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Reham Sewilam and Sydnye Shuttleworth received Outstanding Achievement Awards at the Graduate School Winter Awards Reception on Dec. 4. Image by Nathan Tidwell

Graduate School Awards Ceremony Highlights Students, Faculty

Dec. 15, 2025 | The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Graduate School recognized top-achieving students and faculty at its Winter Awards Reception on Dec. 4.

“Your dedication to advancing biomedical knowledge through your posters, presentations and volunteer efforts demonstrates a remarkable commitment to scholarship and research,” said Graduate School Dean Sean Taverna, Ph.D., during the event at the Helen Guinn Adams Atrium in Biomedical Research I. “Balancing these efforts is no small feat, and I’m proud of each and every one of you.”

Reham Sewilam and Sydnye Shuttleworth received Outstanding Achievement Awards. Sewilam is the first graduate student in Arkansas to receive the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award. Shuttleworth is the first UAMS M.D./Ph.D. student to earn the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) from the NCI.

The NCI award provides two years of support to complete Sewilam’s doctoral research and four years of funding for postdoctoral training. The NRSA award provides four years of funding for Shuttleworth’s tuition, a stipend and an institutional allowance to support research training.

“This fellowship not only makes me highly competitive for postdoctoral positions in leading research labs but also gives me the freedom to pursue high-impact, high-risk cancer research,” said Sewilam, who is in the Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences (GPIBS) Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program.

“I hope to build a career that mirrors that impact by leading a lab dedicated to advancing cancer immunotherapy, guiding future scientists and contributing to meaningful progress in translational research,” said Shuttleworth, who is the M.D./Ph.D. program.

Robert Eoff, Ph.D., professor in the College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Brian Koss, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, were chosen for Excellence in Mentoring Awards.

Eoff, who is Sewilam’s mentor, and Koss, who mentors Shuttleworth, each had high praise for both researchers.

“Reham not only excelled in an incredibly competitive national pool, but she also designed both phases of the research plan with a vision and precision that sets her up for long-term success,” Eoff said.

“Sydnye is always thinking about how her work can make a real impact. That kind of focus is exactly what you want in a future physician-scientist, and it’s no surprise she has already earned competitive funding to support her research. She raises the bar for everyone around her,” said Koss.

The following students were recognized for their achievements at Student Research Day on April 17:

Poster Presentations

• First place — Christoph Mora (GPIBS — Pharmacology, Toxicology and Experimental Therapeutics)
• Second place — Toni Jaudon (Health Systems and Services Research)
• Third place — Hayley Sabol (GPIBS — Cell Biology & Physiology)

Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research

• First place — Matthew Thompson (GPIBS — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
• Second place — Thanh Ha Vy Nguyen (GPIBS — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)

Bhuvan Awards for Excellence in Biochemistry Graduate Research

• First place — Walter Saul Aragon-Ramirez (GPIBS — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
• Second place — Baku Acharya (Pharmaceutical Sciences)
• Third place — Matthew Thompson (GPIBS — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)

BioVentures Student Innovator Awards

• First place — Hayley Sabol (GPIBS — Cell Biology & Physiology)
• Second place — Baha’a Jabali (Pharmaceutical Sciences)

Three Minute Thesis Awards

• First place — Lokesh Akana (GPIBS — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
• Third place — Taiquitha Robins (Biomedical Informatics)

Additional student achievements:

• Jonathan Baxter (Nursing Science): Arkansas Great 100 Nurses (September 2025)
• Meagan Kingren (Health Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship): Shock Society Research Instigator Award (June 2025)
• Mojnu Miah (GPIBS): Sixth International Conference on Cell and Experimental Biology (April 2025)
• Pritam Saha Podder (Pharmaceutical Sciences): Lymphatic Education & Research Network Young Investigator Conference Scholarship Award (June 2025)
• Veronica Piedra (Bioinformatics): American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Best Abstract Award (May 2025)
  

  Graduate School Dean Sean Taverna, Ph.D., presents Erickson Feliciano with a Certificate of Appreciation.Image by Nathan Tidwell

• Mahima Saini (Pharmaceutical Evaluation and Policy): Health Economics & Outcomes Research Strategy Internship at Novo Nordisk (Summer 2025)
• Saloni Sood (Pharmaceutical Sciences): American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Best Poster Award (September 2025)
• Rebekah Thacker (Nursing Science): Corrine George Dissertation Research Award (October 2025)
• Wilberforce Twinamatsik (Health Systems and Services Research): Developed a free website to monitor food recalls by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Association (Summer 2025)
• Prisha Warikoo (Pharmaceutical Sciences): Exceptional team process skills demonstrated in a UAMS Interprofessional Education session (September 2025)
• Lakyn Webb (Nursing Science): Arkansas Great 100 Nurses (September 2025); Finalist at the 2025 Arkansas Nurse of the Year Awards (November 2025)
• Cheryl Wells (Nursing Science): Philanthropic Educational Organization Chapter Scholar nominee (October 2025)
• Erickson Feliciano (Nursing Science), editor in chief; Ahn Pham (Nursing Science), associate editor; Philmar Mendoza Kubar (Nursing Science), editorial assistant; Deaun Kim (Nursing Science), editorial assistant: Excellence in Journalism for the “PhD in Nursing Program Newsletter” (December 2025)

Several students were noted for their support for Graduate School Recruitment events across the country.

“These students did a great job of representing UAMS and the Graduate School,” said Taverna.

• Walter Saul Aragon-Ramirez (GPIBS — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology): University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Research Den (December 2025)
• Lidia Belete (GPIBS — Microbiology & Immunology): Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists American Society for Microbiology Conference in San Antonio (November 2025)
• Cole Bolen (M.D./Ph.D. program): Arkansas INBRE Conference in Fayetteville (November 2025)
  

  Amie Brint, Justin Pressley and Lidia Belete were recognized for their work at Graduate School Recruitment events.Image by Nathan Tidwell

• Amie Brint (M.D./Ph.D. program): Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists American Society for Microbiology Conference in San Antonio (November 2025)
• Erickson Feliciano (Nursing Science): UAMS Day at Southern Arkansas University (October 2025)
• Steven Murdock (GPIBS — Microbiology & Immunology): University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Research Den (December 2025)
• Ahn Pham (Nursing Science): UAMS Career Expo (October 2025)
• Justin Pressley (GPIBS — Pharmacology, Toxicology and Experimental Therapeutics): Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists American Society for Microbiology Conference in San Antonio (November 2025)
• Milla Reddick (M.D./Ph.D. program): Arkansas INBRE Conference in Fayetteville (November 2025)

The following faculty were recognized with Mentor Awards:

• Antiño Allen, Ph.D., associate dean of pipeline and career development in the Graduate School and a professor in the College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, for mentoring Raymond Otoo, Ph.D. (Bioinformatics)
• Benjamin Amick, Ph.D., professor and associate dean of research in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, for mentoring Christina Joshua, Ph.D. (Epidemiology)
• Nukhet Aykin-Burns, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, for mentoring Christopher Godwin, Ph.D. (Pharmaceutical Sciences)
• Clare Brown, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management, for mentoring Amy Lallier, Ph.D. (Health Systems and Services Research)
• Keneshia Bryant-Moore, Ph.D., professor in the College of Public Health Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, for mentoring Rachel Hale, Ph.D. (Health Promotion and Prevention Research) and Dedrick “Shun” Ingram, Ph.D. (Health Promotion and Prevention Research)
• Alicia Byrd, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, for mentoring Matthew Thompson, Ph.D. (GPIBS — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
  

  Benjamin Amick, Ph.D., was among several faculty recognized with Mentor Awards.Image by Nathan Tidwell

• Patricia Cowan, Ph.D., RN, professor emerita and former dean of the College of Nursing, for mentoring Dannis Armikarina, Ph.D., and Dominique DuBois, Ph.D. (Nursing Science)
• Jesus Delgado-Calle, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Medicine Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, for mentoring Hayley Sabol, Ph.D. (GPIBS — Cell Biology & Physiology)
• Abdel Fouda, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, for mentoring Carol Morris, Ph.D. (GPIBS — Neuroscience)
• Brendan Frett, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, for mentoring Baku Acharya, Ph.D. (Pharmaceutical Sciences) and Baha’a Jabali, Ph.D. (Pharmaceutical Sciences)
• Laura Hays, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Nursing, for mentoring Dannis Armikarina (Nursing Science)
• Brian Koss, Ph.D., for mentoring Jacob Edmondson, Ph.D. (GPIBS — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
• Linda Larson-Prior, Ph.D., professor in the College of Medicine Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, for mentoring Aaron Kemp, Ph.D. (Biomedical Informatics)
• S. Alexandra Marshall, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the College of Public Health Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, for mentoring Ishu Karki, Ph.D. (Health Promotion and Prevention Research)
• Robert E. McGehee Jr., Ph.D., distinguished professor in the College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology and dean emeritus of the Graduate School, for mentoring Ankita Shukla, M.D., Ph.D. (Clinical and Translational Sciences)
• Rupak Pathak, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, for mentoring Edith Nathalie Pineda, Ph.D. (Bioinformatics)
• Roger Pechous, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Medicine Department of Microbiology & Immunology, for mentoring Madeleine Scott, Ph.D. (GPIBS — Microbiology & Immunology)
• George Pro, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Public Health Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, for mentoring Dedrick “Shun” Ingram, Ph.D.
• Alan Tackett, Ph.D., distinguished professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and deputy director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, for mentoring Jacob Edmondson, Ph.D. (GPIBS — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)