Alumni Awards
The College of Natural Science Alumni Awards are presented annually to alumni, faculty and students in recognition of their achievement and excellence.
The 2025 Natural Science Alumni Awards was held on April 4, 2025. To view photos of the event, visit the Natural Science newsroom.
Nominations will open for the 2026 Alumni Awards in Fall 2025.
Awards
The deadline for submitting nominations for the 2025 awards celebration is Friday, September 27, 2024.
The 2025 Alumni Awards Celebration will be held on Friday, April 4th, 2025.
- Outstanding Alumni Award
- Alumni Service Award
- Recent Alumni Award
- Meritorious Faculty Award
- Tracy A. Hammer Graduate Student Award
Questions? Please contact Jennifer Lindner at suttonj2@msu.edu.
The Meritorious Faculty Award is presented to a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in the areas of teaching and research. Nominees must have an appointment (full or partial) in the College of Natural Science. Recipients exemplify MSU’s commitment to the land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach through their dedication to professional, community and/or MSU service. The award includes a one-time stipend of $1000.
Anyone may submit a nomination.
Nominations not selected to receive the award are held for three years and automatically re-nominated each year.
Questions? Please contact Jennifer Lindner at suttonj2@msu.edu.
2025 Meritorious Faculty Award
KRISTIN PARENT
Professor, Department of Biocemistry and Molecular Biology; BioMolecular Science Gateway; Faculty, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology Program
Kristin Parent is a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and director of MSU’s Cryo-EM Facility. A world-class leader, she has established an impressive track record as a researcher, teacher, and mentor.
Her research uses model systems (bacteriophages and giant viruses) to describe mechanisms critical for virus infection. Her work is a combination of biochemistry, experimental evolution, biophysics, and structural biology including cryo-electron microscopy.
She leads two major research projects: (1) elucidating how bacteriophages (viruses of bacteria) interact with Shigella flexneri to better understand and prevent the infection process, and (2) characterization of a Tupanvirus—a giant virus that exceeds the size and the genome content of many bacteria. Her work is currently supported by the NIH and the DOE; she was previously awarded funding from the National Science Foundation, the prestigious Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the J. K. Billman Jr. MD Research Endowment.
The outstanding research accomplishments of the Parent laboratory led to her selection as a NatSci Mid-Career Awardee (2023) and a Distinguished Lecturer of the American Society for Microbiology (2021-2023).
Parent integrates her work in the classroom with scholarship in educational journals and websites. Her contributions include American Biology Teacher (2017, 2021, and 2023), Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education (2020), and Scientia (2019 and 2022).
She was the recipient of the College of Natural Science Teaching Award (2017) and the Michigan State University Teacher/Scholar Award (2017), and was named MSU Outstanding Advisor (2015). Parent received the American Society of Microbiology Young Investigator Award (2017), and the AAAS Marion Milligan Mason Award for Women in the Chemical Sciences (2015).
The list of service activities performed by Parent is extensive and noteworthy, but most notable are her tireless efforts to initially create and now direct the Cryo-EM Facility; it is used to facilitate the work of many faculty on campus. In addition, Parent is an editor of the Journal of Virology, a current member of an NIH Study Section, and had prior service on NSF CAREER panels. Her expertise has been tapped for numerous ad hoc reviews of other proposals and manuscripts.
Past Recipients
- 2024 - Richard Lenski, Department of Microbiology, Genetics and Immunology; Integrative Biology; and Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences
- 2023 - Michael Feig, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- 2022 - Edward F. Brown, Department of Physics and Astronomy, FRIB, and Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering
- 2021 - Shannon Manning, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
- 2020 - Gemma Reguera, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
- 2019 - David P. Weliky, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry
- 2018 - L. Karl Olson, Department of Physiology
- 2017 - Richard Hill, Integrative Biology
- 2016 - Edward Walker, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and Entomology
- 2015 - Babak Borhan, Chemistry
- 2014 - Steven Heidemann, Physiology
- 2013 – Robert Maleczka, Chemistry
- 2012 – Gary Westfall, Physics & Astronomy
- 2011 – C. Robin Buell, Plant Biology
- 2010 – Julie Libarkin, Geological Sciences
- 2009 – James Stapleton, Statistics & Probability
- 2008 – Aureal Cross , Geological Sciences & Plant Biology
- 2007 – Ralph Taggart , Plant Biology & Geological Sciences
- 2006 – Jack Bass, Physics & Astronomy, George Bird, Entomology
- 2005 – G.J. (Mike) Karabatsos, Chemistry
- 2004 – Edwin Kashy, Physics & Astronomy
- 2003 – Susan Conrad, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
- 2002 – Loren Snyder, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
- 2001 – Jerry Babcock, Chemistry
- 2000 – Robert Hausinger, Biochemistry/Microbiology
- 1999 – Julius Kovacs, Physics & Astronomy
- 1998 – John E. Wilson, Biochemistry
- 1997 – Glenda Lappan, Mathematics
- 1996 – Jack Preiss, Biochemistry
- 1995 – Emanuel Hackel, Zoology
- 1994 – Hans Kende, Botany & Plant Pathology
- 1993 – Howard Hagerman, Lyman Briggs School
- 1992 – Pamela Fraker, Biochemistry
- 1991 – James Hamilton, Chemistry
- 1990 – Jerry Dodgson, Biochemistry
- 1989 – John Beaman, Botany & Plant Pathology
- 1988 – Clarence Suelter, Biochemistry
- 1987 – Everett Beneke, Botany & Plant Pathology
- 1986 – Alexander Tulinsky, Chemistry
- 1985 – Marvin Hensley, Zoology
- 1984 – Fumio Matsumura, Pesticide Research Center
- 1983 – John Lockwood, Botany & Plant Pathology
- 1982 – Kyung Whan Kwun, Mathematics
- 1981 – Leo Mericle, Botany & Plant Pathology
The Outstanding Alumni Award recognizes alumni for outstanding professional achievement and support of the college or university. Recipients exemplify MSU’s commitment to the land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach through their dedication to professional, community and/or MSU service.
Anyone may submit a nomination.
Nominations not selected to receive the award are held for three years and automatically re-nominated each year.
Questions? Please contact Jennifer Lindner at suttonj2@msu.edu.
2025 Outstanding Alumni Awards
JOHN WITT
B.S. Chemistry '57
John Witt’s career has made the world a sweeter place.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at MSU, he went on to the University of Illinois to earn his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1961. In 1977, Witt earned an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Witt began his professional career at G.D. Searle, a mid-size pharmaceutical company located in the Chicago suburbs, and was a member of the team that developed aspartame, better known as NutraSweet. He was one of six employees who started up Searle’s NutraSweet division. Witt, along with his family, lived in Japan for two years to assist with NutraSweet development technology and help launch the product. The FDA approved NutraSweet in 1981; it rapidly became successful—especially when the FDA approved it for use in carbonated beverages in 1983.
Over the years, Witt held a variety of positions at Searle related to chemical and drug development. After retiring, he founded his own company—Witt Science Consulting—to advise small pharmaceutical and venture capital firms in the development of new drugs.
During his career, Witt served for multiple terms as a member, and then as president of the Glenview, Illinois, Board of Education. He was a guest lecturer at the University of Illinois Chemistry Department and a member of their alumni advisory group. In addition, he and his wife together have provided support for a number of educational activities and civic organizations throughout their lives.
In the late 1990s, Witt and his wife, Margaret, established a fellowship at the University of Illinois. In 2013, they established a professorship there in chemistry. In 2018, the Witts created the John Witt, Jr. and Margaret R. Witt Chemistry Endowment at MSU; its purpose is to increase the stature of the department.
Witt credits MSU with providing the education, training, and nurturing that led him to do well in his career. MSU’s undergraduate requirements for humanities, social science, and communication skills helped make him a well-rounded individual. In return, he has come back to MSU to share his life experiences with graduate students.
GAO LIU
Ph.D. Chemistry '01
Gao Liu is a world expert in electrical energy storage. After earning his Ph.D. from MSU in 2001, he joined the battery research program at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, rising in the ranks to the highest academic appointment. In his current position as Senior Scientist, he leads applied energy materials research and the battery manufacturing activities at the Berkeley Lab.
Liu has made seminal contributions to the development and understanding of lithium batteries. The Electrochemical Society cited Liu’s research “contributions to the fundamental understanding of the functions of the polymer binder in composite electrodes and pioneer work on the multifunctional electrode binder concept and applications for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.”
Since 2001, Liu maintained a close research collaboration with Professor Gregory L. Baker of MSU’s Chemistry Department. Liu and Baker’s exemplary collaboration brought in new capabilities and research directions to MSU’s chemistry department. After Professor Baker’s untimely death in 2012, Liu supported the former Baker group members (along with the MSU chemistry department) to ensure their uninterrupted education and postdoctoral trainings until they successfully launched their carriers.
In 2023, Liu led the inaugural symposium of electrode binders in the ECS conference. In 2020, he was elected chair of the Electrochemical Society San Francisco Section, where he introduced the Distinguished Seminar Series, inaugurated by Nobel Laureate Professor Stanley Whittingham, and has continued leading the seminar series to present lectures from world-renowned scientists in the electrochemical field. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Liu initiated the Young Investigator Lecture Series to support earlier career scientists. He is one of the early advocates of electrochemistry to the materials research field.
Liu maintains close interactions with the MSU chemistry department. He regularly visits the department, has participated in the inaugural Greg Baker Memorial seminar series, and actively encourages MSU chemistry undergraduates to participate in DOE/Berkeley Lab fellowship programs.
Past Recipients
- 2024 - Mark Moorman, B.S. Microbiology ’86, M.S. Food Science ’88, Ph.D. Food Science ’05
- 2023 - Bryan O. Buckley, B.S. Microbiology, ’10, Master of Public Health, ’12
- 2022 - James D. Hoeschele, Ph.D. Chemistry ’69
- 2021 - Patrick Lukulay, Ph.D. Analytical Chemistry ’95
- 2020 - Claudia Turro, B.S. Chemistry ’87, Ph.D. Chemistry ’92
- 2019 - Marilyn Capelli Dimitroff, B.S. Mathematics ’66
- 2018 - Craig Roy, Ph.D., B.S. Microbiology ’85
- 2017 - John Woollam, M.S., Physics ’63; Ph.D., Physics ’67
- 2016 - Patrick Smith, Chemistry ’72; M.S., Chemistry ’77; Ph.D., Chemistry ’78
- 2015 - Damian Handzy, Physics '95
- 2014 - Joseph Caruso, Chemistry '51
- 2013 – Henry Edelhauser, Physiology ’64 & ’66
- 2012 – Bobby Wilson, Chemistry ’76
- 2011 – Eric Ayers, Microbiology ’85
- 2010 – Azam Niroomand-Rad, Physics ’71 & ’78
- 2009 – Susan Sylvester, Entomology ’78
- 2008 – Kenneth Yerrick, Chemistry ’59 & ’61
- 2007 – Stephen Warren, Zoology ’76 & Genetics ’81
- 2006 – Mark Ehlert, Microbiology ’75
- 2005 – Michael Donoghue, Botany ’75
- 2004 – Eugene Parker, Physics ’48
- 2003 – Mary Ruth Dawson, Zoology ’52
- 2002 – Daniel Edson, Clinical Lab Science ’79
- 2001 – Phaedon Avouris, Chemistry ’74
- 2000 – Jack Samarias, Statistics ’70
- 1999 – Paul O’Connor, Chemistry ’91
- 1998 – Richard & Shirley Pendell, Bio Science ’35
- 1997 – Durward L. Allen, Zoology ’37
- 1996 – B.L.S. Prakasa Rao, Statistics ’66
- 1995 – Robert Martin, Medical Technology ’71
- 1994 – Lorenz Kull, Physics ’67
- 1993 – Joseph Longo, Physics ’66 & ’68
- 1992 – Paul Ts’o, Botany & Plant Pathology ’51
- 1991 – Karen Klomparens, Botany & Plant Pathology ’72 & ’77
- 1990 – Jerry Cowen, Physics ’50 & ’54
- 1989 – Harley Hotchkiss, Geology ’51
- 1988 – Gordon Guyer, Entomology ’53
- 1987 – Charles Vincent, Chemistry ’54
- 1986 – Reardon Campeau, Mathematics ’65
- 1985 – Ritchie Wessling, Chemistry ’57
- 1985 – Susan Crispin, Botany & Plant Pathology ’78 & ’80
- 1984 – Ron Goldsberry, Chemistry ’66 & ’69
- 1983 – Michael Schulz, Physical Science ’64
- 1982 – Thomas Jamieson, Bio Science ’65
- 1981 – James Orbison, Chemistry ’39
- 1980 – Eldon Foltz, Chemistry ’41
The Alumni Service Award is presented to distinguished alumni who have demonstrated exceptional service and/or philanthropy to our community. This prestigious honor recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to making a positive impact through volunteerism, leadership, and charitable contributions.
Anyone may submit a nomination.
Nominations not selected to receive the award are held for three years and automatically re-nominated each year.
Questions? Please contact Jennifer Lindner at suttonj2@msu.edu.
2025 Alumni Service Award
KATHERINE "KATHY" REED
B.S. Biochemistry '71, Ph.D. Chemistry '77
Katherine “Kathy” Reed has demonstrated unparalleled dedication to the MSU and NatSci communities through her generous philanthropy. Her ongoing commitment exemplifies a deep passion for enhancing educational opportunities and fostering excellence in scientific discovery.
Reed and her late husband, Paul Gertenbach (Ph.D. analytical chemistry ’75), had proud roots as College of Natural Science Spartans. In 1973, they met as teaching assistants for Honors Chemistry; they married in 1976 and both went on to have successful careers at 3M. Grateful for the scholarships and assistantships they received through their college years, they decided to give back to MSU to support students and faculty. Together, they pledged gifts to the College of Natural Science, including a scholarship for chemistry students and, more recently, a named professorship in the Department of Chemistry. These gifts directly support student success, faculty recruitment, and retention in critical areas of research.
Reed’s contributions have had a transformative impact on MSU. The scholarship she established has provided financial support to seven students since its inception, helping them stay on track to achieve their academic goals. By alleviating financial barriers, this scholarship has enabled students to focus on—and thus excel at—their studies.
The Endowed Professorship in Chemistry strengthens MSU’s ability to attract and retain top-tier faculty in analytical and physical sciences. This investment bolsters the university’s research capabilities, enhances its reputation, and ensures that students and faculty can thrive in a dynamic academic environment. Reed’s philanthropy has advanced MSU’s mission to educate and empower while reinforcing its status as a leader in higher education and research.
Reed’s actions serve as a model for others, inspiring alumni and friends of MSU to give back. Her contributions reflect not only her financial generosity but also her leadership in prioritizing education and research, leaving a legacy of support that will benefit the MSU community for generations to come.
Reed retired from 3M as vice president of environmental health and safety in 2007.
The Recent Alumni Award recognizes alumni who have graduated within the last 15 years and have shown outstanding professional growth. Recipients exemplify MSU’s commitment to the land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach through their dedication to professional, community and/or MSU service.
Anyone may submit a nomination.
Nominations not selected to receive the award are held for three years and automatically re-nominated each year.
Questions? Please contact Jennifer Lindner at suttonj2@msu.edu.
2025 Recent Alumni Award
HEATHER BLANKENSHIP
Ph.D. Microbiology and Molecular Genetics '19
Heather M. Blankenship is the Genomics Technical Director for the
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has
emerged as a leader in her field during the first five years of her career.
Her first position was as a Molecular and Bioinformatics Specialist at the Michigan Public Health Institute through the MDHHS. Her position began just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS Coronavirus (CoV)-2. Blankenship was instrumental in the development and implementation of diagnostic, sequencing, and analytical tools that enhanced detection and characterization of CoV-2. She also coordinated sequencing efforts across several units, developed training protocols for other state laboratories, disseminated genotyping information, and participated in a global consortium led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor the virus. Throughout the early years of the pandemic, she was a key partner to develop an academic consortium to increase the capacity of pathogen genomics for public health response efforts.
Blankenship continues to oversee SARS CoV-2 sequencing and
surveillance efforts as well as those focusing on the detection and genomic characterization
of pathogens that commonly affect Michigan patients. She developed new bioinformatic
and genomic epidemiology methods to handle large datasets. In recognition of her efforts,
Blankenship has been invited to serve on multiple national and international committees
to provide insight into workforce development, best quality practices, and the utilization
of genomic data. She also served as a trainer at Pan-American Health Organization
(PAHO) international trainings in conjunction with CDC and the Association of Public
Health Laboratories (APHL) on sequencing, bioinformatic analysis, and genomic epidemiology
interpretations for respiratory viruses. An accomplished academic author on SARS CoV-2
sequencing methods and genomic epidemiology of pathogens, she was also recently invited
to serve as an instructor for a course on pathogen genomics at the University of Michigan
School of Public Health.
Blankenship earned her B.S. in biology (2015) through the Honors Program at George Mason University, where she was a three-season athlete. She completed a Global Certificate in Legal Epidemiology through Temple University in 2022. In 2023, she passed her board exams in Molecular Pathology to become an American Board of Bioanalysis High-Complexity Clinical Laboratory Director, the only non-retired public health professional in the U.S. with this certification.
Past Recipients
- 2024 - Mohammad Esfahanian, B.S. Physics & B.S. Physiology '08
- 2023 - Jelani Zarif, Ph.D. Cell and Molecular Biology ’14
- 2022 - Mark Ondari, Ph.D. Chemistry '10
- 2021 - Shannon Morey, B.S. Chemistry ’10
- 2020 - Kristina Martin, B.S. Clinical Laboratory Science ’02, M.S. Biomedical Laboratory Operations ’07
- 2019 - Eeda Marie Wallbank, B.S. Environmental Biology and Botany ’05
- 2018 - Paul Thomas, M.D., B.S. Human Biology ’09
- 2017 - Jason Pratt, B.S. Microbiology and Molecular Genetics ’05
- 2016 - Chelsea Walton, Ph.D. Mathematics '05
- 2015 - Jennifer Schomaker, Ph.D. Chemistry ’06
- 2014 - Karen Wayland, Ph.D. Environmental Geosciences and Resource Development ’01
- 2013 – Sasha Fawaz, Zoology and Psychology '08
- 2012 – Li Fan, Biochemistry ’00
- 2010 – Dan Mindiola, Chemistry ’96
- 2008 – Brian Langley, Chemistry ’99
- 2005 – Wakeshi Benson, Chemistry ’96
- 2003 – Carl Bruch, Physics ’96
The Tracy A. Hammer Graduate Student Award for Professional Development is presented to an outstanding graduate student in support of their professional development. Nominees must be pursuing a degree in the College of Natural Science
Faculty and students may submit a nomination.
The award was renamed in 1996 to memorialize 1995 co-recipient Tracy Anne Hammer. A native of New York, Hammer was the first dual degree candidate to pursue a doctoral degree in animal genetics through the Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Medicine. Her research centered on canine dilated cardiomyopathy. Hammer died in a plane crash shortly before graduation and her degree was awarded posthumously.
The Tracy A. Hammer award recipients receive a one-time stipend of $750 funded by the NatSci AA Endowed Scholarship Fund. Your gift to this fund will enable the College of Natural Science to grow the scholarship amount granted to future award winners.
2023 Tracy A. Hammer Graduate Student Awards
JOSHUA KASTE
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Joshua Kaste continues to earn top grades while fulfilling the course requirements
for BMB, as well as two additional training programs—the NSF-IMPACTS program in computational
plant biology, and the NIHfunded Plant Biotechnology for Health and Sustainability
(PBHS). He demonstrates a creative flair in addressing issues ranging from metabolic
engineering, to evolutionary patterns of gene expression, to metabolic flux analysis,
to integrating metabolic modeling and omic datasets to accurately predict metabolic
fluxes in whole plants. His ultimate goal is to inform the engineering of plants for
sustainable
biosynthesis of biofuel and high-value products.
After earning his B.S. in plant sciences, summa cum laude, from Cornell University in 2016, Kaste was the supervisor of an agricultural genomics lab for three years before coming to MSU. He developed assays in collaboration with the USDA and worked with large-scale plant and animal breeding groups to provide high-quality, fast-turnaround genotypic data via microarray and next-generation sequencing platforms. He has been a first author or co-first author on several papers. In addition to his stellar academic and research progress, he is dedicated to the education and professional development of others. He has played leadership roles in the IMPACTS and PBHS programs, helping to organize and run their symposia; and he has played a major part in bringing a bioinformatics class project on topological data analysis to completion for publication. Most remarkably, he developed a complete set of hands-on computer-aided exercises for exploring the concepts and practice of metabolic flux analysis for an intensive workshop for Ph.D. students and postdocs that he co-taught in May 2022.
This award stipend will help defray expenses for Kaste to attend and present his work at a scientific conference. He expects to complete his Ph.D. in 2024.
Past Recipients
- 2022 - Daniel Puentes, Physics and Ana-Maria Raicu, Cell and Molecular Biology Program
- 2021 - Patricia Perez-Bonilla, Neuroscience and Pharmacology/Toxicology and Keenan Noyes, Chemistry
- 2020 - Sean L. Nguyen Cell and Molecular Biology and Environmental Toxicology and Ilias Magoulas Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
- 2019 - David Bowersm Program in Mathematics Education (PRIME) and Caitlin Kara Kirby, Earth and Environmental Science and Environmental Science and Policy
- 2018 - Oyemolade Osibodu, Program in Mathematics Education (PRIME) and Visala Rani Satyam, Program in Mathematics Education (PRIME)
- 2017 - Connie Rojas, Integrative Biology and Ecology
- 2016 - Paula Gajewski, Genetics Program and Patricia Jaimes Department of Geological Sciences
- 2015 - Jie Li, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Elizabeth Schultheis, Plant Biology
- 2014 - Kumar Ashtekar, Chemistry
- 2013 – Alexandria Theakston Musselman, Program in Mathematics Education and Emily Weigel, Zoology
- 2012 – Arvind Jaganathan, Chemistry
- 2011 – Tomomi Suwa, Plant Biology
- 2010 – Samuel Pappas, Physiology and Sarah Heim, Physics & Astronomy
- 2009 – Kimberly Cervello, Science and Mathematics Education and David Duriancik, Food Science & Human Nutrition
- 2008 – Ed Kabara, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Jaime Kopper, Cell & Molecular Biology Program
- 2007 – Rashad Simmons, Chemistry
- 2006 – Ellen Wilch, Genetics Program
- 2005 – Melissa Meaney, Chemistry
- 2004 – Anne Fischer, Chemistry
- 2003 – Emil Bozin, Physics & Astronomy
- 2002 – Shannon Haymond, Chemistry and Shibani Mukherjee, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
- 2000 – Micah Stowe, Chemistry
- 1999 – Thomas A. Cullen, Chemistry
- 1998 – Mark A. Waner, Chemistry
- 1997 – Matthew Gardner, Chemistry and Vaughn Wagner, Zoology
- 1996 – Eleny-Nicoleta Ionel, Mathematics and Tedi Draghici, Mathematics
- 1995 – Jose de Ondarza, Physiology and Tracy A. Hammer, Microbiology and Veterinary Medicine
- 1994 – Nancy S. Barta, Chemistry
- 1993 – Philip Schultz, Chemistry