MICaB Awards
Golden Pipetman Award
The Golden Pipetman Award is given to an outstanding MICaB student who has contributed to the excellence of the MICaB program. The contribution can be in the form of publications, outside funding, and/or service to the program. Either MICaB students or faculty may nominate current MICaB students for the Golden Pipetman Award by. Recipients are selected by the CGS and past recipients of the Golden Pipetman Award who are still in the program at the time of selection.
Current Golden Pipetman Award Recipient

Hrishi Venkatesh, Fall Semester 2021
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc
Past Golden Pipetman Award Recipients
- 2020
- 2017
- 2016
- 2015
- 2014
- 2013
- 2012
- 2011
- 2001-2010
-
2020
Serina Robinson, Spring semester 2020
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc -
2017
Adam Cheng, Fall Semester 2017
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc -
2016
Tijana Martinov, Fall Semester 2016
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc -
2015
Nick Dillon, Fall Semester 2015
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc. -
2014
Emily Thompson, Fall Semester 2014
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc. -
2013
Sam Dunmire, Fall Semester 2013
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc. -
2012
Kristin Anderson and Kristen Pauken, Fall Semester 2012
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc. -
2011
Jeff Hall, Fall Semester 2011
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc. -
2001-2010
Antonio Pagan, Fall Semester 2010
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc.Geoffrey Hart, Spring Semester 2010
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc.Amy Moran, Fall Semester 2009
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc.Jon Larson, Spring Semester 2009
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc.Julie Wolf and Lucia Zacchi, Fall Semester 2008
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson Inc.Ryan Kelly, Spring Semester 2008
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson SAS, FranceHamlet Chu, Fall Semester 2007
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson SAS, FrancePetter Woll, Spring 2007
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson SAS, FranceLaura Bursch, Fall 2006
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson SAS, FranceChristine Vogtenhuber, Summer 2006
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson SAS, FranceRachel Saplis, Fall 2005
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson SAS, FranceKaty Fraser, Summer 2005
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson SAS, FranceRachel Kahler, Spring 2005
Pipetman Starter Kit compliments of Gilson SAS, FranceJosie Chandler, Fall 2004
Paul Lephart, Fall 2003
Martin Prlic, Spring 2003
Chris Waters, Fall 2002
Left - Mark Daniels, Spring 2002
Right - R. Lee Reinhardt, Fall 2001
Bacaner Research Award
The Bacaner Research Award program is sponsored by the Minnesota Medical Foundation to encourage intellectual achievement by graduate students and is underwritten by a gift to the Foundation in memory of Jack and Minnie Bacaner. The award is $1,500 annually.
Current Bacaner Research Award Recipient

Past Bacaner Research Award Recipients
- 2011-2021
- 2000-2010
-
2011-2021
DateStudentAdvisor 2021Matt JarvisReuben Harris2019Serina RobinsonLarry Wacket2018Rebecca Breuer/Tijana MartinovGary Dunny/Brian Fife2017Gabriel StarrettReuben Harris 2016Sakeen KashemDan Kaplan 2015Alexa WeingardenMike Sadowsky/Alex Khoruts 2014Kristin AndersonDave Masopust 2013David KnorrDan Kaufman 2012Jared RoweSingSing Way 2011Ming ZengAshley Haase -
2000-2010
DateStudentAdvisor 2010Michael WeinreichKristin Hogquist 2008Laura BurschKristin Hogquist 2007Mark AndersonSandra Armstrong 2006Josephine ChandlerGary Dunny 2005Christine GoetzMichael Farrar 2004Corey CarlsonDavid Largaespada2003Carin VanderpoolSandra Armstrong2002Jeremy YarwoodPatrick Schlievert2001Mark DanielsStephen Jameson2000Clint SchmidtMatthew Mescher
MICaB Travel Award
The MICaB Travel Award provides $1,000 for MICaB students to attend national and international research conferences and meetings. These competitive travel awards are given annually to MICaB students on the basis of merit, need, or both.
Current MICaB Travel Award Recipients
J. Jacob Kaplan Award
Three J. Jacob Kaplan awards are presented annually for the most meritorious student papers on either clinical or basic medical research and includes a $4,000 award. An award is available for research in three fields of medicine: immunology in diagnosis and treatment of cancer; gastroenterology; and, cardiology. The awards are intended to encourage and recognize scholarly achievement in medical research by young investigators at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Roza Steer Breast Cancer Research Award
This $1,000 award is presented for outstanding research by a graduate or medical student in the field of breast cancer. An ad hoc faculty committee chooses the recipient.
Veneziale-Steer Award
This $1,000 award is presented annually for outstanding research by a graduate or medical student in the field of cellular growth regulation. An ad hoc faculty committee chooses the recipient.
FELLOWSHIPS
Dennis W. Watson Fellowship
The Watson Fellowship is an annual competitive award for microbiology track students beginning their fourth year of study in the MICaB program and have as their faculty advisor a member of the microbiology faculty or MICaB microbiology track faculty. The student receives a one-year non-renewable fellowship in addition to a $500 cash award.
Current Dennis W. Watson Fellowship Recipient

Meagan Rollins 2021-2022
Past Dennis W. Watson Fellowship Recipients
- 2010-2021
- 1999-2010
-
2010-2021
2020-2021 Milcah Scott David Masopust 2019-2020 Sathi Wijeyesinghe David Masopust 2017-2018 Dylan White Anna Tischler 2016-2017 Jessica Yang Kotov Marc Jenkins 2015-2016 Christine Nelson Vaiva Vezys 2014-2015 Darin Wiesner Kirsten Nielsen/Paul Bohjanen 2013-2014 Alexa Weingarden Mike Sadowsky/Alex Khoruts 2012-2013 Nick Kotloski Jeff Gralnick 2011-2012 Jared Rowe SingSing Way 2010-2011 Laura Okagaki Kirsten Nielsen -
1999-2010
Year Student Advisor 2009-2010 Tanner Johanns SingSing Way 2008-2009 David Sukovich Larry Wackett 2007-2008 Katie Ballering Gary Dunny 2006-2007 Matthew Hamilton Michael Sadowsky 2005-2006 Mark Anderson Sandra Armstrong 2004-2005 Alexa Pragman Patrick Schlievert 2003-2004 Rachel Ogilvie Paul Bohjanen 2002-2003 Joseph Golden Leslie Schiff 2001-2002 Jeremy Yarwood Patrick Schlievert 2000-2001 R. Lee Reinhardt Marc Jenkins 1999-2000 Michelle Antiporta Gary Dunny
Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship
The purpose of the Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (DDF) program is to give outstanding final-year Ph.D. candidates who are making timely progress toward the degree--typically those entering their fifth year of graduate study--an opportunity to complete the dissertation within the upcoming academic year by devoting full-time effort to the research and writing of the dissertation. Candidates must be nominated by the DGS to an all-University competition. Instructions to nominees and application forms are available from the DGS in late fall.
Current Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Recipients
3M Science and Technology Fellowship
The purpose of this fellowship program is to promote graduate student excellence at the University, by providing four-year 3M Science and Technology Fellowships to outstanding new Ph.D. students per year in broad areas of science and technology. The MICaB CGS selects a recipient of the MICaB 3M Fellowship from the pool of incoming students in the years the MICaB program is eligible to submit an application.
UMN Graduate School Best Dissertation Award
Each year the Graduate School recognizes the University's top recent Ph.D. graduates by presenting "best dissertation" awards. A student from each of four groups- arts and humanities, biological and life sciences, physical sciences and engineering, and social sciences and education, are chosen by faculty from the broad disciplinary areas. Selections are made based on the originality and importance of the research as well as the potential for the student to make an unusually significant contribution to their field.
Current Best Dissertation Awardee
Sathi Wijeyesinghe, MICaB MSTP student
Advisor: Dave Masopust
Dissertation: Expansive residence decentralizes immune homeostasis