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Alden Award

Mary G. Alden Scholarship Recipients

2023〡2022〡201920182017

Mary Alden was an alumna at the University of Oregon. She recieved a B.A. in Botany from the University of Oregon in 1931. Because of her love of biology, in 1978 her family established the Mary G. Alden Scholarship Fund in her memory after her passing. The recipients of the Mary G. Alden Scholarship, a scholarship awarded to University of Oregon students studying in the biological sciences, are able to participate along side SPUR interns over the summer. They are encouraged to present their research at our closing symposium.

2023 Alden Awardees

Veronica Berg
University of Oregon Biology Major conducting research in the Libuda Lab
Research Project: “Sex versus process in germ granule structure in C. elegans”

Sylvia Khalil
University of Oregon Human Physiology Major and Chemistry Minor conducting research in the Barber Lab
Research Project: “Investigating the mechanism of Staphylococcus aureus resistance to fungal antagonism”

Peter Lechman
University of Oregon Biology Major and Biochemistry Minor conducting research in the Nolen Lab
Research Project: “Exploring the regulation of actin patch assembly at endocytic sites in S. pombe.”

2022 Alden Awardee

Emma Freedman
University of Oregon Biology Major with minors in Chemistry and Art researching in the Ting Lab.
Research Project: “Effects of social cohesion on the gut microbiome composition of black and white colobus monkeys”

2019 Alden Awardees

Isabelle Cullen
University of Oregon Biology Major in the Clark D. Honors College researching in the Smear lab
Research Project: “Glomerular Signaling of Unrestrained Olfactory Navigation in Mice”

Talia Park
University of Oregon Biology major in the Clark D. Honors College researching in the McGuire lab
Research Project: “Applying a social-ecological systems approach to managing green stormwater infrastructure for environmental health and human well-being”


2018 Alden Awardees

Genevive Dorrell
Genevive Dorrell is an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Mike Harms Lab with a working title of the source of epistatsis. She is a Biology and Computer Science major in the Clark Honors College.

Dan Tudorica
Dan Tudorica an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Karen Guillemin’s Lab. He is a Biochemistry major in the Clark Honors College. His Research Project is Cysteine Oxidation in the Chemoreceptor Zinc-Binding Dmain as a Means of Bacterial Bleach Sensing. 

Hunter Kellerman
Hunter Kellerman is an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Kryn Stankunas’s Lab working on his project The Role of Ezh2 and Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 in Zebrafish Bone Regeneration. He is a Biology and Human Physiology Major.


2017 Alden Awardees

Jad Chehab
Advisor: Dr. Kryn Stakunas
Major: Biochemistry

Joshua Braunstein
Advisor: Dr. Kryn Stakunas
Major: Biology
Shh signaling and skeletal patterning during zebrafish fin development

Rachel David
Advisor: Dr. Diana Libuda
Major: Biochemistry
Role of genomic positioning on meiotic double strand DNA break repair

Nelson Catalan
Advisor: Dr. Chris Doe
Major: Human Physiology
The Role of Spontaneous Network Activity in Drosophila Neuronal Network Assembly

Makenna Pennel
Advisor: Dr. Jim Hutchison
Major: Chemistry
Probing the Slow Injection, Esterification Synthesis of Indium Oxide Nanoparticles

Erica Squire
Advisor: Dr. Jeff McKnight
Major: Biochemistry