SMHS graduate students win awards at North Dakota Academy of Science Symposium

Several graduate students from the UND Department of Biomedical Sciences won awards at the North Dakota Academy of Science Symposium held Friday, March 8, 2019, at UND Memorial Union. At this event, wherein undergraduate and graduate students and faculty from various North Dakota universities gathered to present projects from several disciplines, SMHS Biomedical Sciences students Atrayee Bhattacharya (advisor: Archana Dhasarathy), Ashrifa Ali (advisor: Bryon Grove), and Danielle Germundson (advisor: Kumi Combs) each received a Barbara Ann Earwicker Award For Excellence In Research & Scientific Communication for their presentations.

The awards were given to the students by UND Department of Biology faculty Diane Darland in the honor of her mother, Barbara Ann Earwicker, in whose memory the awards were named. A passionate advocate for education and a lifelong learner, Barbara was born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 21, 1938, and lived her life with energy, tenacity, and integrity. She was an excellent communicator, read widely, and had a broad range of interests, never hesitating to tackle a new topic area or acquire a new skill. Barbara was a creative and thoughtful individual, devoted to family and friends and she gave much of herself in service to others. She passed away on June 22, 2011, after having lived every moment of her life to its fullest. The award is a celebration of her commitment to education, to learning, and to family.

Two additional Earwicker awards were given to Jaylin Solberg, UND Dept. of Biology undergraduate (advisor: Susan Felege), and Reid Hawkins, NDSU Dept. of Microbiological Sciences graduate student (advisor: Peter Bergholz) for their poster presentations.

Congratulations to everyone!