Meet This Year’s Stupka Scholars!
Scroll down to see a list of all Stupka Scholars.
2023-2024
Caroline Meis
Caroline Meis is a sophomore majoring in biochemistry with minors in Spanish and pharmacology/toxicology. Caroline joined Dr. Dipa Sashital’s lab in 2022 and studies how CRISPR-Cas systems differentiate self from non-self. She currently serves as Publicity Chair of the Stupka Committee. Outside of BBMB, Caroline enjoys playing piano, reading books, and playing tennis on the Iowa State Competitive Club Team. After graduating from Iowa State University, Caroline plans to attend graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry.
Avani Laharia
Avani is a junior majoring in biochemistry. She is the merchandise chair of both the Stupka Planning Committee and BBMB Club. She has been working in Dr. Dipali Sashital’s lab as an undergraduate researcher since her freshman year. Her project studies retron systems, a type of bacterial defense system against bacteriophages. After graduating from Iowa State, she plans to attend medical school.
Braden Lewis
Braden is a junior majoring in biochemistry and minoring in microbiology. He is currently the Alumni Chair of the Stupka Symposium Planning Committee. He also acts as Outreach Chair in the BBMB Club, a Peer Mentor for the BBMB Learning Community, and a teaching assistant in the BBMB teaching labs. He works as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Aubrey Mendonca’s lab studying the effects of atmospheric cold plasma in food decontamination. Braden plans to pursue a Ph.D. after graduation and eventually run his own lab as faculty.
Past and Present Stupka Scholars
2006-present
| Name | Year* | Degree(s)/institution(s) (if not ISU) | Current position |
|---|---|---|---|
| *Fall of academic year "Stupka Scholar” title was conferred | |||
| Claire Kruesel | 2006 | B.S. Biochemistry, B.S. Genetics | BBMB Undergraduate Program Coordinator, ISU |
| M.F.A. Creative Writing and Environment (Poetry) | |||
| Mara (Determan) Alexeev | 2007 | M.D. University of Iowa | Biomedical Informatics Research Fellow, Harvard |
| M.P.H. UC-Berkeley | |||
| Luke Helgeson | 2008 | Ph.D. University of Oregon | Scientist, SystImmune, Redmond, WA |
| Mina Farahbakhsh | 2009 | Ph.D., M.D. University of Kansas | Pediatric Residency, Children’s Mercy Hospital, MO |
| Dayna Peterson Forbrook | 2010 | Ph.D. Arizona State University | |
| Jacqueline Souleyrette Rivas | 2011 | Ph.D. University of Texas S.W. | Research Scientist, Kita Pharma, Santa Monica, CA |
| Craig Brown | 2011 | M.D. University of Chicago | General Surgery Resident, University of Michigan |
| M.Sc. Public Health | |||
| Johanna Jass Bailey | 2011 | B.S. Biochemistry | Field Research Lead, Global Citrus, Elemental Enzymes, FL |
| M.P.H. University of Missouri | |||
| Mollie Tiernan Schubert | 2011 | B.S., M.S Biochemistry | Staff Scientist, Integrated DNA Technologies, IA |
| Samson Condon | 2012 | Ph.D. UW-Madison | Postdoc, UW-Madison |
| Alana Jackson | 2012 | M.D. University Minnesota-Duluth | Primary Care Physician, Confluence Healthcare, WA |
| Kinsey Cornick | 2013 | D.O. Des Moines University | Family Medicine Resident, Lincoln Family Medical Group, NE |
| Jennifer Kaczynski Meyer | 2013 | B.S. Biochemistry, Genetics | Genetic counselor, Minneapolis, MN |
| M.S. Genetic Counseling UW-Madison | |||
| Kristen McKibben | 2013 | Ph.D. University Pennsylvania School of Medicine | Sr. Scientist, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA |
| Denis Tamiev | 2014 | B.S., Ph.D., Biochemistry | Platform Scientist, Enveda Biosciences, Boulder, CO |
| Zachary Young | 2014 | B.S. Biochemistry, Mechanical Engr. | Senior Researcher, OK Medical Research |
| Flora Yen Wheat | 2015 | D.D.S. University of Iowa | General Dentist, Ankeny Smiles, IA |
| Adrienne Smith | 15,16 | B.S. 2016 | In memoriam |
| Morgan Barrett Ewing | 2016 | B.S. Biochemistry, B.S. Genetics | DNA criminalist, Crime Laboratory, MO State Highway Patrol |
| M.S. Forensic Science, U New Haven, CT | |||
| Natalie Whitis | 2016 | B.S. Biophysics | Ph.D. candidate, UCSF |
| Lauran Chambers | 2017 | B.S. Biochemistry | Medical school, A.T. Still University of Osteopathic Medicine, MO |
| Alexander Donelson | 2017 | B.S. Biochemistry | Pursuing graduate training |
| Drew Tonsager | 2017 | B.S., M.S. Biochemistry | Ph.D. candidate, Biochemistry, CO State University |
| Matthew Cook | 2018 | B.S. Biochemistry | Ph.D. candidate, Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University |
| Jacqueline Ehrlich | 2018 | B.S. Agricultural Biochemistry | Graduate training, Cornell University, NY |
| Emily Knuth | 2018 | B.S. Agricultural Biochemistry | Graduate training, UW-Madison |
| Bailey Mooney | 2018 | B.S. Biochemistry, Genetics | Medical school, UCLA |
| Spydel Nardy | 2019 | B.S. Biochemistry | Graduate training, University of IA |
| Kayla Uthe | 2019 | B.S. Biochemistry | Cardiology research, Mayo Clinic, MN |
| Sarah Zelle | 2019 | B.S. Biochemistry, Genetics | Graduate training, Vanderbilt University, TN |
| Madeline Farringer | 2020 | B.S. Biochemistry | Graduate training, Harvard, MA |
| Jacob Schmieder | 2020 | B.S. Biochemistry | Graduate training, Mech. Engr., ISU |
| Richard Weerts | 2021 | B.S. Biochemistry | Entering medical school in fall 2022 |
| Paiton McDonald | 2021 | B.S. Agricultural Biochemistry | Co-Chair ’22 |
| Tulika Sharan | 2021 | B.S. Biochemistry | Co-Chair ’22 |
| Liam Campin | 2021 | B.S. Biochemistry | |
| Kevin Beaghan | 2022 | ||
| Michelle Morford | 2022 |