Awards & Honors

Robert M. Bird Society Awards

Year	Winner
2024	Kaylee Norman - Microbiology & Immunology
2023	Ujjwol Khatri - Pathology
2022	Martha Blaess - Allied Health Sciences
2021	Michelle Zalles - Neuroscience
2020	Sherri Longobardi - Microbiology and Immunology
2019	Sapana Kadel - Microbiology and Immunology
2018	Chelsea Smith - Nutritional Sciences

O. Ray Kling Outstanding Leadership Award Recipients

YEAR	WINNER
2024	Annie Doyle - Microbiology & Immunology
2023	Nicole Crossley - Nursing
2022	Nicole Giordano - Microbiology and Immunology
2021	Sameer Gopalani - Biostatistics and Epidemiology
2020	Jaanam Gopalakrishnan - Pathology
2019	Alexandra Crowe - Pharmaceutical Sciences
2018	Rabab “Ruby” Sharif - Cell Biology
2017	Layne Rodden - Neuroscience
2016	Dana Mowls - Biostatistics and Epidemiology
2015	Summer Frank - Biostatistics and Epidemiology
2014	Amanda Janitz - Biostatistics and Epidemiology
2013	Brett Herzog - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
2012	Courtney Long - Microbiology and Immunology
2011	Courtney Donica - Neurosciences
2010	Curtis McMurtrey - Microbiology and Immunology
2009	Candace Robledo - Biostatistics and Epidemiology
2008	Katie Bryant - Microbiology and Immunology
2007	Rebecka Bourn - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Outstanding Senior Leadership Award Recipients

YEAR	WINNER
2024	Santny Shanmugarama - Pathology
2022	Nicole Giordano - Microbiology & Immunology
2021	Bethany Williams - Allied Health Sciences
2020	Fauziyya Muhammad - Microbiology & Immunology
2019	Alexandra Crowe - Pharmaceutical Sciences
2018	Ozair Naqvi - Public Health

Outstanding Dissertation Award Recipients

YEAR	WINNER	DISSERTATION	MENTOR
2024	Omar Al Yacoub, PhD	"The N/OFQ-NOP Receptor System: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Traumatic Brain Injury"	Kelly Standifer, PhD
2024	Rachel McNamar, PhD	"Identifying Components of the Mammalian RNA Polymerase I Apparatus Required for rDNA Transcription"	Lawrence Rothblum, PhD
2023	Sarah Ocañas, PhD	"Epigenetic Regulation of Sexually Divergent Neuroinflammation with Brain Aging and Alzheimer's Disease"	Willard Freeman, PhD
2022	Kimberlie Wittig, PhD	"Regulation of DNA Replication Factor Protein Expression Throughout the Cell Cycle"	Christopher Sansam, PhD
2021	Amanda Roehrkasse, PhD	“Receptor Engagement and G Protein Recruitment by the Cardioprotective Peptide Adrenomedullin”	Augen Pioszak, PhD
2020	Rabab Sharif-Sandel, PhD	“Potential Role of Prolactin-Induced Protein as a Disease Biomarker and the Effect of Corneal Cross-Linking on Keratoconus Microenvironment”	Dimitrios Karamichos, PhD
2019	Hem Sapkota, PhD	“Determinants and Consequences of Cohesion Fatigue in Mammalian Cells”	Gary J. Gorbsky, PhD
2019	Sanjida Mahjabeen, PhD	“SHetA2 Vaginal Suppositories as Novel Treatment for Cervical Dysplasia: Formulation Optimization and Exploratory IND-Enabling Preclinical Studies”	Lucila Garcia-Contreras, PhD
2018	Dana Mowls, PhD	“Cigarette Smoking, Electronic Nicotine Product Use and Biiomarkers of Exposure Among American Indians in the Southern Plains”	Laura Beebe, PhD
2018	Dustin Masser, PhD	“Quantitative assessment of neural retina morphology, function, and DNA methylation in an experimental model of diabetic retinopathy”	Willard Freeman, PhD
2017	Rebba Boswell-Casteel, PhD	“Functional Characterization of a Purified Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter (ScENT1) From S. cerevisiae”	Franklin A. Hays, PhD

Outstanding Thesis Award Recipients

YEAR	WINNER	THESIS	MENTOR
2024	Steven Pan	"Empirical Comparison of Imputation Methods for Multivariate Missing Data in Public Health"	Sixia Chen, PhD
2023	None
2022	Benjamin Gochanour, MS	" A Nonparametric Multiply Robust Multiple Imputation Method for Causal Inference"	Sixia Chen, PhD
2021	Melissa Henniger, MS	“Food Insecurity at an Academic Health Campus: Estimating Need, Stakeholder Interest, and Opportunities for Food Assistance Interventions at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center”	Susan Sisson, PhD
2020	Alexander Stubblefield, MS	“Selected Problems in Survey Sampling Design and Survey Missing Data Analysis”	Sixia Chen, PhD.
2019	None
2018	None
2017	None
2016	Mandy L. Lambros, MS	“Investigating the Roles of NRF2 and UBCM2 in RPE Health and Integrity”	Scott M. Plafker, PhD
2015	Kevin Ward, MS	“Patients Self-Perception of Malocclusion and Facial Imbalance When Seeking Orthodontic Treatment”	G.Frans Currier, D.D.S., M.S.D., M.Ed.
2014	None
2013	Priyam Gandhi, MS	“A Behavioral and Molecular Examination of the Temporal Dynamics of Chronic Pain in An Animal Model of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder"	Kelly Standifer, Ph.D.
2012	Mackenzie Smith-Cottrell	“The Role of Interleukin (IL)-6 and Its Regulation of Transforming Growth Factor β Type II Receptor”	Randle Gallucci, Ph.D.
2011	None
2010	Michael Schmitt	“The Relationships Among Health Literacy, Physician and Pharmacist Counseling, Written Medicine Information and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Risk Awareness in Older Adults”	Michael Miller, Ph.D
2009	Jessica Reese, MS	“The Association of a History of Breast Feeding and Risk of Asthma in Two-Year Old Children”	Linda A. Cowan, Ph.D.

GREAT Symposium Winners

Go to GREAT Symposium Winners Page »

Student Paper of the Year

YEAR	WINNER	Paper
2024	Ramasamy Selvarani	https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37792157/
2023	Walker Hoolehan	https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkac1038
2023	Ozair Naqvi	https://doi.org/10.1177/10598405221130701
2022	Christopher Hoover	https://DOI.org/10.1182/blood.2020010310
2022	Wei-Jen Chen	https://DOI.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129828
2021	Sarah Ocañas	https://DOI.org/10.1038/s42003-020-01418-x
2020	Dawn Bender	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1911936117
2019	Jason Booe	https://DOI.org/10.1124/mol.117.110916
2018	Rabab Sharif	https://DOI.org/10.1038/s41598-017-12598-8
2017	Jenna Guthmiller	https://DOI.org/10.4049/jimmunol.1601762

Award Nomination Packets

OUHSC Campus Awards 2024