Awards

The Illinois State Academy of Science awards multiple grants each year, with most recognizing the developing science achievement of our student members.  These include:

Illinois State Academy of Science, itself, received 2018 Best of Springfield Award due to its service and promotion of of science.

Student Research Grants

  • Competitive grants are awarded annually to Illinois high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. High school awards are up to $200 each, undergraduate awards are up to $500, each and graduate awards are up to $1,000 each.
  • Only student members may apply. If you are not yet a member, see our membership page to join online.
  • Online proposals are accepted mid-November through mid-January, with awards are announced in mid-March.
  • Application Period has ended. Check back in mid-November to apply for the next round of applications.

  • 2018 Recipients

    • Katherine Kucera,  Northwestern University
      Characterizing Genetic Changes in the Production of Multi-Source Seed Lots in Penstemon pachyphyllus
    • Jocelyn McDonald, Illinois State University
      Effects of Two Mechanistically Different Pesticides on Mite Infestation and Nestling Development in European Starlings
    • Nicholas Roth, Illinois College
      Dikkopf (dkk) Expression in X. laevis Ocular Tissues During Cornea-Lens Regeneration
    • Owen Pulver, Millikin University
      Seroprevalence of West Nile Virus in Birds of Prey

  • Previous Student Research Award recipients.

Student Presentation Awards

  • 2018 Recipients

Agriculture Division

  • Posters
    • 1st place - Keely Egelhoff, Western Illinois University
      Remote Sensing for Evaluating the Effect of Grafting on Hyperspectral Reflectance of Tomato Plants

Anthropology & Archaeology Division

  • Posters
    • 1st place -Lauren Estes, Illinois College
      Identities Through Bones: Forensic Sex Estimation in Human Skeletons at Illinois College
  • Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Jerome Thomas, Illinois College
      Assessing Occipital Bone Morphology and Brain Growth in a Developmental Study of Extant Humans

Botany Division

  • Undergraduate Posters
    • 1st place (tie) - Kelly Clark, Eastern Illinois University
      Epidermal Anatomy of Angraecinae (Vandeae, Orchidaceae)
    • 1st place (tie) - Zach Miles, Millikin University
      The Effects of Simulated Herbivory on Cut-Leaf Teasel (Dipsacus laciniatus - Dipsacaceae)
  • Graduate Posters
    • 1st place - Eric Janssen, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
      The Impacts of Habit Quality and Seed Age on Seed Vitality of the Rare Plant, Synthyris bullii
  • Undergraduate Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Rachel Helmich, Illinois College
      Viability of Orchid Endophytes in Prolonged Cool (4-6° C) Storage for Conservation Purposes
    • Honorable mention - Jacob Schaafsma, Wheaton College
      Comparing Oogenesis in Two Ecomorphs of the Giant Kelp Macrocystis pyrifera in Response to Iron Nutrition
  • Graduate Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Brandon Schack, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Photosynthetic Characteristics and Growth Performance of Invasive Understory Shrubs Across a Light Gradient
    • Honorable mention - Kayla Tatum, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Cross Species Compatibility of the Fungal Associates of the Federally Threatened Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid

Cellular, Molecular, & Developmental Biology Division

  • Undergraduate Posters
    • 1st place - Brooke Smith, Millikin University
      Locating and Characterizing Agglutinin-Like Sequence (ALS) Genes in Candida metapsilosis
    • 2nd place - Jennifer Houser, Bradley University
      Investigations into the Neuroprotective Effects of Simvastatin on Adult Murine Neurons Against the Neurologic Stressors Glutamate and Beta-Amyloid
    • Honorable Mention - Sean Kisch, Illinois College
      Generation of Transgenic Xenopus laevis Expressing Constitutively Active Beta-Catenin
  • Graduate Posters
    • 1st place - Bashaier Alharbi, Western Illinois University
      Gene Expression of Tomato Fruitworm (Helicoverpa zea) that Fed on Tomato Plants Infected with the Entomopathogenic Fungus (Beauveria bassiana)
    • 2nd place - Mark Gudger, DePaul University
      Effect of Gold (I) Phosphines on the Cell Proliferation of MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells
  • Undergraduate Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Elyse Schnabel, Millikin University
      The Effects of Ammonium Sulfate on Stress Physiology and Innate Immunity of Western Mosquito Fish (Gambusia affinis)
  • Graduate Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Lucero Villareal Rodriguez, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Characterization of Planarian Homologs of Human Xeroderma Pigmentosum Genes and Their Function in Repairing UV Damage
    • 2nd place - Daniel Karcher, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Determining the Function of Two Predicted dicer-like Genes in the Model Mushroom Fungus Schizophyllum commune

Chemistry Division

  • Undergraduate Posters
    • 1st place - James Bosonetta, Eastern Illinois University
      Synthesizing -Aryl Cinnamaldehyde Semicarbazones to Test for Photochromicity
    • 2nd place - Jacob Worms, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Effects of Substituted Amines and Alcoholic Solvents on Oxi-Michael Ugi-Smiles Reaction
    • 3rd place - Samantha Olendorff, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Quantitation of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in Fathead Minnows By LC-MS
  • Graduate Posters
    • 1st place - Gregory Deye, Loyola University
      Towards Understanding Reactivity of Organic Surfaces in the Solid State
    • 2nd place - Natasha Frig, Western Illinois University
      Quantification of Phenylbutazone in Equine Plasma for Doping Control in Horse Racing by Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet Detection
    • 3rd place - Wei Chean Chuah, Western Illinois University
      Forensic Analysis of Illicit Drugs by Nitrogen Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (N2 DART/MS)
  • Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Nicolas Revelt, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Isocyanide and Phenol Substituent Variants in the Tandem Ugi-Smiles Diels-Alder Reaction

Computer Science Division

  • Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Laura Palmieri, University of Illinois Chicago
      Alleviating Partisan Gerrymandering: Can Math and Computers Help to Eliminate Wasted Votes?

Engineering & Technology Division

  • Posters
    • 1st place - Whitley Sapp, Millikin University
      Magnetically Assisted Generator

Environmental Science Division

  • Undergraduate Posters
    • 1st place - Ryan Johnson, Augustana College
      Functions of Ecosystems: Stream Metabolism as an Efficient and Effective Means to Gage the Health and Understand the Interworking of Urban Streams in a Watershed of Rock Island, IL
    • 2nd place - Grant Zeidler, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Using Walnut Sawdust Wastes Aa Cultivation Substrate for Growing Edible Mushrooms
  • Graduate Posters
    • 1st place - Jenn Caldwell, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Evaluation of Storm Water Retention by Native and Sedum Green Roofs
    • 2nd place - Grace Wilken, Eastern Illinois University
      Food Waste to Fresh Food Through Compost
  • Undergraduate Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Katelyn Toigo, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
      Habitat Value in Mid-Sized Rivers in Illinois
  • Graduate Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Margaret Gross, Western Illinois University
      True Metabolizable Energy of Submersed Aquatic Vegetation for Ducks

Health Sciences Division

  • Undergraduate Posters
    • 1st place - Anna Benvenuto, Millikin University
      Review of the Effects of Ankle Tape Versus Ankle Braces on Vertical Leap
  • Graduate Posters
    • 1st place - Jesse Snyder, Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine
      Electronic Cigarette Juices Induce Inflammation and Morphological Changes in Cell and 3D Tissue Culture
  • Undergraduate Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Callie Mincy, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Unique Cohorts of Cells within Salivary Gland Cancers Exhibit Aggressive Behaviors
  • Graduate Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Chukwuebuka Ogwo, Western Illinois University
      Prevalence and Correlates of Dental Anxiety Among Western Illinois University Students

Microbiology Division

  • Undergraduate Posters
    • 1st place - Sydni Rubio, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Investigating Host Specificity of the Burkholderia-Dictyostelium Symbiosis System in Diverse Slime Mold Species
  • Graduate Posters
    • 1st place - Rui Xiao, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
      Symbiont Regulated Host DNA Methylation in Euprymna scolopes - Vibrio fischeri Symbiosis
  • Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Jae Claywell, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
      Inhibition of the Protein Phosphatase Cpp1 Alters Development of Chlamydia trachomatis

STEM Education Division

  • Poster Presentations
    • 1st place - Ashley Farthing, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Incorporating Elementary Literacy and Science Education: A Pollination Study
  • Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Elisabeth Knierim, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Using Modeling to Gain a Better Understanding of Chemistry Concepts

Zoology Division

  • Undergraduate Posters
    • 1st place - Kimberly Zralka, Olivet Nazarene University
      The Role of Endangered Oak (Quercus spp.) Savanna Characteristics in Supporting Red-Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus L.) Populations
    • 2nd place - McKenna Conforti, Olivet Nazarene University
      The Effects of Cattle Grazing on the Health of Bumble Bee (Bombus spp.) Populations in a Historical Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem
    • 3rd place - Cooper Collings, Millikin University
      The Effects of Caffeine and Sertraline on Spatial Learning in Goldfish, Carassius auratus (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae)
  • Graduate Posters
    • 1st place - Alexander Smith, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Effects of Shell Size, Shape, and Density on the Crush Resistance of a Freshwater Snail
    • 2nd place - Samantha Sorrick, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Home Range and Microhabitat Preferences of the Eastern Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina, in Southwestern Illinois
  • Undergraduate Oral Presentations
    • 1st place - Courtney Olson, Millikin University
      Effects of Rehabilitation Setting on Stress Physiology in Red Tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii), Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus), and American Kestrels (Falco sparverius)
  • Graduate Oral Presentations
      • 1st place - Kassandra Karssen, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
        Comparison of Resource Utilization in a Native Versus a Headstarted Population of Ornate Box Turtles, Terrapene ornata ornata, in Northern Illinois
    • 2nd place - Dillan Laaker, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Avian Use of Floodplain Forest Communities Along the Upper Mississippi River

Botanical Division Travel Grants

  • Proposals accepted February 1st through March 24th of each year with notification of recipients by April 1st. Online form not yet available. Contact ISAS for information.
  • Advisor support letter required. Online form not yet available. Contact ISAS for information.
  • College undergraduates and graduates compete for up to two $250 awards each year. Previous Botany Travel Grant Award recipients.

  • 2018 Recipients

    • Samantha Danguilan, Northwestern University/Chicago Botanical Garden

Fellows and Honorary Members

2007 Centennial Award

  • A one-time award given during our centennial celebration of 2007. The recipient best exemplifies a lifetime of scholarly excellence and service. Dr. Roger C. Anderson of Illinois State University received this award in 2007. (Anderson_Bio)