact Amy Wheeler, Graduate College program manager for student success and retention, at robina9@ucmail.uc.edu