Graduate Student Amanda Lanza Receives Jeff Byers Memorial Award

Graduate student Amanda Lanza in labGraduate student Amanda Lanza recently accepted the 2012 Jeff Byers Memorial Graduate Award in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. 

Lanza was nominated by her advisor, Professor Hal Alper. A committee from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Department of Chemical Engineering reviewed nominations and selected Lanza as this year’s top candidate to receive the $2,000 prize.

“Amanda was nominated and selected based on her demonstrated research aptitude, strong academic and scholastic achievements, interpersonal and group work skills, potential for serving as a broad role model for other students, and her commitment to enhancing the experience of graduate students,” said Alper. “She truly excels in each of these categories, so it is fitting that she is the first ChE student to win this award.”

Lanza received her B.S. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  Last month she received a $15,000 Philanthropic Educational Organization Scholar Award, a merit-based honor for women pursuing doctoral degrees in the United States and Canada.  She is also currently supported by the Donald D. Harrington Dissertation Fellowship, which is the highest award that can be given to a continuing student at UT Austin.

The Jeff Byers Graduate Award was established in 2009 in memory of Jeffrey D. Byers, Ph.D. Chemistry ‘92, by his family and friends to recognize a graduate student in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering who exhibits academic excellence, integrity, a collaborative spirit, compassion towards others, and who passionately contributes to the advancement of peers and to the disciplines of science and engineering.

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