Assignment of all awards is made by the Biology Honors Committee following the Biology Undergraduate Research Colloquium held annually during the last week of classes.  Awards are announced and presented at the Biology Undergraduate Reception following the UConn Commencement Ceremony. Students seeking a combined MS/BS degree should present their thesis during their fourth and/or senior year of the BS portion of their degree or sooner. Mid-year graduates are eligible to participate during the academic year of their graduation or sooner.

Eligibility Table

Participation in the Biology Undergraduate Research Colloquium is required for a student to be considered for any of these awards.  Students do not need to be part of the honors program to be eligible for these awards.  Requirements unique to each award are listed in the table below. Descriptions of all awards are listed below the table.

Award Descriptions:

Margaret F. Ertman Award
$1000 + certificate
The Margaret F. Ertman Award will be awarded to the outstanding senior across all four biology degree programs: Biological Sciences, EEB, MCB, and PNB.  The student will have distinguished herself or himself both through outstanding scholarship in EEB, MCB, and PNB during his or her undergraduate career, and through original research conducted in biology (broadly defined) at UConn.  The Margaret F. Ertman Award was established in 1983 by Irvin L. Ertman (class of 1939) and Ronnie Ertman (class of 1941) in honor of their daughter Margaret F. Ertman (class of 1974).

Connecticut Museum of Natural History Award
$200 + certificate
The Connecticut Museum of Natural History Award will be awarded to a senior in  Biological Sciences, EEB, MCB, or PNB who has demonstrated an outstanding level of scholarship as an undergraduate at UConn, and who has conducted original research concentrating on the natural history, behavior, or overall biology of a focal organism during her or his undergraduate career.

Biology Director's Awards
$1000 + certificate
Each year the Biology Director sponsors an award given to an outstanding graduating senior who has conducted original research in biology. The research is expected to be cross-discipline and employing approaches from molecular biology, physiology, biochemistry, ecology, and evolutionary biology to address a critical research question in biology.

Outstanding Senior in EEB Award
$1000 + certificate
The Outstanding Senior in EEB Award will be awarded to an EEB or Biological Sciences major who has demonstrated exceptional academic and research accomplishment within the EEB department during her or his undergraduate career.

Outstanding Senior in MCB Award
$1000 + certificate
The Outstanding Senior in MCB Award will be awarded to a MCB or Biological Sciences major who has demonstrated exceptional academic and research accomplishment within the MCB department during her or his undergraduate career.

Outstanding Senior in PNB Award
$1000 + certificate
The Outstanding Senior in PNB Award will be awarded to a PNB or Biological Sciences major who has demonstrated exceptional academic and research accomplishment within the PNB department during her or his undergraduate career.

Excellence in Applied Genetics and Technology Award
$1000 + certificate
Each year UConn's Center for Applied Genetics and Technology of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences sponsors the award that is given to an outstanding graduating senior who has conducted original research in applied genetics/genomics using an innovative technology or conducting research applied to a broadly defined problem of interest to society.  The Center provides critical infrastructure support for research and training in genetics, genomics and bioinformatics.