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 2022 application period for 2023 Student Research Grants was October 1 through November 13. Awards will be announced in 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.

2022 Recipients

Agriculture Division

• Posters
  • 1st place – Emily Hansen, Illinois State University
    Effects of Depth and Cover Crop on the Functioning and Diversity of Soil Microbial Communities

Anthropology & Archaeology Division

• Posters
  • 1st place – Emily Bone, Illinois College
    Correlations Between Cranial Angles and Classification of Malocclusion

Botany Division

• Undergraduate Posters
  • 1st place – Stephanie Mullen, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Adjustment of pH and Potassium Nitrate Concentration in TAP Media Show Increased Biomass Production in Neochloris oleabundans, as Compared to Growth in Soil Extract Media
  • Honorable Mention
    • Farid Rodriguez, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Impact of Smoke Water Concentration Effect on the Germination of Bouteloua curtipendula
    • Patrick Nilges, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      Smoke Water Concentration Effect on the Germination of Sorghastrum nutans, a Native Grass
    • Shay Adio, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
      The Effect of Various Smokewater Concentrations on the Germination of Bouteloua dactyloides (Buffalo Grass)
• Graduate Posters
  • 1st place – Sydney Metternich, Illinois State University
    Local vs. Novel Prairie Soil Microbes: Testing for Local Adaptation in the Response of Lobelia spicata from Illinois vs. Kansas
• Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Jacob Murphy, Eastern Illinois University
    Isolation and Functional Characterization of Novel Root-Specific Promoters in Sunflower

Cellular, Molecular, & Developmental Biology Division

• Posters
  • 1st place – Hunter Brugler, Bradley University
    Inducing Neuronal and Glial Characteristics in BMSC’s on Polycaprolactone Nanofiber Scaffolds
  • Honorable Mention – Alexis Pawlak, DePaul University
    Effects of Tricyclohexylphosphine Gold(I) Chloride (PC_y3AuCl) on the Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells
• Undergraduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Victoria Johnson, Knox College
    Identification of the Photosensitive Protein(s) in Stentor coeruleus
• Graduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Damilola Lawore, Western Illinois University
    Anti-Cancer Activity of Morel Mushroom (Morchella esculenta) Extracts in Ovarian Cancer Cells

Chemistry Division

• Undergraduate Posters
  • 1st place – Ethan Leitschuh, Illinois College
    Copper-Catalyzed Click Chemistry of Benzyl Azide and Phenylacetylene
  • 2nd place – Patrick Combs, Illinois College
    Inhibition of Tyrosinase with 5-Hydroxyindole
  • 3rd place – Briar Hilsabeck, Western Illinois University
    Synthesis of Humic Acid and Humic-Like Acids and Metal Functionalization of Humic Acid
• Graduate Posters
  • 1st place – Zachary Dodson, Western Illinois University
    Quantification of Cannabigerol in Hemp Oil by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • 2nd place – Gabrielle Valenzuela, Western Illinois University
    Quantification of Cannabinol in Hemp Oil by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • 3rd place – Shelby Carlson, Western Illinois University
    Quantification of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid among Sixteen Cannabinoids in Cannabis by Liquid Chromatography Ultraviolet Detection

Computer Science Division

• Posters
  • 1st place – Sirihaasa Nallamothu, University High School
    Supervised Binary Convolutional Neural Networks with Model Stacking for Diagnosis of Fundus and Eyelid Diseases
• Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – David Salazar, Illinois College
    AI Mid-Air Gesture Authentication for Mobile Devices

Engineering & Technology Division

• Oral Presentations
  • 1st place (tie) – Mona Fazel Sarjoui, Illinois State University
    Improving Project Budget Forecasting by Using Artificial Intelligence
  • 1st place (tie) – Yun Jia, Illinois State University
    Impact of Supply Chain 4.0

Environmental Science Division

• Undergraduate Posters
  • 1st place – Rachel Papavasilopoulos, Eastern Illinois University
    Bibliometric Analysis: The Effects of Triclosan on Human Health
  • 2nd place – Pamela Taylor, Bradley University
    Quantifying the Relationship Between Land Use and Parasitic Trematode Infections in Larval Cricket Frogs (Acris crepitans)
• Graduate Posters
  • 1st place – Joshua Gifford, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Measures of Noise and Air Pollution Throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan Region
  • 2nd place – Elizabeth Wolk, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Developing and Implementing an Environmental PhotoVoice Curriculum in an After-School Program for Middle School Students
• Undergraduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Lauren Sgambelluri, Illinois College
    The Use of Automated Passive Recorders to Examine how Abiotic Factors Including Temperature, Humidity, and Barometric Pressure Affect Bat Activity
  • 2nd place – Brooke Prater, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Seed and Biomass Production of Ocimum basilicum (Basil) Grown in Horizontal and Vertical Garden Systems and the Integration of the Companion Plant Aster novae-angliae (Pink Chiffon Aster)
• Graduate Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Akinloye Emmanuel Ojewole, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Effects of Fish Age and Growth on Accumulation and Interaction of Selenium and Toxic Metals in Asian Carps in the Lower Illinois River
  • 2nd place – Cora Wessman, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    Comparison of Pollinator Behaviors and Reproductive Success for Monarda fistulosa in Native/Restored Prairies and Urban Gardens

Health Sciences Division

• Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Hannah Warfel, Millikin University
    The Effect of Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin) on the Innate and Adaptive immunity of Cuban Tree Frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) Tadpoles

Microbiology Division

• Posters
  • 1st place – Gia-Maria Calbaza, Bradley University
    Implementing Transposon Mutagenesis to Investigate Proteins that Alter the Expression of Bacterioferritin Comigratory Protein in Bacillus subtilis
• Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Emily Baalman, Illinois College
    Antibiotic Resistance in Soil of Central Illinois

Physics, Mathematics, & Astronomy Division

• Posters
  • 1st place (tie) – Md Hasibul Hasan Hasib, Western Illinois University
    A Brief Study of Physical and Optical Properties of Pr³⁺ and Dy³⁺ Co-Doped Bismuth Boro-Tellurite Glasses
  • 1st place (tie) – AKM Ashiqur Rahman, Western Illinois University
    Study of Fluorescence Spectra of Praseodymium (Pr³⁺) and Dysprosium (Dy³⁺) Co-Doped Bismuth Boro-Tellurite Glasses
• Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Alexander Rahe, Western Illinois University
    Physical and Optical Properties of Pr³⁺ and Dy³⁺ Doped Bismuth Boro-Tellurite Glasses
  • 2nd place (tie) – Moreom Akter, Western Illinois University
    Investigating the Spectral Energy Distribution of Young High-Mass Stellar Objects Using VLASS
  • 2nd place (tie) – Md Arefur Rahman, Western Illinois University
    Comparative Analysis of Search Algorithms for Automatic Gameplay of Two-Player Games

STEM Education Division

• Posters
  • 1st place – Olivia Beckwith, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Understanding Science Identity Formation: Preliminary Results from Interviews with Scientists
• Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Nathan Garnett, Illinois College
    Special Relativity Video Game Simulator

Zoology Division

• Undergraduate Posters
  • 1st place – Morgan Rockwell, Millikin University
    Prevalence of Francisella tularensis in Raptors: A Role for Hawk Flies?
  • 2nd place – Makenzie Groenhof, Bradley University
    The Influence of Microhabitat on Amphibian Survival in Larval Lithobates catesbeianus
• Graduate Posters
  • 1st place – Sydney Tomaschke, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
    Repeated Exposure Enhances Honey Bee Ethanol Tolerance Independent of Age and Behavioral Group
• Oral Presentations
  • 1st place – Annalee Anderson, Bradley University
    Can Urban Parks be the Suitable Wingmen for Protected Areas to Protect Arthropod Diversity?

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)