Awards

The Illinois State Academy of Science annually awards grants and makes presentation awards to our student members in support of developing science achievement. In addition, faculty and research members periodically receive special recognition awards.

• Annual competition for student research grants to support research efforts.
• Recognition of excellence for student presentations at the annual meeting.
• Specific division awards, currently the Botany Travel Grant.
• Recognition of outstanding service to science and the Academy as an ISAS Fellow.
• Occasional other outstanding awards, such as Honorary Memberships and the Centennial Award.

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

Student Research Grants

• Competitive grants are awarded annually to Illinois high school, undergraduate, and graduate students who are members of the Illinois State Academy of Science.
• High school awards are up to $200 each, undergraduate awards are up to $500, each and graduate awards are up to $1,000 each.
• Online proposals are generally accepted beginning September each year via the online application portal
• Awards are announced in December each year, with funding provided no later than January the following year.
• Previous Student Research Award recipients

The 2021 application period for 2022 Student Research Grants was September 27 through November 5. Awards were annouced in late December, followed by funding distributions.

2022 Recipients

Sirihaasa Nallamothu, University High School, Normal IL
Predicting Vasovagal Syncope in Patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome using Machine Learning Methods 

Hunter Brugler, Bradley University
Inducing Neuronal Differentiation in Rat Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Cultured on Coated Polycaprolactone Nanofiber

Samuel Knebe, Eastern Illinois University
Development of Chemical Biology Approaches to Reveal Factors that Influence Carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) Activity in Live Cells

Brianna Haase, Eastern Illinois University
Investigation of Antibacterial Properties of Ferulic and Glucuronic Acids

Emma Chilcoat, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
The Type VI Secretion System as an Anti-Pathogen Defense Mechanism in Termites

Student Presentation Awards

• Best oral and poster presentations are awarded at each annual meeting.
• Abstracts and more information about each presentation is available from our Annual Meeting Supplements under the Annual Meetings tab.
• Previous Student Presentation Award recipients.

2021 Recipients

Anthropology & Archaeology Division

• Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Megan Price, Illinois College
    Investigating Sexual Dimorphism and Development in Homo sapiens Nasal Aperture Shape

Botany Division

• Undergraduate Posters
  • 1st place (tie) – Micah Kelleher, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    The Efficacy of Three Pollination Methods on Seed Set of Spiranthes magnicamporum
  • 1st place (tie) – Patrick Grant Nilges, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Smoke Water Concentration Effect on the Germination of Midwestern Plant Seeds
• Graduate Posters
  • 1st place – Deanna Deterding, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Does Moth Community Composition Parallel Plant Community Restoration?
• Undergraduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Charles Veith, Illinois College
    Seed Germination of Orchids Native to Republic of Palau (W Pacific): An Update
• Graduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Joseph Stumbo, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Conservation of Spiranthes Orchids

Cellular, Molecular, & Developmental Biology Division

• Undergraduate Posters
  • 1st place – Brianna Niebrugge, Millikin University
    Changes in Natural Antibody Activity in Two Species of Birds During an Acute Stressor
• Graduate Posters
  • 1st place – Tammy Zanker, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Identifying Molecular Markers for Mapping of the mnd Gene Mutation in the Basidiomycete Fungus Schizophyllum commune
• Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Anchal Singh, Eastern Illinois University
    Evaluation of Fluorescein-Based Fluorescent Probe for Monitoring of Carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) Activity in Living Cells

Chemistry Division

• Undergraduate Posters
  • 1st place – Alexis Paskach, Illinois College
    Understanding Suzuki-Miyaura (SM) Reaction via WebMO Calculations
• Graduate Posters
  • 1st place – Madison Chao, Western Illinois University
    Quantification of Flunixin in Equine Plasma by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI/MS/MS)
  • 2nd place – Prahadeesh Nagaretnam, Eastern Illinois University
    A Novel Palladium BODPIY Photocatalyst for Carbon-Carbon Coupling
• Undergraduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Kayla Lippincott, Bradley University
    Copper-Catalyzed Alkyne-Azide Cycloaddition Reactions Utilizing Copper Oxides Trapped Within a Polydimethylsiloxane Matrix
• Graduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Katelynn Fuller-Svarz, Eastern Illinois University
    Development and Evaluation of a Fluorescent Probe to Detect the Expression of Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II

Engineering & Technology Division

• Undergraduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Justin Hope Villegas, Illinois State University
    Total Impact of Electric Vehicle Fleet Adoption in the Logistics Industry of Illinois
• Graduate Oral Presentatons
  • 1st place – Magalie Baker, Illinois State University
    Application of Lean Six Sigma to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
  • 2nd place – Montasir Islam, Illinois State University
    Servitization – An Upcoming Innovative Industrial Business Model

Environmental Science Division

• Undergraduate Posters
  • 1st place – Alayna Rosales, Bradley University
    Impacts of Acidification on Rana catesbeiana Tadpole Interactions with Trematode Parasites
• Graduate Posters
  • 1st place – Joshua Gifford, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Establishing an Air Quality and Noise Pollution Monitoring Network in the St. Louis Metropolitan Region
• Undergraduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place (tie) – Sam Killday, Illinois College
    A Survey of Spontaneous Tree Diversity at Starhill Forest Arboretum and its Significance
  • 1st place (tie) – Haley Brashears, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Effects of Microplastic Exposure to Schmidtea mediterranea
• Graduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place  – Albert Wang, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Assessing the Effects of Decreasing Particulate Matter Concentrations Over Time on Population Health in an Industrial Midwest City

Health Sciences Division

• Undergraduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Gianna Ruiz, Bradley University
    Successful Recovery of Cryopreserved Adult Neurons Utilizing a Novel Stem-Cell Extract
• Graduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Mallory Wright, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Direct Smoke Exposure Influences Stem Cell Proliferation and Regulates Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue

Microbiology Division

• Posters
  • 1st place – Kimmy Christnacht, Millikin University
    Seroprevalence of Plasmodium in Birds of Prey in Central Illinois Determined by Microscopic Examination and ELISA
  • 2nd place – Alexandra Beanblossom, Bradley University
    Spatiotemporal Patterns in Freshwater Bacterial Communities Across Hydrologically Variable Sites in a Major River Watershed

Physics, Mathematics, & Astronomy Division

• Posters
  • 1st place – Ibrahim Aladhyani, Western Illinois University
    Group Velocity of Light in Uniaxial Crystals
• Undergraduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Wylie Anderson and Lucas Hutton, Eastern Illinois University
    Optical Properties of Samarium (Sm) and Europium (Eu) Co-Doped Bismuth Telluro-Borate Glasses
• Graduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Suman Gutam, Western Illinois University
    Optical Properties of Samarium (Sm) and Europium (Eu) Co-Doped Bismuth Telluro-Borate Glasses

STEM Education Division

• Posters
  • 1st place – Jordan Jackson, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Identifying Factors Influencing Student Perceptions of Stress in Biology Courses
  • 2nd place – Waleska Carolina do Valle Santos and Hermom Reis Silva, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Partnership between Brazil and the USA (Illinois) in an Environmental Photovoice Project

Zoology Division

• Undergraduate Posters
  • 1st place – Lauren Artime, Millikin University
    Association of Plumage Color, Cap Size, and Physiological Traits in White-breasted Nuthatches
  • 2nd place – Zalan Shah, Bradley University
    The Combined Effects of Low Food Quality and High Temperature on the Growth and Survival of the Invasive Zebra Mussel, Dreissena polymorpha
• Graduate Posters
  • 1st place – Dylan Gladson, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Discover, Cover, Flee: The Competitive Value of Aphaenogaster Tool-Use

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.

2018 Recipients

Samantha Danguilan, Northwestern University/Chicago Botanical Garden

• Previous Botany Travel Grant Award recipients.

Fellows and Honorary Members

• Established in 1984.
  • Nomination only by current ISAS members.
  • May be awarded annually.
• ISAS Fellows
• ISAS 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)