Each year, the Undergraduate Honors and Awards Committee in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry selects deserving students for the awards and fellowships listed below. Selection is based on faculty nominations, academic performance and the student’s area of interest. All Chemistry and Biochemistry majors are considered for the awards. For fellowships, financial need is also considered. Awardees are celebrated at the annual Chemistry and Biochemistry graduation in May.
Russell E. Marker Outstanding Freshman Award
Russell E. Marker (B.S. ’23, M.S. ’24, chemistry) was an award-winning chemist who invented the octane rating system for gasoline. He also developed a synthetic route, known as the "Marker Degradation," leading to the practical production of numerous steroid hormones, including components of the birth control pill. This award is given to a freshman student who demonstrates outstanding academic performance and a commitment to the field of chemistry or biochemistry.
Nathan Drake Award
The Nathan Drake Award is sponsored annually by the Alpha Rho Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma (“AXE”), the Chemistry fraternity. The award recognizes an outstanding student in chemistry or biochemistry completing their sophomore year.
James McDonald Stewart Outstanding Sophomore Award
This award is named after a beloved former member of the department who was dedicated to undergraduate education. It is given annually to an outstanding sophomore in chemistry or biochemistry. The recipient receives a glass plaque with his or her name inscribed.
Bernice Dorren Stewart Outstanding Female Scientist Award
This award is named after James Stewart's wife, Bernice, a Ph.D. chemist herself. It is given annually to an outstanding female student in chemistry or biochemistry. The recipient receives a glass plaque with his or her name inscribed.
Bruce B. Jarvis Outstanding Junior Award
This award is named for the inimitable Professor Emeritus Bruce Jarvis, a long-time professor of organic chemistry and a former department chair.
We have four awards that are given to our top seniors, in recognition of their outstanding records throughout their college careers:
Chemical Society of Washington Award
The Chemical Society of Washington presents this award annually, at a dinner in the early spring, to outstanding seniors majoring in chemistry or in biochemistry.
Royal Society of Chemistry / Merck Index Award
The Canadian Royal Society of Chemistry sponsors the Merck Index Award to honor outstanding graduating seniors in chemistry. The recipient receives a Merck Index or a 6-month digital subscription to Chemistry World, the flagship magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
American Institute of Chemists Award
This award is presented to honor outstanding seniors with a demonstrated record of ability, leadership and professional promise. The recipients will receive a certificate and a one-year student associate membership in the American Institute of Chemists. There is one awardee in chemistry and one in biochemistry.
Alpha Chi Sigma Award
This award is sponsored by the chemistry fraternity, Alpha Chi Sigma. It recognizes an outstanding senior majoring in chemistry or biochemistry. The award consists of a one-year membership in the American Chemical Society.
There are three sub-field specific awards:
Robert Battista Award for Undergraduate Research in Organic Chemistry
This award was set up by the friends of Robert Battista, a student who received his B.S. in chemistry from our department. It is given annually to an outstanding senior with research interests in organic chemistry.
ACS Analytical Chemistry Award
This award is sponsored by the Analytical Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society. It is given to a senior with interest and aptitude in analytical chemistry. The awardee receives a one-year subscription to the journal Analytical Chemistry.
ACS Inorganic Chemistry Award
This award is intended to recognize achievement by undergraduate students in inorganic chemistry and to encourage further study in the field. The award consists of a personalized certificate and a letter of commendation signed by the Chair of the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry.
Departmental Honors
The Chemistry and Biochemistry Honors Program is open to majors and non-majors. Students take CHBM 398, which consists of writing, presenting and defending a thesis describing research work that occurs over a period of at least two semesters. The research is usually done with a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, but it may be co-mentored by a departmental faculty member but performed in another department.
Scholarships
Each year or bi-annually, the Undergraduate Honors and Awards Committee in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry selects deserving students for each of the following endowed financial scholarships. Selection is based on faculty nominations, academic performance, professional interests, and financial need, in accordance with the terms of the individual endowments. All Chemistry and Biochemistry majors with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or greater are considered for the scholarships. Awarding of each scholarship is contingent on availability of funds in a given year.
ACS-HACH Land Grant Scholarship
The ACS-Hach Scholarship is funded by the American Chemical Society and the Hach Scientific Foundation. The recipient must be a chemistry or biochemistry major and must demonstrate a commitment to becoming a high school chemistry teacher. Unlike the other scholarships, the award is not contingent on financial need.
Albert Klavon Scholarship Fund
The Albert Klavon scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student majoring in Chemistry or Biochemistry, based on financial need and academic merit.
Brian Crawford ’76 Undergraduate Scholarship in Chemistry
The Brian Crawford ’76 Scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student majoring in Chemistry or Biochemistry, based on financial need and academic merit.
Bruce Jarvis Scholarship Endowment
This scholarship was established to honor Professor Bruce B. Jarvis, a former faculty member and department chair in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The scholarship can be awarded to an undergraduate or graduate student majoring in Chemistry, based on financial need and academic merit.
Francesco Barone Scholarship Fund
This fund provides undergraduate scholarships or graduate student fellowships to students majoring in Chemistry, based on academic promise and financial need. Preference is given to advanced undergraduates or advanced graduate students to assist in the successful completion of their studies.
G. Forrest Woods Memorial Scholarship
The G. Forrest Woods Scholarship was established by Anita Frazer in memory of her husband, who was a distinguished faculty member and former chair of the department. The scholarship provides funds towards the educational expenses of an outstanding undergraduate or graduate student in Chemistry or Biochemistry for the next school year. Typically one award is given to a Chemistry student and one to a Biochemistry student.
Isidore and Annie Adler Chemistry Scholarship
The Isidore and Annie Adler Chemistry scholarship was the first endowed scholarship in the history of the Department. It was established by Annie Adler in memory of her husband who was a distinguished member of our faculty. The scholarship provides $500 or more toward the educational expenses for an outstanding student majoring in Chemistry or Biochemistry for the next school year.
Gregory L. and Tillena G. Clark Scholarship in Chemistry
The Clark Scholarship supports a Chemistry student from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group who has done research in a lab in the department, continues to do research and maintain a 3.2 GPA during the fellowship, and intends on pursuing the Ph.D. degree after graduation.