Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Announces Award Recipients

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The department of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Arkansas is pleased to announce the recipients of the department’s annual awards. The awardees will be officially recognized during the Fulbright College Honors Ceremony, Friday, April 22.

Aireal Haley is the recipient of the Frederick A. Kekulé Award given to the outstanding sophomore Bachelor of Science chemistry major in honor of the founder of the structural theory of organic chemistry.

Seniors Leah Bullard, Michael Cate, Grace Ong and Dragos Seghete share the Barbara Wertheim Campbell Award, which is granted to graduating Bachelor of Science chemistry majors who intend to pursue a professional career in chemistry and who have completed all of their work at the University of Arkansas. The late Edgar Wertheim, former department chair, established the award in memory of his daughter.

Eric Heim is the recipient of the Merck Index Award, which recognizes an outstanding senior chemistry major.

Danis Copenhaver, Helen Hayes and Jennifer Pharr share the Jacob Sacks Award, which recognizes outstanding junior pre-medical chemistry majors. This award is made possible through memorial gifts for Dr. Jacob Sacks, a long-time member of the faculty. Sacks and his wife, Wilma, were both medical doctors and established the first biochemistry research laboratory in the department.

Layna Dee McGuire is the recipient of the Kathy Noland Award, which recognizes a freshmen student who has demonstrated outstanding ability in laboratory work. The award was established in memory of Mrs. Noland, a former member of the faculty.

The American Chemical Society Achievement Awards recognize outstanding chemistry majors at the freshman level. The recipients are Randy Carney, Christy Dean, Eric Flagg, Holly Greenway, Emily Gregory, Natalie Lawrence, Melinda Mundy, Gale Raymond, Aaron Relic and Kristen Scogin.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Achievement Awards recognize scholastically outstanding and professionally active chemistry majors beyond their freshman year. This year’s recipients all hold a minimum 3.89 grade-point average with outstanding performance in chemistry coursework. Recipients of the award are Rebecca Adair, Eric Braun, Juan Chipollini, Andrew Cogbill, Danis Copenhaver, Jonathan Gintonio, Aireal Haley, Ryan Hall, Jennifer Harp, Nicole Hart, Helen Hayes, Eric Heim, Jessica Hinegardner, Jay Hinkle, Shelly Kaufman, Benjamin Kirksey, Christopher McClinton, Melissa McGraw, Michael McLaughlin, Ioana Peret, Jennifer Pharr, Ashley Phillips, Blake Rainwater, William Reyenga, Dragos Seghete, Dhaval Shah, Clark L. Smith, Clark S. Smith, Rohitha Sriramaratnam, Neil Tracy, Zachary Weatherford, Andrew Whiteley, Blake Williams and Laura Wilson.

Many chemistry majors also received awards given outside the department.

Blake Williams is the recipient of the Alpha Chi Sigma Award, which is awarded by the fraternity to an outstanding freshman chemistry major.

Jennifer Pharr is the recipient of the Mary and Leta Potter Endowed Scholarship, awarded by the Liebolt Premedical Program to an outstanding Arkansas resident who is pursuing a career in medicine.

Jennifer Pharr and Helen Hayes are recipients of the Dr. Allan Arthur Gilbert Sr. Endowed Scholarship, awarded to outstanding premedical students by the Liebolt Premedical Program.

Dual major Dhaval Shah is a recipient of the Robert D. Maurer Physics Research Fund, awarded to junior or senior physics majors on the basis of scholastic achievement in undergraduate research.