Outstanding Students: College of Science

The faculty of the College of Science recognizes the following students for outstanding academic achievement and co-curricular involvement, such as leadership, community service, and undergraduate research.

Seniors

Actuarial Science

Jacob Daniel Alvey
Actuarial Science, Applied Statistics
Management Minor, Business Economics Minor, Applications in Data Science Certificate

Jacob has maintained a perfect GPA throughout his four years of study at Purdue University, a remarkable achievement by any measure. He has distinguished himself further by passing seven professional actuarial exams, a feat that sets him apart from his peers. Alongside his academic pursuits, Jacob has completed multiple actuarial internships, gaining valuable real-world experience that complements his theoretical knowledge. Beginning in the summer of 2024, Jacob will embark on a full-time actuarial position at Milliman Chicago, marking the culmination of his academic journey and the beginning of a promising career in the field. Jacob's excellence has not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by the scholarships and awards he has received over the years. He was the recipient of the Actuarial Science Scholarship during his freshman year, followed by the Swiss Re Award during his sophomore year and the Aegon Scholarship during his junior year. Beyond his academic and professional achievements, Jacob has been actively involved in various leadership and mentoring roles on campus. He served as a member of the College of Science Honors Leadership Council for two years, where he organized events for fellow students in the Honors College. Jacob has also dedicated his time to tutoring high school students in personal finance through the Money Mentors program and mentoring peers in the Actuarial Science club. Additionally, Jacob has contributed to the academic community as a teaching assistant for several Actuarial courses over four semesters, demonstrating his commitment to supporting his peers in their educational endeavors.

Biological Sciences

Sydney Moeller
Neurobiology & Physiology; Health & Disease
Minors: Psychology; Anthropology, Certificates: Medical Humanities; Learning Beyond the Classroom

Sydney has made a significant impact during her time at Purdue through scholarship, leadership, and service. She’s graduating with 2 majors, 2 minors and 2 certificates and a stellar academic record. She’s completing the Biology Honors Research Program after five semesters of work with Dr. Ximena Bernal in Sensory & Behavioral Ecology which culminated in an undergraduate thesis and pending publications. In service to the department and to the college, she is a Biology Ambassador, Teaching Intern (BIOL 11500; 23200), served 2 years as Dir. of Public Relations for the Purdue Science Student Council; is an Ambassador and Mentor in the Emerging Leader Science Scholar program, and a mentor in the Women in Science Program. Her efforts to support diversity initiatives resulted in being selected as a Jandos Scholar in sophomore year and in receiving the “Championing Diversity Award” in Junior year. She’s held leadership positions in Tri Delta Sorority (Dir. of Risk Management and Wellness) and is currently the Dir. Of Continuous Recruitment and Personnel for the Purdue Panhellenic Association. Off campus, she works as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Cumberland Pointe Hospice Care and has volunteered in various hospital settings. After graduation, she plans to work in Clinical Research and then pursue an MD/PhD.

Chemistry

Ellis Lin
Biochemistry (Chemistry)
Minor: Mathematics and Psychology

During her time at Purdue, Ellis has been awarded Semester’s Honors and Dean’s List for each semester. She has conducted research under both Dr. Gudrun Schmidt on the formulation of sustainable adhesives made from corn protein (zein) and tannic acid, and Dr. Hannah Starr, where she helped develop laboratory experiments for inorganic and general chemistry courses. During the summer after her sophomore year, she became a Teaching Assistant for General Chemistry, and has continued to teach throughout her time at Purdue. Ellis is a former Vice President of the Purdue Science Student Council, and President of the Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center Music Collective, which explores and performs traditional music from Asia. Next year she plans to attend graduate school to become a chemistry teacher.

Computer Science

Oliver Bonilla
Computer Science
Minor: Math and Psychology, certificates

Oliver has been an exemplary student during his time at Purdue. He is currently the Parliamentarian of Delta Pi Rho Fraternity Inc. and was previously the treasurer. He has served the College of Science as a Multicultural Ambassador and College Ambassador, participated in the Emerging Leaders program and the Global Science Partners program. Oliver has been an active member of the LatinX Student Union, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Association of Latino Professionals for America, Mexican and Mexican American Association, and is a Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation Scholar. Oliver has completed the Applications in Data Science and Learning Beyond the Classroom Certificates as well as minors in both Math and Psychology. He has interned with JPMorgan Chase and has done several internships with Wabash during the Fall and Spring semesters. Oliver has a bright future ahead of him and will leave a lasting legacy of involvement and academic excellence.

Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences

Danielle Harr
Atmospheric Science
Minor: NRES

Danielle has conducted research on the validation of the freezing level heights given by a model forecasting tool using past Purdue weather balloon data with Dr. Robin Tanamachi. She presented this research in Spring of 2023 at the Purdue undergraduate research conference as well as the American Meteorological Society National Student Conference in 2024. She also mentored a high school student on a related research project. Danielle co-founded the Storm Chasing Association of Purdue (SCAP) with fellow atmospheric science undergraduates and has served as treasurer since it began. She has also worked as a teaching assistant for the EAPS 106 Geosciences in the Cinema course in her senior year. Next year, Danielle plans to pursue a master’s degree in atmospheric science.

Mathematics

Meenakshi McNamara
Mathematics Honors, Physics Honors
Minor: Political Science

Meenakshi has been conducting research since her freshman year in various areas of math and physics and is currently working in several groups studying operator algebras, quantum gravity, topology, and algebraic combinatorics. She has held various positions in both the Mathematics Society and Society of Physics Students, and through these positions worked to rebuild the clubs from the impact of covid, support members, and build community within her departments. She also both started and runs mentoring programs for incoming math and physics majors and loves mentoring students herself. More recently, Meenakshi has joined the leadership of Gender Minorities in Physics and the Association for Women in Mathematics at Purdue where she has been working to expand the organization to include undergraduates and connect women and gender minorities at all career levels. Meenakshi has published several papers, and received awards and scholarships for her accomplishments, most notably the Alice T Schaffer Prize for undergraduate women in mathematics. Meenakshi plans to become a mathematician and will be accepting an offer to attend graduate school.

Physics and Astronomy

Meenakshi McNamara
Mathematics Honors, Physics Honors
Minor: Political Science

Meenakshi is involved in many Physics and Astronomy activities, including research, teaching, outreach, and student organization leadership. Her contributions include serving as president of the Purdue Society of Physics Students and Purdue Math Club, vice president of the Purdue Association for Women in Mathematics, and a cabinet member of Gender Minorities in Physics, as well as running mentoring programs for incoming freshmen. Meenakshi has an impressive record of publications and research in physics and mathematics, from particle physics to topology. Her awards and honors include the Alice T. Schafer Mathematics Prize, the Goldwater Scholarship, and the Astronaut Scholarship. Meenakshi plans to pursue graduate studies in mathematical physics beginning with a master's program this fall at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, followed by a PhD in mathematics.

Statistics

Kisal Wijesooriya
Mathematics/Statistics, Applied Statistics

Kisal (Wijesooriya) has been awarded Semester’s honors and Dean’s List for each semester and has maintained a 4.0 GPA since his first semester at Purdue. Since his sophomore year, he has been a member of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity where he has held several leadership positions while focusing on tutoring and helping his peers with various statistics and math classes. In addition to this, he has been a tutor for the Department of Mathematics since his junior year. During his junior year, he was a member of the Campus Outreach division of the Purdue Science Student Council and was awarded the Arthur Rosenthal Scholarship. In addition, he has collaborated with multiple members of the faculty in various projects, such as through a reading course in Real Analysis with Dr Andrew Toms, an REU with Dr. Yilong Zhang on Algebraic Geometry, and has been a member of an NSF grant sponsored REU with Dr Alessandro Selvitella (Purdue Fort Wayne) on Neuromechanical Models of Animal Locomotion since the summer after his junior year. Furthermore, he has been the head of the forecasting and statistical analysis team on the VIP Operations Research team since the start of his senior year under Dr Sivaranjani Seetharaman. He plans on attending graduate school for Statistics.

Juniors

Actuarial Science	Aden Scott Pemberton
Biological Sciences	Zack Kyner
Chemistry	Caitlin Brithright
Computer Science	Harmya Bhatt
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences	Chandler Albright
Mathematics	Marissa Munoz
Physics and Astronomy	Briana A. Chen
Statistics	Chaewon Oh

Sophomores

Actuarial Science	Sophia Rose Cavanagh
Biological Sciences	Rachel Isaac
Chemistry	Nol Supasueb
Computer Science	Muyang Yan
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences	Peter Silvia
Mathematics	Joshua Culver
Physics and Astronomy	Po-Yu Chen
Statistics	Ayden McDole

First Year

Actuarial Science	Braxton J Schieler
Biological Sciences	Khanh Nguyen
Chemistry	Olivia Snell
Computer Science	Nihal Gunukula
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences	Daniel Schwab
Mathematics	Christina Zhang
Physics and Astronomy	Ishaan K. Singh
Statistics	Douglas Buckeridge

Science Ambassadors Graduating Seniors

The Science Ambassadors are a select group of undergraduates who represent the College of Science and the undergraduate science experience to prospective students and families, and other entities, including the Dean’s Leadership Council and College of Science Alumni Board.

Natalia Benesiewicz, Chemistry/Law and Society
Kyndahl Bishop, Applied Statistics
Sarah Firestone, Data Science
Megan Janke, Actuarial Science/Applied Statistics/English
Jackson Karshen, Data Science
Emily Maher, Data Science/English
Kennedy Outlaw, Biochemistry-Chemistry
Rowan Peijs, Biochemistry-Chemistry
Gabrielle Wagner, Environmental Geoscience

Science Data Managers Graduating Seniors

The Science Student Data Managers are a select group of undergraduates who represent the College of Science and the College of Science Data Manager in helping support and update reports for the college and its departments.

Hannah Greiner, Applied Statistics, Minor: Women’s, Gender Sexuality Studies

Purdue Science Student Council Graduating Seniors

The Purdue Science Student Council provides academically oriented services and promotes professional growth opportunities to students in the College of Science.

Brianne Checketts, Physics and Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences
Kinzie Gamaleldin, Chemistry
Lauren Gartenhaus, Biological Sciences
Mahesh Gupta, Biological Sciences
Pramey Kabra, Computer Science, and Data Science
Paige Kertes, Chemistry
Ellis Lin, Chemistry, Chemistry
Elizabeth Martello, Chemistry
Sydney Moeller, Biological Sciences
Jack Mrachek, Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences
Olivia Tan, Actuarial Science, Statistics, and Economics
Christina Warner, Chemistry and Psychology

Learning Beyond the Classroom Graduating Seniors

The Learning Beyond the Classroom Certificate Program is a way for students to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world situations. Students learn to negotiate multiple cultures, develop confidence as professionals, view themselves in new ways, prioritize tasks, navigate the world, and pursue life-long learning. The certificate is awarded when students complete activities in three categories (career and professional development, service, citizenship and leadership and experience with domestic and international diversity) and is noted on their official Purdue transcript.

Sierra Nicole Allen - Biological Sciences
Natalia Maria Benesiewicz - Chemistry
Victoria Ann Berch - Biological Sciences
Amelia Rae Binau - Physics
Olivar Bonilla - Computer Science
Allison Marie Bullock - Biological Sciences
Paula Alexandra Rivera Carrasquillo - Biological Sciences
Sophia Hanna Dietz - Biological Sciences
Dylan Spencer Forbes - Chemistry
Kinzie K Gamaleldin - Chemistry
Chandni Garg - Biological Sciences
Lauren Gartenhaus - Biological Sciences
Kaci Lynn Gordon - Biological Sciences
Shruti Goyal - Computer Science
Ethan Alexander Guardado - Biological Sciences
Mahesh Sunil Gupta - Biological Sciences
Danielle Elise Harr - Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Damon P Ho - Biological Sciences
Martha Eldredge Hunter - Biological Sciences
Zacharia Abdussalam Ismaio - Biological Sciences
Keila Aika Keikilani Jellings - Biological Sciences
Megan Elizabeth Johnson - Biological Sciences
Ian James Kelly - Biological Sciences
Sydney R Moeller - Biological Sciences
Emma Ruth Roberts - Biological Sciences
Gracie Yong Sanders - Biological Sciences
Diane Claire Santos - Chemistry
Haley Morgan Sidorowicz - Biological Sciences
Elizabeth Nicole Sorenson - Biological Sciences
Zachary Thomas Tschannen - Biological Sciences
Andrew Walke - Biological Sciences
Christiana Faith Whittey - Biological Sciences
Yufan Zhou - Mathematics

Bridging Cultures Award

The Bridging Cultures Award is presented to student leaders from the Global Science Partners Program — a program dedicated to helping students become interculturally competent. These students have demonstrated the ability to bridge cultural gaps between themselves and others — shifting perspectives, attuning emotions, and adapting their behavior in respectful and appropriate ways.

Emily (Emmie) Bell, Biological Sciences
Oliver Bonilla, Computer Science
Adriana Bustos, Biological Sciences
Emily Duncan, Biological Sciences
Mitchell Fister, Biological Sciences
Dylan Forbes, Chemistry
Shruti Goyal, Computer Science
Ethan Guardado, Biological Sciences & Philosophy
Krish Gupta, Statistics & Mathematics
Sabrina Hinojosa, Biological Sciences
Damon Ho, Biological Sciences
Sahera Howard, Biological Sciences
Zacharia Ismaio, Biological Sciences
Zoe Lee, Chemistry
Justo Moreno, Computer Science
Trevor Morgan, Actuarial Science & Statistics
Dmitry Mukhin, Chemistry
Meet Patel, Computer Science
Julia Rix, Biological Sciences
Gracie Sanders, Biological Sciences
Zachary Tschannen, Biological Sciences
Ishaan Zaveri, Computer Science

Promoting Career Development Award

Students promote career development to peers while using this opportunity to develop themselves professionally. Professional growth occurs by working independently, generating new ideas, and implementing these ideas through career programming, career education, and career resources.

Andrew Pranger, Biological Sciences

Championing Diversity Award

The Championing Diversity Award is given to students who have been active participants in the programs sponsored by the Science Diversity Office over several years of their career at Purdue. Through participation in these programs, they have enriched the experience of their classmates by ensuring that all students have the opportunity to be educated in a more diverse environment. They have grown personally and professionally by taking leadership roles within the College of Science.

Kara Adams - Biological Sciences
Mariana Aguilar - Chemistry & Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Faith Allen - Biological Sciences
Sara Cuevas - Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Lucy DeBrunner - Biological Sciences
Carlos Rubin de Celis - Mathematics
Rae Crim - Chemistry
CJ Denault - Chemistry
Tori Donoho - Computer Science
Valeria Féliz - Biological Sciences
Kinzie Gamaleldin - Chemistry
Lauren Gartenhaus - Biological Sciences
Audrey Harrison - Biological Sciences
Sruthi Koukuntla - Computer Science
Sam Lau - Mathematics & Statistics
Ellis Lin - Chemistry
Elizabeth Martello - Chemistry
Katie Myers - Biological Sciences
Deborah Obadofin - Biological Sciences
Uchenna Osuamadi - Actuarial Science & Statistics
Vienna Place - Chemistry
Claire Pritts - Physics & Astronomy
Nadia Seye - Biological Sciences
Sydney Shaw - Biological Sciences
Haley Sidorowicz - Biological Sciences
Brooklyn Stocksdale - Biological Sciences
Kaitlyn Sycko - Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Ella Stone - Biological Sciences
Weixi Tan - Computer Science
Maria Thomas - Computer Science
Vairochana Venkatesh - Biological Sciences
Katherine Veth - Biological Sciences
Katie Wilson - Mathematics
Katherine Yi - Data Science

Faculty Awards

Top Undergraduate Teacher

Each year, science undergraduate students are polled by the Science Student Council to select a faculty member whose teaching has had the greatest impact on science majors.

Professor Andrew Freed - Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences

Outstanding Contributions to Teaching by an Assistant Professor

This award honors faculty with the rank of assistant professor for outstanding undergraduate teaching.

Professor Elizabeth (Betsy) Parkinson - Chemistry

Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award

The Charles B. Murphy Award, Purdue's highest undergraduate teaching honor, recognizes recipients each year as models in excellent undergraduate education. Faculty with the rank of associate or full professor (including associate and full clinical professor ranks) are eligible.

Professor Stephanie Gardner - Biological Sciences

Student Success Stories

Selected by the Science Student Success team and the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Affairs, these students exemplify the range of experiences and opportunities provided to undergraduate students in the College of Science. As graduating seniors, they share their stories to inspire and motivate others.

Mariana Aguilar, Planetary Science and Chemistry: Reach out to faculty and staff for the chance to gain experience. The most impactful experiences I had resulted from putting myself out there and taking that first step to contact someone I was interested in working with.

Parker Alford, Actuarial Science Honors and Statistics: As a member of the Actuarial Science Club, I met with representatives of companies, learned to network and started talking with companies interested in hiring. It was a great way to get exposed to the industry.

Amelia Binau, Physics and Learning Beyond the Classroom: In my two years as president of the Purdue Astronomy Club (PAC), I saw firsthand the positive impacts of science communication and outreach. My goal as a scientist is to bridge the gap between people and nature and to create communities where individuals of all background can grow in their shared interests.

Oliver Bonilla, Computer Science and Learning Beyond the Classroom: Embrace the process of learning how to learn. Stay curious and open to learning new languages, tools, and frameworks. Seek feedback, learn from your mistakes, and don't be discouraged by failure. Resilience is key to long-term success.

Sarah Firestone, Data Science and Statistics: Through the corporate partner's cohort of the Data Mine learning community I got to work with 3 companies in different sectors of the industry. I was able to talk and interacted with employees of these companies and it was very meaningful to see the real-life implications of what I've been studying.

Shruti Goyal, Computer Science Honors and Learning Beyond the Classroom: In four years at Purdue, I've learned a new language, built robots, tinkered with circuits, delved into the philosophical analysis of time, and even fulfilled my lifelong dream of playing quidditch! It's the perfect place to explore, learn, and grow in ways you never imagined.

Mahesh Gupta, Biological Sciences & Learning Beyond the Classroom: I have grown in ways that I never would have imagined four years ago; I have become more outgoing, capable, and confident. I have received foundational skills at Purdue that I am excited to build upon in my next steps after graduation.

Ethan Loev, Computer Science: Being a teaching assistant allowed me to help others learn and grow, while also improving my own skills and knowledge. I enjoyed interacting with students from diverse backgrounds and levels of expertise and seeing them overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

Rianna Parla, Computer Science: I want to apply my studies in machine learning to research in astrophysics. I am particularly interested in creating simulations of galaxies to further the study of dark matter. These models will hopefully be used to observe the behavior of dark matter and how it interacts with galaxies.

Melanie Ruesch, Mathematics and Statistics: My studies at Purdue were far from effortless, but the difficulty of my degree makes the reward so much sweeter. I know that with challenge comes change. At Purdue, I had the chance to prove to myself that I am capable of great things.

Gracie Sanders, Biological Sciences and Learning Beyond the Classroom: There is so much more to this world than just the science they teach you in classrooms. Get outside and find yourself. Even if making friends or joining a club is hard for you, go out alone. Learning independence and how to find joy in solitude will make you a stronger person.

Abi Soliven, Chemistry: I am an ambassador for the honors college and lead tours for new and prospective students/families. I strive to help prospective students discover what they are looking for next. I am proud to give back to the community that shaped me.

Libby Sorenson, Biological Sciences and Learning Beyond the Classroom: When I traveled to Morocco, listening to the lived experiences of people there gave me a greater understanding of their culture and traditions. The complexities of society and customs were made apparent, which helped me to look beyond my assumptions and appreciate how the different factors of society come together.

Aria Sturmer, Statistics and Psychology: Coming to Purdue, I had no clue what I wanted to do. But by involving myself in research early, joining a variety of clubs, and attending office hours before I needed help, I was unknowingly setting myself up for success. You never know where your opportunities can take you, so immerse yourself in the Purdue experience, and you'll reap the benefits later.

Andrew Walke, Biological Sciences & Learning Beyond the Classroom: As a member of the World's Largest Drum Crew, I traveled to Ireland to perform in the Dublin St. Patrick's Day parade. To me, the drum represents everyting great about Purdue University: our spirit of adaptability, resilience, and innovation.