Zachariah Bess began research in the Browder Laboratory in Fall 2020, where he was charged with the preparation of ionic liquid and deep eutectic salt formulations for antibiofilm and other biological applications. His progress was so impressive that he was soon tasked with developing methods for a series of new amino acid based ionic liquids for use in the lab’s polymer electrolyte formulations. Zachariah’s attention to detail in carrying out laboratory procedures and ability to troubleshoot reaction processes are very advanced for a student so new to research. His future work will include elucidating new processes for employing amino acid ionic liquids as polymerization agents and characterizing the novel polymers that will result. – Cindy Browder

Janae Ziebell is a very hard working student. When she took my CHM 341 (Physical Chemistry I) course last semester, a traditionally difficult course, she was in the top three performing students. Despite having classes moved online due to the pandemic, she still put in all of her effort and knocked it out of the park. It was very common to see her in office hours, which goes to show her dedication to her success. I am sure that she will do great things with her future! – Dr. Dan Matthew

Jasmyn is a rockstar when it comes to an academic setting. I have had the privilege of having her for quite literally all of her courses at NAU (CHM 151, CHM 341, CHM 442C, and CHM 442CL) and she is on her way to have a perfect track record, passing them all with flying colors. Jasmyn is an incredible student and is never afraid to reach out for help, often asking topic-adjacent questions to make sure she understands the material fully. The Chemistry and Biochemistry department is excited to see what she brings to the field as she moves on from NAU. – Dr. Dan Matthew

Meredith is a promising young leader that demonstrates integrity and respect. As such, she utilizes her leadership skills as the co-president of oSTEM at NAU as well as a cadet in the Air Force ROTC. I am so proud of Meredith’s hard work, dedication, and growth throughout the last year. As such, she is very deserving of the Earle B Hoyt, Jr. Chemistry Scholarship. – Dr. Naomi Lee

Nominated by Dr. Alvin Altamirano:

Rebecca Whittington

Camille Monty

Carter Jon Patterson

Kevin John Tartaglia

Zoe MeiLi Danega

Nominated by Dr. Brandon Cruickshank:

Eniko Sara

Dominic Victor Jesus Garcia

Christine Marie Thompson

Karim Perez

Nominated by Dr. Paul Jagodzinksi:

Kalealani Gurfield

Jordan Golden

Gabriele Militello

Payton Gandolfi

Kyler Mikkelsen

Nominated by Dr. Therese Myers:

Alyssa Arambulo

Makayla Szendzial

Nominated by Dr. Edgar Civitello:

Ethan Jacobs Poiles

Mia Riddle

Tulsi Patel

Darren Hoover

Maxwell Tewelis

Megan Wilkinson

Nominated by Dr. Cindy Browder:

Shannonn Casaulong

Beatriz Morales Perez

Jess Pennington

William Beam

Max Whittington

Morgan Fandrey

Jasmyn is a rockstar when it comes to an academic setting. I have had the privilege of having her for quite literally all of her courses at NAU (CHM 151, CHM 341, CHM 442C, and CHM 442CL) and she is on her way to have a perfect track record, passing them all with flying colors. Jasmyn is an incredible student and is never afraid to reach out for help, often asking topic-adjacent questions to make sure she understands the material fully. The Chemistry and Biochemistry department is excited to see what she brings to the field as she moves on from NAU. – Dr. Dan Matthew

Janae Ziebell is a very hard working student. When she took my CHM 341 (Physical Chemistry I) course last semester, a traditionally difficult course, she was in the top three performing students. Despite having classes moved online due to the pandemic, she still put in all of her effort and knocked it out of the park. It was very common to see her in office hours, which goes to show her dedication to her success. I am sure that she will do great things with her future! – Dr. Dan Matthew

I was delighted to nominate Christian for the ACS Organic Chemistry Award.  Christian is an outstanding student with a talent for organic chemistry.  This aptitude was demonstrated in both my advanced organic lab (CHM 338L) as well as my graduate-level advanced organic course (CHM 530) where he performed at the very top of the class.  But what sets Christian apart is his exuberance and enthusiasm for the subject.  Watching him learn and discover in my courses has been inspiring.  I should also note that Christian is a former recipient of the Nancy and Henry Wettaw Organic Chemistry Scholarship and has been one of my graders for CHM 238 for three semesters now.  I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him.  – Dr. Edgar Civitello

Aleksandra was a pleasure to have in class over the last two semesters. She showed up to class motivated and willing to learn. Due to her hard work, she was one of the top students in the class. – Dr. Naomi Lee

I have known Laura since August 2020 in my role as a professor and lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Northern Arizona University (NAU). As her instructor for the CHM 350, CHM 450 and CHM 498C courses, Laura constantly impressed me. She worked relentlessly and was always engaged with the material. I consider Laura to be in the top 1-2% of students at NAU and this was reflected in a positive way in all her grades. I have nominated Laura for the Inorganic Chemistry award because of her excellent performance in this course. She truly demonstrates a deep understanding of the course material and an ability to fully connect concepts covered across the CHM 350 and CHM 450C curricula. – Dr. Stephanie Hurst

Nicholas has been a stand-out student in the physical chemistry courses. He is always engaged, calm, and collected and has his sights set on achieving success in his courses. Nicholas is a diligent worker who is never afraid to ask questions. In the Physical Chemistry Laboratory course, he stood out in his ability to write his reports in a manner that is typically not seen with other students of his level. Everything from grammar to his choice of details to include were top notch. In the physical chemistry lecture courses, Nicholas has performed admirably, often being among the top students. Every step of the way, Nicholas has shown that he has a strong grasp on the traditionally difficult topics covered in physical chemistry. It is for these reasons that we present Nicholas Lopez with the NAU Physical Chemistry Award, which is given to only the best students who make it through the entire physical chemistry sequence of courses. – Drs. Dan Matthew and Gerrick Lindberg

Patrick has distinguished himself in and out of the classroom and has a superb GPA. He has been a research student for over two years, and has been a teaching assistant for organic chemistry laboratories for multiple semesters. He has been awarded numerous recognitions and has been accepted to multiple graduate programs in chemistry. He is highly deserving of this honor.

Other faculty have said the following with regards to Patrick. “Patrick is a very intelligent, hard-working student…” and “Patrick is a self-starter and has the intellect as well as perseverance to be successful…”. and “Patrick has been doing undergraduate research while an undergraduate at NAU, and he is developing strong research skills to go with his outstanding academic accomplishments.  He was accepted for summer internships with the Pacific Northwest Laboratory and the American Chemical Society Summer School in Nuclear and Radiochemistry in summer 2020.”

I consider Patrick to be in the top 1% of the courses in which I have had the pleasure to instruct him.  The basis of this recommendation comes from over fourteen years of teaching upper division chemistry lecture and laboratory courses, with a total of over 500 upper-division, chemistry undergraduates during that time period. From an academic and research perspective he is amongst the best undergraduate students I have had in the past few years. Through all this he is personable, humble and a joy to work with. – Dr. Stephanie Hurst

I have known Ryan since August 2019 in my role as a professor and lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Northern Arizona University (NAU). During this period I was initially a lecturer for Ryan in the Inorganic Chemistry I (CHM350H – Fall semester 2019) lecture course. Ryan took this course as part of his Honors curriculum. He was also enrolled in the Inorganic Chemistry II (CHM450C – Spring semester 2020) capstone lecture course and the associated laboratory (CHM450C – Spring semester 2020). In all these courses Ryan performed at the highest level and he is on track to successfully graduate in May 2021 with our American Chemical Society (ACS) certified degree and a 4.0 GPA. – Dr. Stephanie Hurst

Galen Dennis began working for the department last fall. He has worked in the organic chemistry stockroom and as a TA for CHM 230L, CHM 235L, CHM 238L. As a TA, his work has been exemplary. His curiosity and passion for chemistry enables him to explain these topics in novel ways to his students. As a stockroom worker, he often volunteers to learn new techniques and come up with creative ways to improve the program for the students and his fellow teaching assistants. In a short amount of time, Galen has significantly contributed to the organic chemistry instructional labs at NAU. It has been my pleasure to work with him and to nominate him for the Ken Bean Teaching Assistant Award. – Kevin Greenwood

Tiger Casman has been a Teaching Assistant in the General Chemistry Labs for over two years. As a Chem-Ed Major teaching is clearly a passion for Tiger, and her students truly appreciated her efforts to make the material and procedures understood. In the lab Tiger has gone above a beyond to help her students exceed. When the pandemic hit, Tiger also volunteered to teach our remote lab  for the past three semesters. As a senior she has been a leader in the chemistry stockroom, and trained new stockroom workers and teaching assistants.  – Malia Rodriguez

I have been a witness to demonstrations of Justin’s initiative and drive through my research program. Early in the Fall semester of 2019 Justin approached me asking to become involved in my research. He was persistent when other students were not, always coming to me with relevance and well-considered questions. In October 2019, I brought Justin into my laboratory on a trial basis to assess his potential. Since then I have been thoroughly impressed with his qualities. He is always punctual, polite and professional in his interactions. He has since shown that he is willing to tackle new tasks and responsibilities and I applaud him for his persistence and willingness to work either alone or in small groups. Truly he is deserving of this award. – Dr. Stephanie Hurst