The College of Sciences recognizes graduate students for excellence in research, teaching, and service through a variety of annual awards. Recognizing graduate student achievement is an essential part of fostering a supportive and rewarding academic environment. These awards honor outstanding graduate students across multiple categories and celebrate their accomplishments.
We commend all graduate students who strive for excellence and encourage program faculty to nominate those who have distinguished themselves. If you are interested in nominating a student for an Excellence Award, more information on the nomination process is coming soon, so stay tuned to this page!
2026 College of Sciences Graduate Student Excellence Award Recipients
- Seok‑Young Chung – Mathematics (PhD), Outstanding Dissertation
Dissertation Title: Positivity and Invariance: From Radial Basis Functions to Graph Signal Spaces - Nathan Becker – Security Studies (PhD), Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching
- Lea Faure – Security Studies (PhD), Excellence as a Graduate Teaching Assistant
2019-2025 College of Sciences Graduate Student Excellence Award Recipients
2025
- Sylvia McMillon – Sociology (MA), Outstanding Creative Work
- Meghan Kane – I/O Psychology (PhD), Excellence as a Graduate Teaching Assistant
- Gabe Benson – Biology (MS), Outstanding Master’s Thesis
- Erin Brosnan – Integrative Conservation Biology (PhD), Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching
2024
- Hannah Bevan – Integrative Conservation Biology (PhD), Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching
2023
- Federico López Borghesi – Conservation Biology (PhD), Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching
- Sabin Regmi – Physics (PhD), Outstanding Dissertation
Dissertation Title: Observation of Novel Phases of Quantum Matter Beyond Topological Insulator
2022
- Davide Dal Pos – Conservation Biology (PhD), Excellence as a Graduate Teaching Assistant
2021
- America Edwards – Communication (MA), Outstanding Master’s Thesis
2020
- Alireza Safaei – Physics (PhD), Outstanding Dissertation
Dissertation Title: Nanoplasmonics In Two-dimensional Dirac and Three-dimensional Metallic Nanostructure Systems - Erin Kidder – Sociology (PhD), Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching
- Lea Harvey – Anthropology (MA), Outstanding Master’s Thesis
2019
- Michael Himes – Physics (PhD), Excellence by a Graduate Teaching Assistant
College of Graduate Studies Excellence Awards
The table below highlights College of Graduate Studies (CGS) awards received by graduate students in the College of Sciences. More information about the CGS Awards can be found here.
| Year | Recipient | Program | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sylvia McMillon | Sociology (MA) | Outstanding Creative Work |
| 2024 | Hannah Bevan | Integrative Conservation Biology (PhD) | Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching |
| 2023 | Federico López Borghesi | Conservation Biology (PhD) | Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching |
| 2023 | Sabin Regmi | Physics (PhD) | Outstanding Dissertation |
| 2022 | Davide Dal Pos | Conservation Biology (PhD) | Excellence as a Graduate Teaching Assistant |
| 2021 | America Edwards | Communication (MA) | Outstanding Master’s Thesis |
| 2020 | Alireza Safaei | Physics (PhD) | Outstanding Dissertation |
| 2020 | Erin Kidder | Sociology (PhD) | Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching |
| 2020 | Lea Harvey | Anthropology (MA) | Outstanding Master’s Thesis |
| 2019 | Michael Himes | Physics (PhD) | Excellence as a Graduate Teaching Assistant |
Please reach out to cosgrad@ucf.edu with any questions about the graduate student excellence awards.