RISE Undergraduate Awards and Recognition


Thank you for your interest in the RISE Undergraduate program. After 45 years, and hundreds of undergraduates trained and launched into amazing scientific careers as doctoral level scientists, the RISE program has ended. We celebrate our students and their accomplishments and will continue to seek out ways to support the highly talented and dedicated future scientists at UT San Antonio.

2024

Luis Flores

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award

Enrique Piedra

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award

2022

Tanya Cruz

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award

2021

Naomi Alyafei

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Honorable Mention

Cynthia Perez

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award

Kaitlyn Varela

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship Award

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award

2020

Naomi Alyafei

Goldwater Scholarship

Elizabeth Cervantes

First Place 3-Minute Thesis Presentation Award (Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Showcase)

Samantha Eaton

Third Place Poster Presentation Award (Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Showcase)

Amanda Gomez

Life Sciences, Cell/Molecular Biology Presentation Award (SACNAS)

David Hall

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award

Linh Tram

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Honorable Mention

Sara Valdes

Second Place 3-Minute Thesis Presentation Award (Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Showcase)

Maria Carmen Varela

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award

2019

Paola Montufar Soria

Psychology Presentation Award (SACNAS)

Jessica O'Berry

Life Sciences, Microbiology Presentation Award (SACNAS)

Cynthia Perez

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Honorable Mention

2018

Alexis Catala

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award

Sean Tritley

Neuroscience Presentation Award (ABRCMS)

Maria Carmen Varela

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Honorable Mention

2016

Jessica Burch

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award

America Ruiz

Goldwater Scholarship

Best in Show (Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Showcase)

Maria Carmen Varela

Best Undergraduate Student Poster-Neurobiology (COS Research Conference)

Jennifer Watts

Best in Show (Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Showcase)

2015

Melina Acosta

Best Undergraduate Poster Presentation-Mathematics and Statistics (COS Research Conference)

2014

Zeliene Brown

Rising Researcher's Award

Trisha Hinojosa

First Place Undergraduate Poster Presentation Award (COLFA Spring Conference)

Ana Maldonado

Rising Researcher's Award

Mayra Pedraza

Best Undergraduate Student Poster-Chemistry & Biochemistry (COS Research Conference)

Edgar Sherman

Selected for NIH INRO Program

Received Postbacc Offers from Two NIH Labs

Marissa Wechsler

Best Undergraduate Student Poster-Regenerative and Molecular Medicine (COS Research Conference)

2013

Stephanie Ikediobi

Selected for Dean's Student Council

2012

Alexis Catala-Pepo

Honors College Scholarship

Presidential Scholarship

SACNAS Travel Award

2010

Stephanie Ikediobi

Best Microbiology Poster Award (SACNAS)

Λ