Fall 2025 Commencement Award Winners
We congratulate the following Commencement Award Winners, as well as those recognized as having earned a Dean's Citation.
Guy Stevenson Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies
Clayton Dean Robertson,
PhD Physics and Astronomy,
Mentor: Professor Benne Holwerda
John Richard Binford Memorial Award
Samuel Thomas Vielee,
PhD Pharmacology and Toxicology,
Mentor: Assistant Professor John Wise, Jr.
John M. Houchens Prize for Outstanding Dissertation
Ahmed Muhammed Sherif Mostafa Alksas,
PhD Computer Science and Engineering,
Co-Mentors: Professor Adel Elmagnraby and Professor Ayman El-Baz
Graduate Dean's Citations
To be eligible for a Graduate Dean’s Citation, the student must have significant accomplishments (e.g. publications, teaching excellence, and professional service) beyond the achievement of a high-grade point average.
| Name | Program |
|---|---|
| Stephanie Abraham | Epidemiology & Population Health (PhD) |
| Jeevan Adhikari | Public Health Sciences (PhD) |
| Florence Akingbehin | Criminal Justice (MS) |
| Sharmin Akter | Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| Helena Alacha | Clinical Psychology (PhD) |
| Ahmed Alksas | Computer Science and Engineering (PhD) |
| Shikhi Baruri | Biology (PhD) |
| Juliana Binhote | Entrepreneurship (PhD) |
| Ashley Bittner | Humanities (PhD) |
| Naomi Deeds | Social Work (MSW) |
| Cindia Fernandez | Social Work (MSW) |
| Raeden Gray | Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (PhD) |
| Xiaolin Guo | Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| Marcellos Jackson | Sociology (MA) |
| Amanda Minogue | Social Work (PhD) |
| Toheeb Mustapha | Public Health Sciences (PhD) |
| Md. Yasin Parh | Biostatistics (PhD) |
| Clayton Robertson | Physics (PhD) |
| Hayley Salo | Humanities (PhD) |
| Kate Tarvestad-Laise | Pharmacology and Toxicology (PhD) |
| Samuel Vielee | Pharmacology and Toxicology (PhD) |
| Franklin Walden | Urban Planning (MUP) & Public Administration (MPA) |
| Collin Wells | Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (PhD) |
| James Whitley | Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology (PhD) |
| Caleb Whitley | Microbiology and Immunology (PhD) |
| Jacqui Zaczek | Anthropology (MA) |