Chemistry award winners and graduates

Addressing the assembled graduates and award winners at this week's recognition ceremony, William Buhro, the George E. Pake Professor in Arts & Sciences and chair of the Department of Chemistry, summed up four years of effort and excellence. "You have successfully completed a challenging curriculum, and we are very proud of you," Buhro said. "We are proud to have taught you, we are proud to have taught with you, we are proud to have done research with you, and we are proud of all your many achievements."

John Bleeke, director of undergraduate studies and professor of chemistry, and Alison Redden Wessels, manager of financial operations, presided over the event, which included recognition of all graduating majors and minors in chemistry as well as the presentation of awards for research and teaching.

Teaching Awards

Eleven undergraduate students were honored for their outstanding contributions to teaching efforts across the Department of Chemistry. From mentoring undergraduates in first-year chemistry to assisting in advanced laboratories, these students demonstrated remarkable dedication to their students and chemistry's teaching mission.

Ethan Lowder and Megha Prasad won Peer-Led Team-Learning (PLTL) Awards for Chemistry 105/106. Mingyi Suo, Jaclyn Liu, and Lauren Cumberbatch won PLTL Awards for Chemistry 111/112. The award recognizes outstanding PLTL leaders, chosen based on their observed performance in PLTL sessions and positive feedback from their students.

Onyi Onyeador and Sara Pierce won Residential Peer Mentor (RPM) Awards for their outstanding work mentoring freshman and sophomore chemistry students, their commitment to the general chemistry philosophy, and their demonstrated concern for the success of their students and the RPM program.

Hannah Bash and Jared Moxley were recognized as outstanding chemistry mentors. Bash received the Chemistry Peer Mentor Award, and Moxley was presented with the Chemistry Lab Mentor Award.

Elena Cacchillo and Sarah Wu received awards for excellence in teaching assistance. Cacchillo won the Undergraduate Laboratory TA Award, and Wu won the Organic Chemistry Assistant Award.

Research Awards

The awards given for research in chemistry reflect the department's longstanding commitment to undergraduate research. The students receiving these awards display impressive laboratory skills, work ethics, and adaptability, leading them to produce numerous published papers and other markers of scientific success.

Elena Cacchillo, advised by John Taylor, won the John C. Sowden Memorial Prize, the highest honor bestowed by the Department of Chemistry. The Sowden Prize is awarded for outstanding achievement by a chemistry major, recognizing excellence in both research and coursework.

Dylan Bodner, advised by Bill Tolman, won the Lindsay Helmholz Award for outstanding achievement in inorganic or physical chemistry.

Miguel Campos, advised by Saint Louis University's Marvin Meyers, won the David Lipkin Memorial Prize for outstanding achievement in organic or bio-organic chemistry.

Lucy Schlueter, advised by Bill Tolman, won the Arthur Wahl Memorial Prize for outstanding achievement in inorganic or nuclear chemistry.

Audrey Brecher, advised by Richard Mabbs, won the Samuel Weissman Award for outstanding achievement in physical chemistry.

ACS Awards

Brian Sohn, advised by Meredith Jackrel, won the American Chemical Society Outstanding Junior Award.

Elena Cacchillo, advised by John Taylor, won the American Chemical Society Organic Award.

Sarah Wu, advised by Bryce Sadtler, won the American Chemical Society Inorganic Award.

Leon (Xinyang) Su, advised by Haijun Liu, won the American Chemical Society Analytical Award.

Graduating Seniors

Graduating majors in chemistry:
Jessica Bigley, Biochemistry with Honors
Mateo Blair, Biochemistry with Honors
Dylan Bodner, Chemistry with Honors
Audrey Brecher, Chemistry with Honors
Elena Cacchillo, Biochemistry with Honors
Miguel Campos, Biochemistry with Honors
Prathamesh Chati, Biochemistry
Brandon Chow, Biochemistry with Honors
Imani Jones, Chemistry
Lauren Kang, Biochemistry with Honors
Andrew Kluzak, Biochemistry (Fall 2021)
Abdullah Kuziez, Chemistry with Honors
Adrian Li, Chemistry
Kaiming Ma, Chemistry
Max Pernick, Chemistry with Honors
Dahlia Qi, Chemistry
Lucy Schlueter, Chemistry with Honors
Pratyush Sridharr, Biochemistry
Aman Srivastava, Chemistry with Honors
Leon Su, Biochemistry with Honors
Josh Wang, Biochemistry
Connor Wright, Biochemistry
Sarah Wu, Chemistry with Honors

Graduating minors in chemistry:
Max Camp-Oberhauser (Fall 2021)
Ryan Holmquist
Morgan Leff
Andrew Leung 
Ryan Miller

Congratulations to all of this year's award winners and graduates!