The Department of Biology held their Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 7, 2026. The following faculty, staff, and graduate students were recognized for their accomplishments. Congratulations to all of these award recipients for their hard work and achievements!
Please note individual names are listed in alphabetical order by last name where applicable.
BIOLOGY EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE AWARD
The Biology Exceptional Service Award recognizes a faculty member, graduate student, or staff member who have performed exceptional service to the Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the University of Iowa, and/or their profession. The 2026 recipients of this award are:
Katy Rothenberg, Assistant Professor of Biology
Brandon Waltz, Assistant Professor of Instruction
Erin Edgar, Instructional Services Specialist
Kendra Musmaker, Instructional Services Specialist
BIOLOGY TEACHING AWARDS
The BIO (Biological Interests Organization) student organization oversaw the nomination and voting process for the Biology Teaching Awards. One faculty member and two graduate teaching assistants were selected for the 2025-2026 academic year. These Teaching Awards recognize instructors and graduate teaching assistants who go above and beyond in the classroom. These instructors show care for their position, subject, and students. They create an inclusive and welcoming learning environment, and they create a passion for their subject in students. All Department of Biology students were eligible to nominate and vote on these Teaching Awards. The 2025-2026 recipients of the Biology Teaching Awards are:
Faculty
Brandon Waltz, Assistant Professor of Instruction
Graduate Teaching Assistants
Haley Reeves, MS student in the Integrated Biology (iBio) Graduate Program
Varshu Saravanakumar, PhD student in the Integrated Biology (iBio) Graduate Program
BIOLOGY EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH STAFF AWARD
The Biology Excellence in Research Staff Award will be based on self- or secondary nominations solicited by the Graduate Affairs Committee (GAC) in the Department of Biology. Recipients of the award may be based on research accomplishments, longevity, and/or sustained contribution to a research lab or core research facility in the Department of Biology. The 2026 recipient of this award is Daniel Lusche.
Dan Lusche is an Associate Research Scientist in the Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank (DSHB) in the Department of Biology and was nominated by Dr. Deborah Wessels, a former research scientist in the DSHB.
BIOLOGY EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD
The recipient of the Biology Excellence in Research Graduate Student Award will be selected based on the student's Fall COSMOS presentation. All students in or beyond their third year are eligible. Graduate students wishing to be considered for the award will inform the Graduate Affairs Committee (GAC) ahead of their presentation and will submit a short summary of their research accomplishments and impact. GAC members will attend each presentation and will use a rubric to evaluate the presentations to maintain consistency in evaluations across the semester. The 2026 recipient of this award is Adrianna Caro.
Adrianna is a member of the Green Lab who successfully defended her dissertation in the Spring 2026 semester.
