2026 Wright State University Graduate Student Excellence Awards

The Graduate Student Excellence Awards Program began in 2004 as a way to annually recognize outstanding graduate students on the basis of academic achievement, thesis/dissertation research, publications, and/or professional practice. Through 2019, one graduate student was honored from each graduate program at Wright State. With the redesign of the program in 2024, the awards became more competitive; now only one graduate student is selected from each college/school.

This year, the program was combined with the University Libraries' Top Scholars Awards. Each Graduate Student Excellence Award recipient receives a certificate, and a scholarship to apply toward their continued education at Wright State. Beginning this year, a book is purchased and added to the University Libraries' permanent collection in honor of each award recipient. Bookplates with the student's name, college, and award year are affixed to the book and are also added to the Libraries' catalog record. The subjects of the books are chosen from within the student's program of study and the books are selected by the Libraries' collection management team.

We would like to publicly recognize and congratulate our six Graduate Student Excellence Awardees for 2026 and share their plans for the future and/or favorite thing about being a Wright State University student:

Raj Soin College of Business

Fred Osei Agyeman-Duah

Program: Information Systems

“I am very grateful for this recognition. Coming from an accounting background and transitioning into IT, I joined this program because I was fascinated by the way business systems work and wanted not only to understand them, but also to support them as an IT professional with my business knowledge. The program has been eye-opening in its interactive nature and in the way it connects what we learn to the real business world, which has also built my confidence in professional interactions. Lastly, as one of the few working students in my class, it has ignited in me a passion to help create opportunities for other students, especially international students who may struggle to find them. I am grateful to LION, especially the IT leadership, for supporting not only my study, but this passion, and I would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the school to help create opportunities for others, because my success outside the classroom would mean even more when it helps create success for others as well.”

College of Health, Education, and Human Services

Zoe Ballard

Program: Athletic Training

“Being new to Wright State as a graduate student was at first a little scary, but I have felt welcomed and involved since day one! My cohort is awesome and I’m so glad to be learning alongside them. My graduate study is in Athletic Training, and I would like to work in a high school or small college setting!”

 

College of Liberal Arts

Scotty Cypher

Program: Public History

“I am a graduating M.A. Public History student with a 4.0 GPA. I completed my primary internship and capstone project at Sinclair Community College, where I digitized over 250 items to make them available online, and inventoried over 600 boxes to assess their preservation needs. The highlight of my time at Wright State was presenting my research paper about the disappearance of the American Dream in Hollywood at last year's History Symposium. I plan on moving to Chicago within the next few years, and am very excited to see what life has in store next.”

Boonshoft School of Medicine

Guramrit Kaur

Program: Pharmacology and Toxicology

“My time here at Wright State has been a deeply rewarding learning curve. As a student who was initially uncertain about fitting in within the community, I have come a long way. During my graduate studies, I had the opportunity to conduct genetic research under the mentorship of my PI, Dr. Xu, who helped me develop a research-oriented mindset that will continue to guide me in my career. I have gained skills and experiences, whether learning new techniques in the lab or leading teams in various leadership roles, that prepare me for a future in academic research.”

College of Science and Mathematics

Caroline McLaughlin

Program: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

“During my time at Wright State, I have grown both in my technical ability and my confidence as a researcher. The unwavering support of my fellow students and faculty, notably the mentorship and guidance of Dr. Kadakia, Dr. Craig, and Dr. Zhang, has been instrumental in my development as an emerging scientist. The experiences and opportunities afforded to me at this institution have shaped my research identity and strengthened my commitment to rigorous scientific inquiry. Following my thesis defense and graduation, I intend to pursue a meaningful career that will allow me to continue making discoveries in cancer research."

 

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Zahra Zare

“I am a Ph.D. student in Industrial Engineering at Wright State University, where my research focuses on optimization and infrastructure planning for Advanced Air Mobility systems. My work explores vertiport location and network design to support the future of urban air transportation. My time at Wright State has been an inspiring journey of learning, research, and collaboration. I am especially grateful to my advisor, Dr. Mumtaz Karatas, for his guidance and support. I look forward to contributing to innovative and sustainable transportation systems through research, teaching, and collaboration.”

Congratulations to our 2026 Graduate Student Excellence Award recipients!

The University Libraries, the Friends of the Libraries, the School of Graduate Studies, and the Office of the Provost, thank everyone who with hard work, collaboration, and cooperation made this year’s Graduate Student Excellence awards possible.