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Graduate Student Award Winners
GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD WINNERS Edith M. Patch Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award
The Edith M. Patch Outstanding Ph.D. Award recognizes a Ph.D. student with a distinguished record in areas that Dr. Edith M. Patch, a pioneering entomologist, excelled in during her long and important career at UMaine.
Jesse Walters
Jesse Walters is the Edith M. Patch Outstanding Ph.D. Student in the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in Earth Science. His advisor is Alicia Cruz-Uribe, Edward Sturgis Grew Assistant Professor of Petrology and Mineralogy.
Walters’ research productivity and commitment to public service earned him a Fullbright Doctoral Fellowship and Chase Distinguished Research Assistantship. He has published two papers and has another under review, and has presented his research at six conferences. He has also chaired sessions at national and international meetings.
Walters is an active proponent of science outreach, and has volunteered his time and expertise at elementary schools, the Maine Upward Bound Math and Science Program, and the Maine Science Olympiad. He was instrumental in developing a student mentorship program in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences. He has also served as a senator in the Graduate Student Government, a graduate representative to faculty, and the coordinator of his school’s visiting speaker program.
My research focuses on quantifying long-term changes in Earth’s chemistry through plate tectonics. Plate tectonics link Earth’s surface and interior geochemical cycles and may be responsible for a diverse range of phenomena, such as formation of a habitable atmosphere, volcanic activity, economic mineral diversity, and perhaps supplying an environment for early life to flourish. In fact, plate tectonics is a phenomenon unique to Earth in our solar system.
I hope that my career in scientific research will change the way we view the importance of the geochemical evolution of the solid Earth to its habitability. I believe that my excellent training and hands-on laboratory and field experience in the School of Earth and Climate Science at the University of Maine has well prepared me to begin my professional career in scientific research.
The Outstanding Service Award recognizes a graduate student who has been exceptionally successful in fulfilling UMaine’s service mission to the university, stakeholders, and their field of research.
Elisabeth Kilroy
Elisabeth Kilroy is the recipient of the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture’s Outstanding Service Award. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical science. Her advisor is Clarissa Henry, professor of biological sciences in the School of Biology and Ecology.
Kilroy centered her graduate student career on serving others. Her dissertation project explores a novel approach to improving muscle retention in people affected by muscular dystrophy. To develop support for her research Kilroy engaged with the public, garnering international media attention and a research award from the Morgan Hoffman Foundation. She also spoke to U.S. senators and representatives as an advocate for federal support of muscular dystrophy research.
At UMaine, Kilroy opened up her laboratory to dozens of undergraduate students, offering them high-quality research mentorship. She also served UMaine’s Graduate Student Government as Vice President, and the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering as President. She volunteers yearly at summer camps hosted by the Muscular Dystrophy Association and frequently speaks at science-based events for children.
How do you aspire to change the world and how will your experience at UMaine help you?
My goal is to cure muscular dystrophy. Thousands of individuals are losing the fight against muscle wasting and weakness, and I know that I can help them. Throughout my graduate career at UMaine, I mastered an astounding number of skills I never thought possible. More importantly, though, I gained a network of researchers, mentors, friends, and community members who cheer for me, encourage me, and provide me with new doors of opportunity. This award represents my gratitude for this network and serves as my daily reminder to never stop chasing the cure for muscular dystrophy.
The Graduate Research Excellence Award recognizes a student who has an exemplary record of research and scholarly activity.
Colleen Mayberry
Colleen Mayberry is the recipient of the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture’s Graduate Research Excellence Award. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in microbiology. Her advisor is Melissa Maginnis, associate professor of microbiology in the Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences.
Mayberry has emerged as a leader in the laboratory and classroom during her time at UMaine. Although she started her graduate studies as a master’s student, her passion for research led her to advance to a Ph.D. program.
Mayberry’s research has been featured in the premier journals in her field, as first author on one manuscript and coauthor on others. She has finely tuned her scientific communication skills, having authored over 15 abstracts and presented at national and state-wide conferences.
Mayberry also served as a member of UMaine’s Graduate Student Government and volunteered in the greater community as a science fair judge and at the Maine Science Festival.
I study how a human virus, JC polyomavirus, invades cells of our bodies to understand how viruses cause disease. Deepening our understanding of these processes could lead to prevention of viral disease through the development of antiviral therapies.
As a microbiology student, understanding how viruses can cause disease is extremely important. In light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, a deeper understanding of how viruses infect our cells can pave the way for future therapeutics.
In the Maginnis lab I am focused on understanding how JC polyomavirus, a common viral pathogen, can enter into cells of our body. Given the opportunity, JC polyomavirus can cause the disease PML, a neurodegenerative disease that results in fatality. If we can understand how JC polyomavirus can enter our cells, we can provide new information for the design of drugs that block virus entry and prevent the spread of infection.
GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD WINNERS Norris Charles Clements Graduate Student Award
The Norris Charles Clements Graduate Student Award was established to recognize an outstanding graduate student in agricultural sciences, whose research has the potential to significantly shape the future of Maine agriculture.
Praveen Sappati
Praveen Sappati is the recipient of the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture’s Norris Charles Clements Graduate Student Award. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in food and nutrition sciences. His advisors are Balunkeswar Nayak, associate professor of food processing in the School of Food and Agriculture, and Peter VanWalsum, associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering.
From the outset of his time at UMaine, Sappati engaged with stakeholders in Maine’s aquaculture industry. He garnered local industry partnerships and regularly disseminated his research with seaweed farmers at regional and international conferences. Sappati’s research has been featured in premier journals in his field, as first author on three manuscripts. He currently has an additional three under review. His advisor, Associate Professor Nayak, describes Sappati’s teaching assistance in food science and engineering courses as phenomenal.
Sappati also mentored five undergraduate students who later presented their research to Maine’s legislature, was an active member of the Food Science Club, and won several food science and technology competitions while representing UMaine.
Throughout my life, I always believed, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” I wish to serve mankind by contributing my share towards research that could propel technology to newer horizons. As a graduate student in the School of Food and Agriculture, UMaine has been incredibly rewarding both personally and professionally. My work on seaweed has led to research publications, scientific presentations at local and international level conferences, industry partners, interdepartmental collaboration, undergraduate student mentorship and awarded grant money.
I believe my work will have a meaningful impact on seaweed farming and promote consumption through more sustainable pathways. Working in collaboration with seaweed partners and other labs including Advanced Manufacturing Center, Advanced Structures and Composite Center and people from different cultures and backgrounds helped me to grow as a skilled all-around collaborative researcher.
After completing my Ph.D. and post-doctoral appointment, I plan to pursue a full-time tenure-track professor position to further investigate and develop sustainable post-harvest processing methods and systems to improve the shelf-life of food products to feed the ever-increasing population of the world.
The Fred Griffee Memorial Award recognizes an outstanding graduate student associated with the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station. Candidates are evaluated by their research ability, character, and scholarship.
Natalie VandenAkker
Natalie VandenAkker is the recipient of the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture’s Fred Griffee Memorial Award. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in human nutrition. Her advisor is Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, professor of clinical nutrition in the School of Food and Agriculture.
VandenAkker exemplifies excellence in research, teaching, leadership and public service. Her research has been presented at prestigious national and international conferences where she received student research awards. In addition to her thesis research, VandenAkker worked on a project that included an intensive National Science Foundation program that explored commercialization of the research. She has served as a member of UMaine’s Graduate Student Government and the School of Food and Agriculture in numerous capacities.
VandenAkker also has excelled in the classroom, where she taught courses in biology, food science, and human nutrition, and has trained undergraduate students to use sophisticated laboratory equipment. Her advisor, Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, describes her among the top one percent of graduate students she has encountered.
From my studies and personal experience, I have come to live by two quotes: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” said by Hippocrates; and the second by Thomas A. Edison, “The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
I strongly believe in the already well-established direct correlation between the foods we eat and one’s overall health. Food is powerful, and so is the human body itself. With two powerful forces working together; rather than in opposition, healing can occur. My goal is to be the doctor who recommends food/nutrients to prevent and/or reverse chronic disease rather than a drug that only hinders it and usually masks symptoms.
The Fred Griffee Memorial Award will allow me to continue to serve others through scientific research at the University of Maine that can be leveraged to benefit all communities in a time when it’s needed most.
The Outstanding Master’s Degree Student Award recognizes a student who has distinguished themselves in all aspects of graduate performance.
Alyssa Soucy
Alyssa Soucy is the recipient of the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture’s Outstanding Master’s Degree Student Award. She is pursuing a M.S. in forest resources. Her advisors are Sandra De Urioste-Stone, associate professor of nature-based tourism, and Parinaz Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, assistant professor of remote sensing of natural resources, both of the School of Forest Resources.
Soucy has excelled in all aspects of graduate study. Her ambitious thesis far exceeds the depth typical of a master’s degree. She has also engaged with an additional research project, presented at international conferences, and has multiple manuscripts in preparation. Although Soucy is supported through a research assistantship, she lectured and aided with courses for the School of Forest Resources. She also volunteers in local schools, working to inspire environmental stewardship in future generations. Her commitment to learning led her to take extra courses, all while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. Soucy’s co-advisor, Sandra De Urioste-Stone, describes her among the top one percent of her graduate student peers.
My research seeks to understand the vulnerability of Maine’s forest industry to climate change and the ways in which forest stakeholders perceive and respond to these changes. The research is highly interdisciplinary and emphasizes the importance of approaching complex problems facing our society, such as climate change, from both a biophysical and human dimensions viewpoint. I also hope this research will inspire others, especially graduate students, to engage in collaborative and creative research projects.
I am extremely thankful to have received this award and recognition from the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture. I am also thankful that as a graduate student at UMaine I have been involved in research projects that I greatly enjoy, that I am surrounded by inspiring and supportive individuals, and that these relationships have made it possible for me to engage in community work that I am deeply passionate about.
GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD WINNERS Jean A. and David A. Webb Outstanding Professional Master’s Degree Student Award
The Jean A. and David A. Webb Professional Master’s Degree Student Award recognizes a student enrolled in one of the college’s professional graduate programs who has a distinguished record of service.
Caitlin Dowd
Caitlin Dowd is the recipient of the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture’s Jean A. and David A. Webb Outstanding Professional Master’s Degree Student Award. She is pursuing a Master of Social Work.
Dowd has demonstrated a deep commitment to helping others, especially the most vulnerable members of Maine’s communities. After completing the 400-hour internship her program requires, she chose to continue to volunteer for the Restorative Justice Project of Maine. There, she has facilitated restorative conversations and support for individual offenders and victims of crime. Through her two part-time jobs, she supports people seeking treatment for substance use disorders.
At UMaine, she serves as a Graduate Student Government senator and on the graduate admissions committee for the School of Social Work. She balanced these commitments with a substantial course load, earning a 4.0 grade point average throughout her graduate studies.
How do you envision your dedication to social work might someday change the world and how will your experience at UMaine help you?
The University of Maine has supported me through six years of higher education and I am incredibly honored, as I complete my final semester of graduate school, to receive the Jean A. & David A. Webb Outstanding Professional Master’s Degree Award.
The School of Social Work has provided me with a solid foundation to stand on, as I step out into a world that needs the values of social work more than ever. I am forever grateful for the opportunities that my professors have provided me with professionally, while pushing me to grow personally.
It is truly a privilege to have been able to learn from such insightful and creative educators, who care so deeply about their students and communities. I hope to take their messages of compassion, integrity and competence and create meaningful social change in my own community and the great state of Maine.
GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD WINNERS George F. Dow Graduate Scholarship Award
The George F. Dow Graduate Scholarship recognizes a graduate student associated with the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station with outstanding academic and research performance.
Matthew Mensinger
Matthew Mensinger is the recipient of the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture’s George F. Dow Graduate Scholarship Award. He is pursuing a M.S. in wildlife ecology. His advisors are Joseph Zydlewski, assistant unit leader in the U.S. Geological Survey Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and professor of fisheries science, and Erik Blomberg, associate professor of wildlife population ecology, both of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology.
Mensinger has demonstrated tremendous initiative and competence as a researcher during his time at UMaine. At the start of his program he assumed leadership of a large-scale field experiment that assessed the risks of hydroelectric dam passage for migrating American eels. He excelled in developing the field and technical skills he needed to manage the project. He later revealed his creativity as a scientist when he designed a novel behavioral experiment that again required him to master an entirely new suite of skills.
Mensinger has presented his research at regional, national, and international conferences. He is an active member of the UMaine community, where he mentors fellow students and serves as a leader of the student subunit of the American Fisheries Society and on several committees for his program.
It is humbling to be recognized amongst all the great research being conducted throughout the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture. I am fortunate to work with one of the most incredible, bizarre, and charismatic fish species around, and I’m proud that my research will be used to promote eel conservation in Maine and around the world.
My time at UMaine has been foundational in my development as a citizen and scientist. I would like to thank my advisors, Joseph Zydlewski and Erik Blomberg, for their continued guidance over the last few years, as well as the many colleagues who have supported me along the way. I welcome my next challenge and look forward to using the skills and knowledge acquired during my graduate studies to promote fish conservation for years to come.
