Scholars of Distinction

2025 Honorees

Group photo of 2025 Scholars of Distinction honorees with Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Studies Dr. Jeni Hart

• Andrew Behrmann | Medical Pharmacology and Physiology | American Heart Association
• Diana Cordero | Biological Sciences | National Science Foundation GRFP Honorable Mention
• Julia de la Cruz | NextGen Precision Health | American Heart Association
• Olufunke Falayi | NextGen Precision Health | American Physiological Society
• Madhwa Galgali | Psychological Sciences | International Society for the Science of Existential Psychology
• Leah Gastonguay | Plant Sciences | North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grant
• Matthew Hayden | Medical Pharmacology and Physiology | American Heart Association
• Michelle Hoskins | Anthropology | National Science Foundation GRFP Award
• Daniel Hubin | Chemistry | National Science Foundation GRFP Honorable Mention
• Nathan Kerr | NextGen Precision Health | Alzheimer’s Association
• Gabby Martinez | Fulbright Research Award
• Rory Mata | Chemistry | National Science Foundation GRFP Award
• Lily McEwen | Geography | National Science Foundation GRFP Honorable Mention
• Natasha Mostat | Food, Nutrition and Natural Resources | American Hearth Association
• Damilola Oduolowu | Journalism | Pulitzer Center News Writing Fellowship
• Felix Oguche | Plant Sciences | North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grant
• Kyle Paddock | Plant Sciences | National Institute of Food and Agriculture Postdoctoral Award
• Yi Pan | Medicine | American Society of Hematology Graduate Hematology Award
• Anna Porter | Psychological Sciences | NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
• Francisco Ramirez-Perez | NextGen Precision Health | American Heart Association
• Allie Spiekerman | Psychological Sciences | Mental Research Institute and NIH National Institute of Mental Health
• Hanamori Skoblow | Human Development and Family Science | University of Minnesotta
• Jose Viteri | NextGen Precision Health | American Academy of Neurology
• Mairead Willis | Psychological Sciences | NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
• Ruth Williamson | National Science Foundation GRFP Award
• Duan Zhang | Economics | Russell Sage Foundation
• Dotun Olaoye | Genetics Area Program | Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
• Ruimei Zhou | Surgery | American Heart Association

Scholars of Distinction

Each year the Graduate School honors MU’s Scholars of Distinction. Campus leaders celebrate and officially recognize these graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who have received prestigious national fellowships to support their work. To qualify for the designation, a scholar should have a competitive fellowship or award characterized as prestigious based on the criteria below:

• A prestigious fellowship will provide at least $5,000 for a scholar-developed research or creative project
• Additional Prestigious Fellowship Sponsor Characteristics:
  • The sponsor is federal (e.g., NIH, NSF, DoE)
  • If the sponsor is non-federal, then it has one (or more) of the below characteristics of being prestigious:
    • Funds very few scholars (i.e., success rates under 40%, highly competitive)
    • Name recognition beyond field or discipline (e.g., Ford Fellowship)
    • Elite institution (e.g., Ivy Plus) domination in awardees
    • Sponsor is on the list of AAU’s prestigious faculty awards

Note: If a scholar has a fellowship that meets the criteria above but has not been noted as a scholar of distinction, please email Dr. Elizabeth “Liz” Bent at benteo@missouri.edu.

Examples of Prestigious Fellowships that Qualify for Scholars of Distinction Designation

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
• National Academies Graduate and Postdoctoral Research Associateship Programs
• Department of Defense National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowships
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration Fellowships
• National Institutes of Health Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
• Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad
• American Council for Learned Societies, Advancing the Humanities
• Spencer Foundation

Previous Honorees