The Genetics Section Graduate Student Research Awards provides $500 for research funds and an additional $500 for attendance at a future BSA meeting.

Award Recipients:

2019
Adriana I. Hernandez, Cornell University, Advisor: Chelsea D. Specht, For the Proposal: Revealing the Evolutionary History and Ecological Niches of a Highly Polymorphic Lily, Calochortus venustus: An Integrative Approach to Conservation

2018
Danielle Black, University of California-Santa Barbara, Advisor: Dr. Scott Hodges, for the proposal titled "Identifying the genetic basis of serpentine adaptation in Aquilegia eximia"

Sarah Carey, University of Florida, Advisor: Dr. Stuart McDaniel, for the proposal titled "Developing near-universal sex-linked markers for mosses"

2017
Colby Witherup, Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden, Advisor: Dr. Norman Wickett, for the proposal titled "Investigating the evolutionary history of meiosis genes in genera with diploid and polyploid clades"

2016
Ben Merritt, University of Cincinnati - Advisors: Dr. Theresa M. Culley, for the proposal titled "Questions of genomic and geographic scales: Characterization and assessment of molecular tools in Sedum lanceolatum Torr. (Crassulaceae)"

Megan Bontrager, University of British Columbia - Advisor: Dr. Amy Angert, for the proposal titled "The roles of geography and environment in determining population genetic structure and performance at the northern range edge of Clarkia pulchella"

2015

Carlos I. Arbizu-Berrocal, University of Wisconsin-Madison - Graduate Student Award - Advisors: Drs. David Spooner and Philipp Simon, for the proposal titled "Molecular and morphological studies of wild and cultivated carrot from Turkey, the genus Daucus"

Beck Powers, University of Vermont - Masters Student Award - Advisor: Dr. Jill Preston, for the proposal titled "Genetic building blocks in the evolution of sympetaly: a candidate gene approach"

2014
Kevin Weitemier, Oregon State University - Graduate Student Award - Advisors: Dr. Aaron Liston, for the proposal titled "Genome-enabled phylogeography of a Great Basin milkweed, Asclepias cryptoceras"

Kimberly Hansen, Northern Arizona University - Masters Student Award - Advisor: Dr.Tina Ayers, for the proposal titled "Reconstructing the Evolutionary History of Campanulaceae with NextGen Sequencing"

2013
Richard Hodel, University of Florida - Graduate Student Award - Advisors: Drs. Douglas and Pamela Soltis, for the proposal titled "Phylogeography and Conservation Genetics of Neo-tropical Mangroves (Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle)"

Sandra Mardonovich, Miami University - Masters Student Award - Advisor: Dr. Richard C. Moore for the proposal titled "Investigation of natural populations of Carica papaya’s morphological and genetic structure throughout Mesoamerica"

2012
Ursula King, University of Connecticut - Graduate Student Award - Advisor: Dr. Donald Les, for the proposal titled "Provision of genome resources for Najas marina and Najas minor, Hydrocharitaceae"

2011
Guadalupe Borja, Oklahoma State University - Masters Student Award - Advisor: Dr. Andrew Doust, for the proposal titled "Integrating phylogeny and population genetics: distinguishing incomplete lineage sorting and gene flow to infer the evolution of the Southeastern bladderpods (Paysonia spp.)."

Kim Thompson, University of Cincinnati - Graduate Student Award - Advisor: Dr. David Lentz, for the proposal titled "Chloroplast Microsatellite Analysis of Manilkara zapota (Sapotaceae), a Tropical Fruit and Timber Tree."

2010
Nicholas Miles, Florida State University - Graduate Student Award, for his proposal titled "Developmental Genetics of a Carnivorous Pitcher Plant."

RoseMary Puhr, Cal State Long Beach - Masters Student Award, for her proposal titled: "Evolution of SPARSE INFLORESCENCE1 within Graminoid Poales."

2009
Stein V. Servick, Department of Botany, University of Florida (PhD student)

Ashley Kuenzi, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati (MS Student)

2008
Renate Wuersig, Purdue University (PhD student)

Sunni J. Taylor, Texas State University (MS Student)

2007
Michael Anthony, Portland State University

2006
Jill Duarte, Pennsylvania State University

2005
Nicole Hardiman, University of Cincinnati