Graduate Student Research Awards (GSRA) are used to advance the scholarship of graduate students pursuing research and creative activities. Grants up to $5,000 are awarded to the selected students to help support their research, scholarship, and creative activity; give students experience writing grants; and foster the mentoring relationship between faculty and graduate students.

As the spring 2026 submission cycle is now under way, the Graduate School wants to highlight the graduate students who received awards for fall 2025. Their research contributes to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, initiative to create a better future for the citizens of Tennessee and communities the world over.

The fall 2025 GSRA winners are:

Mohammad Alipanahrostami

A PhD student in mechanical engineering who has been inspired by the natural world to develop hierarchical particles that have practical applications, such as super-repellent surfaces and drug delivery.

Emmanuel Chijindu Allwell

PhD student in microbiology with a proposal investigating tailocins (non-replicative nanomachines) as next-generaion anti-microbials that may counter issues of unpredictable dosing, regulatory hurdles, emergence of phage resistance, and batch-to-batch variability.

Bryce Bible

A PhD student in computer science who is using machine learning and image analysis to predict scenic visibility in real time and up to several days ahead, focusing on Mount Fuji, the visibility of which is famously unpredictable.

Brian Nevin Boyce

PhD student in geography with a proposal investigating cultural disturbance in Trinidad, tracing how marginalized communities turn instability into creative survival.

Dimetrius Brandon

PhD student in kinesiology and sport studies whose research focuses on integrating parental support in a school-based intervention to improve the fundamental motor skills of preschoolers.

Kelsey Buonodono

A PhD student in biomedical engineering who is working on early detection strategies to improve cardiovascular outcomes in cancer survivors.

Gracie Carter

PhD student in plant, soil, and environmental sciences who is working to promote neglected and underutilized species to improve nutrition, strengthen food security, support local culture, and make farming systems more resilient

Tingwei Chen

PhD in computer engineering investigating the use of AI to prevent cascading failures in power systems and strengthen the resilience of power grids.

Bailey Chitwood

MS in animal science for a proposal to improve in-vitro embryo production procedures in cattle, which may also improve in-vitro fertilization outcomes in humans.

Raymond Da-Boi

PhD student in anthropology working toward highlighting the critical role and contributions of women as the dominant and agentive actors in the local economy of Bo Waterside, an important border town in Liberia.

Saeed Davar

A PhD student in civil engineering whose proposal is about creating a durable, low-emission, ductile material capable of extending service life, reducing waste and driving the transition toward sustainable construction.

Olivia Escher-Price

DVM student in veterinary medicine who is helping veterinarians and goat producers make informed decisions regarding the use of famotidine in GI adversity in goats.

Troy Alexander Getty

PhD student in microbiology with a proposal to provide the foundations for the development of a novel therapeutic approach to target drug-resistant pathogens.

Zachary Fassett

PhD student in kinesiology and sport studies with a proposal for research to improve outcomes for ACL reconstruction.

Rajesh Ramesh Gund

PhD student in biosystems engineering whose research is focused on developing insect trap monitoring and replacement robots which can automate pest management programs.

Myranda Shay Gorman

DVM student in veterinary medicine who is working to counter leptospirosis, an underrecognized worldwide animal and human health problem.

Emilie Holloway

PhD student in nutritional sciences who is working to solve the problem of accurately assessing dietary intake among young children.

Kh Shakibul Islam

PhD student in geography with a proposal to work on a map of wetlands that local authorities could use for urban planning an flood manag​ement.

Steven Kakooza

PhD student in comparative and experimental medicine who is aiming to develop a powerful, predictive model identifying high-risk areas for Rickettsia, which can guide targeted public health interventions and inform strategies for tick control.

Ishita Kapur

PhD student in social work looking at the emotional responsiveness of LLMs (AI) in responding to young people’s mental health challenges.

Sangmi Kim

PhD student in social work in investigating the use of AI in enhancing empathy and fairness in family communication.

Grace Danielle Malla

DVM student in veterinary medicine who is investigating the impact of doramectin in resolving issues of parasites that endanger livestock production.

Alejandro Ovispo-Martinez

PhD student in kinesiology and sport studies who is investigating cycling in the rehabilitation of total knee arthroplasty and the impact of the length of crank arm length in the cycle.

Katie Peterson

PhD student in animal science who is working to develop the foundations for biomarkers to improve reproductive management in beef and dairy herds.

Md Ibnun Sarwar Rafi

MS student in communication and information doing research on providing insights for couples by informing relationship education on how messaging affects trust, privacy and conflict.

Job Kipkemoi Ronoh

PhD student in comparative and experimental medicine with researched focused on understanding antimicrobial resistance in dogs and cats to mitigate transmission between animals and humans.

John Sadik

A PhD student in computer science whose research intends to increase the security of everyday technology users by making the most secure option also the easiest one.

Lauren Nicole Slivka

PhD student in psychology with a proposal to shed light on how infants prioritize social cues, clarifying the interplay of perceptual and cultural factors in socio-cognitive development.

Jansirani Srinivasan

PhD student in biochemistry and cellular & molecular biology PhD student with a proposal to investigate nematodes to increase the understanding of DNA processes.

Olivia Vinnes

PhD student in microbiology with a proposal to enhance knowledge of life in extreme environments, guiding the discovery of novel bioactive compounds with industrial potential.

Makhali Voss

PhD student in entomology, plant pathology, and nematology for a proposal to investigate certain bacteriophages, viruses that infect and kill bacteria, that lead to control strategies for a parasite that causes billions of dollars in economic damage and food distribution through livestock mortality.

Haoying Wu

PhD student in nutritional sciences who is adding to the body of knowledge to find affordable and accessible strategies for combating obesity.

Qian Yang

PhD student in communication and information who proposes to offer low-cost, practical strategies for AI developers to improve UI, increase user trust, and mitigate misinformation risks in commercial AI tools.

Titus Yeng

PhD student in comparative and experimental medicine whose focus is on investigating links between weight loss and colorectal cancer.

Are you considering applying for a Spring 2026 GSRA award? Visit tiny.utk.edu/GSRA