Recognizing outstanding alumni
Outstanding Science Alumni Award
This award recognizes and rewards outstanding Penn State science alumni for their success as leaders in science and for the impact they have had on society and their professions. The award was established in 1995 by the Eberly College of Science Alumni Society Board. Nominees should exemplify the Penn State Values: Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Discovery, Excellence, and Community.
2026 Award Winners
President, Head of Research and Development, and Chief Medical Officer, Inhibikase Therapeutics
Class of 1990, Molecular and Cellular Biology (B.S.)
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine / Magee-Women’s Hospital
Class of 2008, Biology, Women’s Studies (B.S.)
Richard and Barbara Schiffrin President's Distinguished Professor; Director, Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Class of 1993, Science (B.S.)
Previous Recipients of the Outstanding Science Alumni Award
Mario Ciabarra, 1999 B.S. Science
Thomas Gardner, 1998 M.S. Physiology, 1975 B.S. Biology
Madhumita Ghosh-Dastidar, 1999 Ph.D. Statistics, 1996 M.S. Statistics
Maura McLaughlin, 1994 B.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics
Janda Kirk Griffith Panitz, 1975 Ph.D. Physics, 1969 M.S. Physics, 1966 B.S. Physics
John Panitz, 1969 Ph.D. Physics, 1966 M.S. Physics, 1965 B.S. Physics
Randal R. Betz, 1973 B.S. Premedicine
W. Howard Cyr, 1972 Ph.D. Biophysics, 1966 M.S. Biophysics
Maria Demaree Hutchinson, 1990 B.S. Computer Science
Rashid S. Njai, 2000 B.S. Biology
Mitchell Weiss, 1980 B.S. Biophysics
Trevor Brown, 2005 Ph.D. Integrative Bioscience
Sarah Gallagher, 2002 Ph.D. Astronomy
Kristen Ries, 1962 B.S. Secondary Education, 1963 M.S. Biological Science
Gideon Bollag, 1984 B.S. Chemistry
Emmanouil Dermitzakis, 2001 Ph.D Biology
Hank Foley, 1982 Ph.D. Chemistry
Katie McPeak, 1997 B.S. Science
Janet Tomezsko, 1987 B.S. Premedicine
Joy Ward, 1991 B.S. Biology
B. Vindell Washington, 1986 B.S. Science
Danielle Bassett, 2004 B.S. Physics
Aaron Gitler, 2000 B.S. Science
Lara Mangravite, 1997 B.S. Physics
Steven Maslowski, 1995 B.S. Biology
Bruce Booth, 1996 B.S. Biochemistry
Judd Moul, 1979 B.S. Premedicine
Fred Allendorf, 1971 B.S. Zoology
Nicholas Hartman, 2003 B.S. Chemistry
Alexandra Heerdt, 1985 B.S. Science
Danielle Pasqualone, 1990 B.S. Molecular and Cell Biology
Jason Bacha, 2002 B.S. Biology
Joseph Berry, 2001 Ph.D. Physics
Wanda Jones, 1975 B.S. Medical Technology
Harold Kohn, 1971 Ph.D. Chemistry
Louise Sabol, 1955 B.S. Premedicine
Ronald Boxall, 1984 B.S. Science
Jayatri Das, 1999 B.S. Biology, B.S. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christa Hasenkopf, 2003 B.S. Astronomy & Astrophysics
Donna Bortner, 1984 B.S. Microbiology
Alexa Dembek, 1991 Ph.D. Chemistry
Sudhir Kumar, 1996 Ph.D. Genetics
Caryl Russo Singer, 1982 B.S. Biology
Larry Travis, 1971 Ph.D. Astronomy
Eric Freed, 1985 B.S. Molecular and Cell Biology
Ann Hornschemeier, 1999 M.S., 2002 Ph.D. Astronomy and Astrophysics
John Pierce, Jr., 1976 B.S. Biochemistry
Kathryn Roeder, 1988 Ph.D. Statistics
Donald Abraham, 1958 B.S. Chemistry
Robert Baltera, 1987 B.S. Microbiology, 1990 M.S. Genetics
Peter Emanuel, 1994 Ph.D. Molecular and Cell Biology
Kay Mooney, 1989 B.S. Mathematics
Christopher Olivia, 1984 B.S. Science
Jonathan Pritchard, 1994 B.S. Biology, B.S. Mathematics
Jane Rigby, 2000 B.S. Astronomy. B.S. Physics
Eliav Barr, 1984 B.S. Science
Gary Fleisher. 1971 B.S. Science
Howard Gordon, 1963 M.S. Physics, 1965 Ph.D. Physics
Joellen Schildkraut, 1978 B.S. Microbiology
Robert Shaler, 1966 M.S, Biochemistry, 1968 Ph.D. Biochemistry
David Dunson, 1994 B.S. Mathematics
Susan Gardlik, 1983 B.S. Biochemistry
Albert Hartman, 1965 B.S. Science
Allan Silberman, 1968 B.S. Science
Bruce Wellman, 1991 B.S. Science
Judith Davenport, 1961 B.S. Medical Technology
Richard Gottscho, 1974 B.S. Chemistry
Steven McCrystal, 1992 B.S. Mathematics
Monica Morrow, 1974 B.S. Science
Fletcher Wicker, 1968 B.S. Mathematics, 1969 M.A. Mathematics, 1975 Ph.D. Mathematics
Mark Becker, 1985 Ph.D. Statistics
Jack Dickstein, 1946 B.S. Agriculture & Biological Chemistry
Laura Hutton, 1971 B.S. Astronomy
Alvaro Umaña, 1973 B.S. Physics, 1974 M.S. Environmental Pollution Control
CP Wong, 1972 M.S. Chemistry, 1975 Ph.D. Chemistry
Carol Zaher, 1971 B.S. Zoology
George Cimochowski, 1963 B.S. Premedicine
David Heymann, 1966 B.S. Science
Vance Moss, 1994 B.S. Science
Vince Moss, 1994 B.S. Science
*Robert Schiessler, 1939 B.S. Chemistry, 1945 Ph.D. Chemistry
John Senior, 1950 B.S. Physics
Mildred Christian, 1965 M.S. Zoology
Stephen DiBiase, 1978 Ph.D. Chemistry
Susan Grove, 1966 B.S. Mathematics
John Patton, 1967 B.S. Zoology
Angelo Scopelianos, 1982 Ph.D. Chemistry
Chi Kong Shu, 1978 M.S. Computer Science
Ken Adelberg, 1974 B.S. Biophysics, 1974 B.S. Psychology
Neal Flomenberg, 1974 B.S. Science
Susan Hardin, 1982 B.S. Biology
F. Matthew Rhodes, 1979 B.S. Physics
Charles M. Buchas, 1971 B.S. Mathematics
Stephen Mayo, 1983 B.S. Chemistry
Mary Osborn, 1963 M.S. Biophysics, 1967 Ph.D. Biophysics
Barbara J. Dalton, 1974 B.S. Biology
Charles E. Grier, 1984 M.S. Microbiology, 1987 Ph.D. Microbiology
Chad A. Mirkin, 1989 Ph.D. Chemistry
Bruce L. Gewertz, 1970 B.S. Science
Gail Folena-Wasserman, 1979 M.S. Biochemistry; 1982 Ph.D. Chemistry
Bruce K. Lloyd, 1968 B.S. Premedicine
Stephen Miller, 1969 B.S. Microbiology, 1973 M.S. Microbiology, 1975 Ph.D. Microbiology
Paul M. Doty,1941 B.S. Chemistry
Richard A. Grazzini, 1975 B.S. Biology, 1993 Ph.D. Genetics
Janet Vergis, 1986 B.S. Biology, 1988 M.S. Physiology
Terence J. Dwyer, 1970 M.A. Mathematics
Louise A. Goeser, 1974 B.S. Mathematics
Daniel A. Nolan, 1974 Ph.D. Physics
Robert F. Wilson, Jr. 1973 B.S. Premedicine
Catherine Beath, 1970 B.S. Microbiology
Marcus Hansen, 1968 B.S. Science
Woodrow E. Hoch, 1942 B.S. Commercial Chemistry
Morris Taradalsky, 1970 B.S. Mathematics
Jean M. Bennett, 1953 M.S. Physics, 1955 Ph.D. Physics
John L. Mason, 1970 Ph.D. Chemistry
Gary E. McGraw, 1965 Ph.D. Chemistry
Robert J. Petcavich, 1976 B.S. Chemistry, 1977 M.S. Solid State Science, 1980 Ph.D. Polymer Science
Joseph H. Eberly, 1957 B.S. Physics
Louis A. Martarano, 1976 B.S. Chemistry
James H. Plonka, 1970 Ph.D. Chemistry
Barbara Scheffler, 1972 B.A. Mathematics, 1973 M.A. Statistics
Steven Cohen, 1967 B.S. Premedicine
Melvyn Kohudic, 1953 B.S. Commercial Chemistry
Edward Nelson, 1965 B.S. Biochemistry
Wolfgang Sachse, 1963 B.S. Physics
Robert W. Emery, 1969 B.S. Premedicine
J. Arthur Jones, 1961 M.A. Mathematics, 1965 M.Ed. Mathematics
Max G. Lagally, 1963 B.S. Physics
*recognized posthumously