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Student Competition - Oral Presentation and Poster Awards

Each year, the North Central Division sponsors a Graduate Student Oral Presentation and Poster Competition.  To enroll in the competition, follow the instructions and click the box "this paper is for the student competition" via the abstract submission form.

Each award will consists of an inscribed plaque, plus a cash award ($250 for First Place, $150 for Second Place, and $100 for Third Place). In addition, the 1st place winner is eligible for additional travel funds to represent the North Central Division at the APS annual meeting in the "Plant Pathologists of the Future" Graduate Student Symposium. 

Previous Winners

2024​Harrison Hall (Oral 1st)​​University of Illinois
Amlan Arman (Oral 2nd)N​orth Dakota State University
​Feyisayo Akande (Oral 3rd)​University of Missouri
Madison Kessler (Poster 1st)​Kansas State University
Sarita Poudel (Poster 2nd)North Dakota State University
​​Daniel Gill (Poster 3rd)
 
North Dakota State University
 
2023​Monica Gayle Pennewitt (Oral 1st)​​Iowa State University
Denise Caldwell (Oral 2nd)Purdue University
​Nitha Rafi (Oral 3rd)​​North Dakota State University
Sabina Paudel (Poster 1st)​North Dakota State University
Monica Sayuri Mizuno (Poster 2nd)Purdue University
​​Ji Hyun Kim (Poster 3rd)University of Minnesota
​Pierce Taylor (Poster 3rd)
 
University of Missouri

2022​LeAnn Lux (Oral 1st)​​North Dakota State University
Jhonatan Barro (Oral 2nd)University of Kentucky   
​Karthika Mohan (Oral 3rd)​​South Dakota State University
​Matthew John (Poster 1st)​North Dakota State University
​​Harkamal Kaur (Poster 2nd)North Dakota State University
​Gabe Dusek (Poster 3rd)
 
North Dakota State University

2021​Austin Lien (Oral 1st)​​University of Minnesota
Ashley Stengel (Oral 2nd)University of Nebraska-Lincoln
​Janice Fajardo (Oral 3rd)​​University of Manitoba
Annika Peterson (​Oral 3rd)​​Michigan State University
​Asha Mane (Poster 1st)​University of Nebraska-Lincoln
​​Ana Martinez (Poster 2nd)North Dakota State University
Ashley Stengel (Poster 3rd​)​​University of Nebraska-Lincoln
​Ruchika Kashyap (Poster 3rd)
 
South Dakota State University

2019​Karen Ferreira Da Silva (Oral 3rd)​​University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Worku Denbel (Poster 2nd)University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
​Corri Hamilton (Poster 2nd)​​University of Wisconsin-Madison​
Roshni Kharadi (​Oral 1st)​​Michigan State University
​Megan McCaghey (Oral 2nd)​University of Wisconsin​
​​Olakunle Olaw​ole (Poster 1st)Iowa State University​
Pratibha Sharma (Poster 2nd​)​​University of Minnesota-Twin Cities​
​Tri Tran (Oral 3rd)
 
Purdue University​

2018 Terra Hartman, ​First Place (oral)
University of Nebraska
Sarah Budde, Second Place (oral) North Dakota State University
Megan McCagey, Third Place (oral) University of Wisconsin
Nikita Gambhir, First Place (poster) University of Nebraska
Chandler Day, Second Place (poster) Kansas State University
Javier Kyuna, Third Place (poster)
 
Kansas State University
 
2017 Chelsea Harbach, First Place (oral) Iowa State University
Cecilia Monclova Santana, Second Place (oral) North Dakota State University
Julian Cooper, Third Place - tie (oral) University of Illinois
Roshni Kharadi, Third Place - tie (oral) Michigan State University
Suzanne Slack, First Place (poster) Michigan State University
Casey Schuh, Second Place (poster) North Dakota State University
Grazieli Araldi da Silva, Third Place (poster)
 
Iowa State University
 
2016 Kyle Broderick, First Place (oral) University of Nebraska
Justin Stanton, Second Place (oral) University of Minnesota
Amanda Beck, Third Place (oral) North Dakota State University
Nolan Anderson, First Place (poster) Purdue University
Kelsie Musil, Second Place (poster) University of Nebraska
Nikita Gambhir, Third Place (poster)
 
University of Nebraska
 
2015 Ryan Humann, First Place (oral) North Dakota State University
Jessica Rupp, Second Place (oral) Kansas State University
Zach Noel, Third Place (oral) Michigan State University
Alejandra Rojas, First Place (poster) Michigan State University
Saltanet Mambetova, Second Place (poster) Michigan State University
Luisa Castiblanco, Third Place  - tie (poster) Michigan State University
Jacqueline Huzar Novakowiski, Third Place - tie (poster)
 
Michigan State University

 
2014 Erica Arcibal, First Place (oral) University of WI - Madison
Tiffany Lowe, Second Place (oral) University of WI - Madison
Suzanne Slack, Third Place (oral) Michigan State University
Michael Millican, First Place (poster) Iowa State University
Gazala Ameen, Second Place (poster) North Dakota State University
Jennifer Odom, Third Place (poster)
 
North Dakota State University
 
2013 Ismail Badillo-Vargas, First Place (oral) Kansas State University
Alexander Leach-Kieffaber, First Place (poster)  Kansas State University
Jessica Halvorson, Second Place (poster) North Dakota State University
Jennifer Odom, Third Place (poster)
 
North Dakota State University
 
2012 Cory Outwater, First Place (oral) Michigan State University
Craig Langemeier, First Place (poster) University of Nebraska
Godwill Chewachong, Second Place - tie (oral) Ohio State University
Ellie Walch, Second Place - tie (oral) Ohio State University
Richard McNally, Third Place (oral)

Michigan State University

2011 Kevin Korus, First Place (oral) University of Nebraska
Justin McMechan, First Place (poster) University of Nebraska
Luisa Castiblanco, Second Place (oral) Michigan State University
Rodrigo Werle, Second Place (poster) University of Nebraska
Ryan Shelby, Third Place (oral) University of Illinois
Kim Lesniak, Third Place (poster)

Michigan State University

2010 Kim Chapman, First Place (oral) Purdue University
Yen Wei Chang, First Place (poster) North Dakota State University
Andrew Friskop, Second Place (oral)
North Dakota State University
Anna Seidl, Second Place - tie  (poster) University of Wisconsin
Somwattie Pooran DeSouza, Second Place - tie (poster)  North Dakota State University

Jafe Weems, Third Place (oral)

University of Illinois

2009 Achala Nepal, First Place (oral) North Dakota State University
Jackson Moeller, First Place (poster) Iowa State Univeristy
Zhifen Zhang, Second Place (oral) Ohio State University
Aakansha Gambhir, Second Place (poster) North Dakota State University
Valdir Correa, Third Place - tie (oral) Ohio State University
Margaret Lee Ellis - tie (oral) Ohio State University
Chakradhar Mattupalli, Third Place - tie (poster) University of Wisconsin
Silvina Stewart, Third Place (poster)
 
Iowa State University

2008 Jessica Koczan, First Place Michigan State University
  Alicia Owens, First Place Iowa State University
Javier Delgado, Second Place North Dakota State University
Zhihan Xu, Second Pla​ce Iowa State University
Yu Chen, Third Place University of Wisconsin - Madison
Adam Sparks, Third Place
 
Kansas State University

2007 Emmanuel Byamukama, First Place (poster) Iowa State Unviveristy
  Kiersten Wise, First Place (oral) North Dakota State University
Jane Okalebo, Second Place (poster) University of Nebraska
Teresa Hughes, Second Place (oral) University of Wisconsin - Madison
John Bienapfl, Third Place (poster) University of Minnesota
Erin Lizotte, Third Place (oral) Michigan State University