2026 Spring Award Recipients

As the semester comes to a close, the Graduate School has announced its 2026 Spring Award Recipients.  Each year, awards are presented to outstanding students and faculty during the Graduate School Convocation Ceremony following the University of Colorado Anschutz Commencement. This year's ceremony will be held on Monday, May 18, 2026.

Danielle Jeffrey, PhD, Pharmacology; and Carissa Sherman, PhD, Human Medical Genetics and Genomics
Outstanding Dissertation Award
Honors the doctoral student who produced the most compelling dissertation. This year, two recipients showcased the high bar of scholarship, rigor, originality, and transformative impact on their field deserving of this award.

Praveen Ramaswamy, MS, Pharmaceutical Sciences 
Dean's Outstanding Master's Student Award
This award honors a master's student who has demonstrated excellence throughout their program. Awardees excel in coursework, experiential learning, and campus involvement.

Alicia Tanneberger, PhD, Bioengineering
Campus Culture and Community Engagement Award
This award recognizes impactful contributions made by a graduate student toward enhancing the vision of the Graduate School to ensure an environment where early-career scientists thrive while building the foundation for impactful contributions to society. 

Dr. Jeff Moore, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
Dean's Doctoral Mentoring Award
This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated a commitment to the mentorship and training of doctoral students while maintaining high academic standards. Nominations for this award can only be initiated by students, making it a particularly impactful award for recipients. 

Dr. Chad Pearson, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
Chancellor's Teaching Recognition Award from the Graduate School
The purpose of the Chancellor's Teaching Recognition Award is to recognize and reward outstanding teaching. Recipients demonstrate a commitment to academic rigor, provide a high-quality learning experience, and serve as effective role models.