The UNC Department of Genetics, Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, and Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology congratulate our students and faculty who were recognized at the 2023 UNC Graduate School Annual Celebration of Graduate Student Achievements on Wednesday, April 12, 2023!
This event recognized Graduate and Professional Students for outstanding achievement in research, community service, teaching and leadership during academic year 2022-2023.
Below is a list of those were recognized at this event:
Prestigious External Fellowships
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, 215 graduate students campus-wide, who represent 47 academic programs, received prestigious external fellowships.
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
- John Patrick Flores, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
- Sarah Parker, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
- Nicholas Randolph, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
- Jolene Ranek, NIH Fellowship (F31) – National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Jamshaid Shahir, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Sarah Brotman, NIH Fellowship (F31) – National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Rachel Cherney, NIH Fellowship (F31) – Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Gabrielle Gentile, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
- Brandon Mouery, NIH Fellowship (F31) – National Cancer Institute
- Nila Pazhayam, NIH Fellowship (F31) – National Institute on Aging
- Nisitha Sengottuvel, NIH Fellowship (F30) – National Cancer Institute
- Matthew Stevenson, NIH Fellowship (F31) – National Cancer Institute
- Carolyn Turcotte, NIH Fellowship (F31) – National Institute on Aging
Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Student and Academic Program Support
Directors of graduate studies provide exemplary leadership. The Graduate School is pleased to honor the many ways they provide outstanding support for graduate programs and their students.
Jeff Sekelsky is a Professor in the Departments of Genetics and Biology.
Several people nominated Dr. Sekelsky for this award because of his testament to exceptional leadership in the UNC School of Medicine Office of Graduate Education. Dr. Sekelsky advocates for student interests and training. He maintains an open-door policy and regularly meets with students facing challenges in their graduate career.
“When I needed support regarding a cultural issue causing me distress, I reached out to Jeff who provided one-on-one support,” one nomination read.
It is an honor to present 2023 Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Student and Academic Program Support to Jeff Sekelsky, in recognition of their tremendous dedication to graduate students in Genetics and Molecular Biology.