AWARDS

2026

- Congratulations to our ACS High School student Abby Gray for receiving the pretigious Alice Azouri Mack Scholarship, a full-ride scholarship to Duke University!!

- Congratulations to Dr. Afonin for being invited to serve as a panelist for “AI Pathways: Connecting Learners, Colleges and Careers for Economic Mobility” at the 2026 Meeting of the Southern Regional Education Board and the 75th Annual Legislative Work Conference.

- Elizabeth Skelly-Miles (Ph.D.) was selected for the highly competitive National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program Intramural Research Training Award (NBBTP/IRTA)!!

- Elizabeth Skelly-Miles (Ph.D.) received the Outstanding Chemistry & Nanoscale Science Ph.D. Student in Teaching Award

- Emma Crawford (Undergraduate Student) received the ACS Division of Biochemistry Undergraduate Student Award

- Laura Rebolledo (Ph.D. Candidate) has been awarded the prestigious NIH F31 Predoctoral Fellowship

- Rishita Rokariya (Undergraduate Student) has been selected as an awardee for OUR - Conference Presentation Funding Request FY26 for $500

2025

- Dr. Afonin has been honored with the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) award in recogntion to his pioneering work in RNA nanotechnology

- Leyla Danai (Ph.D. Candidate): Awarded the Lucille P. and Edward C. Giles Dissertation-Year Fellowship for the 2025-26 academic year

- Leyla Danai (Ph.D. Candidate): Awarded with Two (2!) Best Teaching Assistant Awards in recognition of her outstanding performance during the Summer, Fall, and Spring semesters

- Phong Nguyen (Ph.D. Candidate): Awarded with the International Fellowship Award for $1000

- Dr. Afonin has been elected as a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI)

- Dr. Afonin has been honored with the Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award in recognition of his outstanding mentorship

- Dr. Afonin and Yasmine (Ph.D. Candidate): Awarded Invention of the Year at UNC Charlotte

- Laura Rebolledo (Ph.D. Student): Awarded graduate student summer fellowship (GSSF) from UNC Charlotte for $8,000

- Leyla Danai (Ph.D. Candidate): Awarded graduate student summer fellowship (GSSF) from UNC Charlotte for $8,000

- Emma Crawford (Undergraduate Student): Awarded the NSF-Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) at UNC Charlotte for $6000

- Yasmine Radwan (Ph.D. Candidate) received a highly prestigious 6-month internship at MIMETAS

- Elizabeth Skelly (Ph.D. Candidate) received a highly prestigious 5-month internship at GSK

2024

- Laura Rebolledo (Ph.D. student): Awarded a highly competitive scholarship to attend the SACNAS conference in Arizona --all expenses are fully covered!

- Yasmine Radwan (Ph.D. student) received a highly prestigious 3-month internship at Viiv Healthcare, a proud subsidiary of GSK

- Leyla Danai (Ph.D. student): Awarded graduate student summer fellowship (GSSF) from UNC Charlotte for $8,000

- Yelixza I. Avila (Ph.D. student): First place for their poster presentation at the ANGS Research Symposium

- Elizabeth Skelly-Miles (Ph.D. student): Second for their oral presentation in the category of Interdisciplinary at the Graduate Research Symposioum at UNC Charlotte

- Yelixza I. Avila (Ph.D. student): Selected as an iCURE scholar and will be awarded three-years of funding as a postdoctoralresearcher at the National Cancer Institute

2023

- Brandon Rawlins (Undergraduate student): Received Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Award at Biological Sciences Symposium

- Jose Reyna (Undergraduate student): Received Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Award at Biological Sciences Symposium

- Celine Ortiz (Undergraduate student): Received a travel Scholarship to attend the 2023 National Diversity in STEM (NDISTEM) Conference from SACNAS

- Laura Rebolledo (Undergraduate student): Received the 2023 UNC-Charlotte Award in Biochemistry

- Best Paper Award for "The Application of Light-Assisted Drying to the Thermal Stabilization of Nucleic Acid Nanoparticles," published in Biopreservation and Biobanking

- Laura Rebolledo (Undergraduate student): awarded the Science Technology and Engineering oral award at the UNC Charlottte Undergraduate Research Conference (URC)

- Yasmine Radwan (Ph.D. student): awarded graduate student summer fellowship (GSSF) from UNC Charlotte for $8,000

- Damian Beasock (Ph.D. student): places 2nd at the ANGS Research Symposium at UNC Charlotte

- Celine Ortiz (Undergraduate student): places 3rd in the NC-LSAMP conference

- Yelixza I. Avila (Ph.D. student): gets accepted to participate at Graduate Student Recruitment day at the National Cancer Institute

- Dr. Kirill Afonin: First Citizens Scholars Medal

- Yelixza I. Avila (Ph.D. student): Travel Fellowship from the RNA Society for participation in the 2023 GRC on RNA Nanotechnology

- Yelixza I. Avila (Ph.D. student): Invited to give a talk at the 2023 GRC on RNA Nanotechnology

- Alex Rolband (Ph.D. student): Awarded a fellowship for participation in the GRS on RNA Nanotechnology

2022

- Alex Rolband (Ph.D. candidate): 2022 Dissertation Completion Fellowship, UNCC
- Yelixza I. Avila (Ph.D student): F31 NRSA Pre-doctoral Fellowship, NIH

2021

- Alex Rolband (Ph.D. student): winner of the Mining for GOLD competition, UNCC
- Melina Richardson (Undergraduate student): UNC Charlotte Award in Biochemistry
- Doaha Awad (Undergraduate student): best oral presentation in Science, Technology, and Engineering at 2021 Undergraduate Research Conference (URC), UNC Charlotte
- Morgan Chandler (Ph.D. student): 2021 Dissertation Completion Fellowship, UNCC
- Preston L. Tolley (undergraduate), J.J. Hendley Scholarship, UNCC
- Jonathan Black (undergraduate): best oral presentation in Cellular/Molecular Biology at 82nd Annual Southeastern Biologists

Research Conference
- Seraphim Kozlov (High school student): 2nd place in Biomedical Engineering at the Frederick County Science and Engineering Fair
- Seraphim Kozlov (High school student): US Public Health Service Meritorious Award
- Seraphim Kozlov (High school student): US Air Force Award
- Seraphim Kozlov (High school student): US Agency for International Development Award
- Seraphim Kozlov (High school student): 2nd place at the International Biotech Symposium

2020

- Morgan Chandler (Ph.D. student): Graduate Student Poster Talk Award Winner, NC Photochem 2020 (virtual)
- Weina Ke (Ph.D. student): 2020 Dissertation Completion Fellowship, UNC Charlotte
- Justin Halman (Ph.D. student): 2020 Dissertation Completion Fellowship, UNC Charlotte
- Morgan Chandler (Ph.D. student): 2020-21 Thomas L. Reynolds Graduate Student Research Award

2019

- Morgan Chandler (Ph.D. student): First Place at Poster 2.0 Competition, UNC Charlotte
- Dana Elasmar (Undergraduate student): James Hovick Memorial Award, UNC Charlotte
- Alex Rolband (Undergraduate student): 2019 Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry, ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry and the Journal of Analytical Chemistry, UNC Charlotte
- Justin Halman (Ph.D. student): First Place Overall in the 9th Annual CBES Graduate Student Poster Competition
- Morgan Chandler (Ph.D. student): CBES MED Associate Winner in the 9th Annual CBES Graduate Student Poster Competition
- Justin Halman (Ph.D. student): Graduate School Summer Fellowship, UNC Charlotte
- Allison Tran (Undergraduate student): Best Oral Presentation Award at the 2019 Undergraduate Research Conference, UNC Charlotte
- Morgan Chandler (Ph.D. student): Second Place in CLAS Oral Presentations at the 2019 Graduate Research Symposium, UNC Charlotte
- Morgan Chandler (Ph.D. student): Best Oral Presentation Award at Gordon Research Seminar on RNA Nanotechnology (Ventura, CA)

2018

- Justin Halman (Ph.D. student): First Place for Oral Presentation at the Multifunctional Materials Workshop, NC State University
- Morgan Chandler (Ph.D. student): Second Place for Oral Presentation at the Multifunctional Materials Workshop, NC State University
- Melina Richardson (Undergraduate student): Second Place in the Summer Research Symposium, UNC Charlotte
- Sameer Sajja (M.S. student): Summer Graduate Fellowship Award from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, UNC Charlotte
- Lauren Lee (undergraduate): UNC Charlotte Award in Biochemistry

2017

- Strahinja Talic (Undergraduate student): ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Award
- Morgan Chandler (Undergraduate student): UNC Charlotte Award in Biochemistry
- Justin Halman (Ph.D. student): First Place in CLAS Oral presentations at UNC Charlotte’s 2017 Graduate Research Symposium
- Justin Halman (Ph.D. student): CiRA Research Internship for Summer 2017, used for travel and one month of work at Kyoto University (Kyoto, Japan)

- Justin Halman (Ph.D. student): Second Place overall in the 7th Annual CBES Graduate Student Poster Competition

2016

- Justin Halman (Ph.D. student): Second Place overall in the 6th Annual CBES Graduate Student Poster Competition
- Kyle Roark (M.S. student): Herschel and Cornelia Everett Foundation First Year Graduate Fellowship