The 28th Annual Graduate Student Recognition Celebration by the UNC Graduate School will acknowledge Biochemistry and Biophysics external award winners Emily “Gracie” Clark, Dillon Sloan, and Matt Vender Ploeg and will include a poster from Humeyra Kaanoglu.
Graduate Student Recognition Ceremony highlights
The Graduate Student Recognition Celebration, held April 8, 2026, is an annual event honoring exceptional graduate and professional students, staff, faculty and community members for their impactful contributions to graduate research, service, teaching and leadership.
The event began with a ceremony honoring student, faculty and staff award recipients with plaques recognizing their achievements. Following the ceremony, attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres while exploring research posters showcasing the work of outstanding graduate student scholars.
The Graduate Student Recognition Celebration is an annual event at which exceptional graduate and professional students are honored for their significant contributions to research, community service, teaching, and leadership.
The event begins with a brief ceremony during which the Dean of The Graduate School presents student, faculty, and staff award recipients with a plaque for their achievements. Following the ceremony, attendees are invited to enjoy hors d’oeuvres while viewing research posters from outstanding graduate student scholars.
Prestigious External Fellowships
Congratulations to our Biochemistry and Biophysics trainees who received prestigious external fellowships!
Emily Clark, NIH Fellowship (F31) – National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Dillon Sloan, NIH Fellowship (F31) – National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Matthew Vander Ploeg, NIH Fellowship (F30) – National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
External fellowships, which are highly competitive awards from the federal government and other organizations, add to Carolina’s reputation as one of the world’s leading public research universities. This academic year, 170 graduate students campus-wide, who represent 44 academic programs, received prestigious external fellowships.
Read more about the 2026 Graduate Student Recognition Celebration
During this celebration, Humeyra Kaanoglu presented a research poster from Sancar lab.