All Scientists
About Our Arboretum Award Recipients
Research at the Arboretum spans a diverse range of disciplines, from organismic and evolutionary biology, molecular and developmental biology, and plant physiology to studies in ecology, environment, and biodiversity. The Arboretum supports investigations in our world-renowned living collection, herbarium, library and archives, research laboratories, and in Asia by awarding fellowships and awards to students, post-doctoral researchers, and professionals of the biological and horticultural sciences. Meet our awardees below.
2025 Award Recipients

Bishal Khadka
2025 Ashton Award
Undergraduate student, Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal

Carina Berlingeri
2025 Maria Amalia Carvão Research Award
PhD Candidate, Harvard University, Taylor Lab
Carina Berlingeri received the Maria Amalia Carvão Research Award to explore how underground fungal partners called mycorrhizae affect how trees compete with each other in forests. Most trees rely on these fungi to help them get nutrients and water from the soil, and there are two main types—AM and EM—that work in different ways. Previous scholarship has shown that trees grow differently depending on which type of mycorrhizae they and their neighbors associate with, and these effects also change with climate and soil conditions. Carina plans to run a common garden experiment to reveal the mechanisms behind these patterns.

C. Benton Willis
2025 Cunin/Sigal Award
PhD Candidate, University of Florida

Chenchen Yan
2025 Sargent Award
PhD Candidate, Princeton University
With funding from the Sargent Award, Chenchen Yan will explore how Chinese plants collected in the early 1900s influenced American science, landscape design, and cultural ideas. The study focuses on the Arnold Arboretum, where scientists and designers studied and planted trees from China, blurring the lines between botany, architecture, and cultural identity. By studying both living trees and historical records, Chenchen aims to understand how Chinese plants shaped American landscapes and ideas about nature and design.

Daniel Faccini
2025 Deland Award
PhD Candidate, Harvard University, Friedman Lab
Daniel Faccini received a Deland Award to study how diverse plants have evolved into trees many times throughout evolutionary history, even if their ancestors weren’t trees. By studying plants in the Echium and Lobostemon groups, Daniel found that tree-like forms often develop in similar ways, suggesting that certain biological rules guide this transformation. The project will use living plants, wood samples, and genetic data to shed light on what makes these changes possible and why they happen in such similar ways across different species. The goal is to understand how and why plants repeatedly evolve into trees, and to build a model system for studying plant growth and evolution.

Griffin Erich
2025 Deland Award
PhD Student, Cornell University
With his Deland Award, Griffin Erich will focus on understanding how different wild apple species (Malus) have adapted to survive in stressful environments, especially through changes in their leaves. One key feature investigated in this research is the waxy outer layer of leaves, called the cuticle, which helps prevent water loss. Griffin will measure how water moves through this layer and how it affects important calculations of net CO₂ assimilation at the leaf level. By measuring these traits, the study could help refine global models of carbon and water fluxes from Malus spp. and provide a better understanding of intragenus variation of cuticular conductance.

Kwan Ho Wong
2025 Hu Award
PhD Candidate, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Kwon Ho Wong is exploring the evolutionary relationships within the holly family (Aquifoliaceae), which includes over 600 species in the genus Ilex. Although scientists have studied this group using a few genetic markers, the results have been unclear, so this project uses advanced RNA and DNA sequencing to build a more accurate family tree. By collecting samples from the Arnold Arboretum, Kwon Ho can include rare species not found in Hong Kong, helping him to fill in missing pieces of the puzzle. The study aims to better understand how these species are related and how their physical traits evolved, while honoring the legacy of past researchers (like Shiu Ying Hu) who studied this plant family.

Max Fontaine
2025 Ashton Award
PhD Candidate, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
Max Fontaine investigates how so many closely related tree species, especially those in the Syzygium genus, can live together in Southeast Asian rainforests without one species taking over. The project focuses on the chemical defenses in tree leaves, which may help protect them from pests and diseases and allow different species to coexist. By combining chemical analysis, DNA sequencing, and ecological data from the Danum Valley in Borneo, Max aims to understand how these trees evolved and were distributed over time. This work could help explain how tropical forests maintain such high biodiversity and guide conservation efforts in one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems.

Patricia Álvarez Granados
2025 Deland Award
Master’s Student, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain
Patricia Álvarez Granados explores how having extra sets of chromosomes—a condition called polyploidy—affects how trees like Magnolias produce and move sugars through their tissues. Known as non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs), these sugars are made in the leaves and transported to other parts of the plant, and this process may be more efficient in polyploid trees due to larger vascular cells. Patricia aims to learn if trees with different ploidy levels store and move sugars differently, which could help them survive in stressful environments. By studying Magnolias at the Arboretum, she hopes to uncover how genetics influence tree growth and resilience.

Richard Primack
2025 Jewett Prize
Professor, Boston University

Rowena Azada-Palacios
2025 Sargent Award
Assistant Professor, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines
Rowena Azada-Palacios is examining how the United States’ expansion into the Philippines in the early 1900s influenced the development of American research universities. Her study focuses on how scientists like Elmer D. Merrill and Edwin B. Copeland, who worked in the Philippines during the colonial period, brought back ideas and practices that shaped higher education in the U.S. She will study historical documents at the Arboretum, where Merrill was later director, to understand how colonial experiences affected knowledge production and university structures. By uncovering these connections, Rowena’s research aims to offer new insights into the history and ethics of education and science.

Sainath Reddy Gummi
2025 Sinnott Award
PhD Student, South Dakota State University

Yan Gong
2025 Jewett Prize
Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University, Kramer Lab
Focusing on fruit-bearing plants in the rose family (like apples, cherries, and roses), Yan Gong is examining how flowers and leaves produce nectar and how that process has evolved to attract different pollinators like bees and ants. By comparing cultivated plants with their wild relatives, and using advanced tools like microscopy and RNA sequencing, Yan aims to uncover how nectar traits have changed through evolution and domestication. This research could help improve pollination and fruit production in crops by better understanding how plants interact with their pollinators.
2024 Award Recipients

Alaina Bisson
2024 Sinnott Award
Research Assistant, OEB, Taylor Lab, Harvard University

Oluwatobi Oso
2024 Cunin-Sigal Award
PhD Candidate, Yale University

Promish Adhikari
2024 Ashton Award
Undergraduate Student, Tribhuwan University, Nepal

Rishiddh Jhaveri
2024 Ashton Award
PhD Candidate, The Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, India

Vidya Vuruputoor
2024 Sargent Award
PhD Candidate, University of Connecticut
2023 Award Recipients

Ashanti Shih
2023 Sinnott Award
Assistant Professor, Vassar College

Christina Hourigan
2023 Cunin/Sigal Award
PhD Candidate, Royal Holloway University of London, and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Jessica Savage
2014-2016 Putnam Fellow
2017 Sinnott Award
2023 Jewett Prize
Associate Professor, University of Minnesota, Duluth
Visiting Scholar, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
- Savage JA, Kiecker T, McMann N, Park D, Rothendler M, Mosher K. 2022. Leaf out time correlates with wood anatomy across large geographic scales and within local communities. New Phytologist 235: 953-64. Abstract

Sumashini Pagaldevatti
2023 Ashton Award
PhD Student, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Wyatt Oswald
2023 Sargent Award
Professor, Emerson College
2022 Award Recipients

Aparna Krishnan
2022 Ashton Award
PhD Student, Nature Conservation Foundation, India

Audrey Spencer
2022 Deland Award
PhD Student, University of Colorado, Denver, Denver Botanic Gardens

Chau Pham
2022 Ashton Award
PhD Student, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Christina DeJoseph
2022 Sinnott Award
Masters Student, Tufts University
Dustin Ray
2022 Sinnott Award
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Minnesota, Duluth

Heather Gladfelter
2022 Sinnott Award
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Georgia

Israel Lopes da Cunha Neto
2022 Sargent Award
Postdoctoral Fellow, Cornell University
- Cunha Neto IL^, Hall BT, Lanba AR, Blosenski JD, Onyenedum JG. 2023. Laser ablation tomography (LATscan) as a new tool for anatomical studies of woody plants. New Phytologist 239(1):429–44. Abstract

Lei Duan
2022 Hu Student/Postdoctoral Award
Faculty, South China Botanical Garden

Lindsey Kollmer
2022 Cunin/Sigal Award
Undergraduate Student, University of Connecticut

Warren Chatwin
2022 Jewett Prize
Research Scientist, USDA Agricultural Research Service

Yujing Yan
2022 Arnold Arboretum Genomics Initiative and Sequencing Award
HUH Fellow, Harvard University
2021 Award Recipients

Bruno Nevado
2021 Sargent Award
Principal Investigator, University of Lisbon, Portugal
John Kress
2021 Sargent Award
Research Scientist, Smithsonian Institution

Jonas Frei
2021 Jewett Prize
Master’s Student, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland

Susan McEvoy
2021 Arnold Arboretum Genomics Initiative and Sequencing Award
PhD Student, University of Connecticut
Acer macrophyllum genome
Susan will lead the effort to create a reference genome and epigenome for Acer macrophyllum (bigleaf maple). This project, together with the reference genomes, transcriptomes, and epigenomes developed using Arboretum accessions of A. saccharum, A. negundo, and A. griseum, will provide genomic resources that will benefit the entire scientific community and provide needed tools for the detailed analysis of the life and times of Acer at the genomic level.
Suzanne Ou
2021 Ashton Award
PhD Candidate, Stanford University

Vanessa Indeglia
2021 Sinnott Award
DVM Candidate and Master’s Student, Tufts University
2020 Award Recipients

Adam Negrin
2020 Jewett Prize
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Lehman College (CUNY)

Bailey Cowart
2020 Sinnott Award
Undergraduate Student, Boston University

Diana Castillo Diaz
2020 Ashton Award
PhD Candidate, Guangxi University, China

Endro Setiawan
2020 Ashton Award
Master’s Student, Universitas Nasional, Indonesia

Jenna Rindy
2020 Deland Award
PhD Student, Boston University
- Rindy JE, Pierce EA, Geddes J, Garvey SM, Gewirtzman J, Driscoll CT, Hutyra LR, Templer PH. 2023. Effects of Urbanization and Forest Fragmentation on Atmospheric Nitrogen Inputs and Ambient Nitrogen Oxide and Ozone Concentrations in Mixed Temperate Forests. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. 128(12): e2023JG007543. Abstract
Julie Dawson
2020 Jewett Prize
Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin, Madison
- Brainard SH, Sanders DM, Bruna T, Shu S, Dawson JC. 2023. The first two chromosome-scale genome assemblies of American hazelnut enable comparative genomic analysis of the genus Corylus. Plant Biotechnology Journal.

Ryan Fuller
2020 Sargent Award
PhD Candidate, University of Chicago

Tim Utteridge
2020 Sargent Award
Head of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens, UK

Yingtong Wu
2020 Deland Award
PhD Candidate, University of Missouri
- Wu Y^, Hipp AL, Fargo G, Stith N, Ricklefs RE. 2023. Improving Species Delimitation for Effective Conservation: A Case Study in the Endemic Maple-leaf Oak (Quercus acerifolia). New Phytologist 238(3):1278–93. Abstract

Zhengyang Wang
2020 Hu Student/Postdoctoral Exchange Award
PhD Candidate, Harvard University
- Da W, Rana SK, Bawa K, Kunte K, Wang Z. 2023. Roof of the world: Home and border in the genomic era. Molecular Ecology Reso
2019 Award Recipients

Aidan Short
2019 Ashton Award
PhD Student, Guangxi University, China

Harikrishnan V. N. Radhamoni
2019 Ashton Award
PhD Candidate, Yale University

Jedaidah Chilufya
2019 Cunin/Sigal Award
PhD Candidate, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Kathryn Mauz
2019 Sargent Award
Independent Scholar

Steve Gougherty
2019 Deland Award
PhD Student, Boston University

Wenbin Zhou
2019 Hu Award
PhD Student, North Carolina State University
2018 Award Recipients

Avalon Owens
2018 Cunin/Sigal Award
PhD Student, Tufts University

Dong Wang
2018 Sargent Award
Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Erin Pierce
2018 Deland Award
PhD Student, Templer Lab, Boston University
- Rindy JE, Pierce EA, Geddes J, Garvey SM, Gewirtzman J, Driscoll CT, Hutyra LR, Templer PH. 2023. Effects of Urbanization and Forest Fragmentation on Atmospheric Nitrogen Inputs and Ambient Nitrogen Oxide and Ozone Concentrations in Mixed Temperate Forests. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. 128(12): e2023JG007543. Abstract
- Garvey SM, Templer PH, Pierce EA, Reinmann Andrew B, Hutyra LR. 2022. Diverging patterns at the forest edge: Soil respiration dynamics of fragmented forests in urban and rural areas. Global Change Biology 28: 3094-109. Abstract

Harold Suarez Baron
2018 Deland Award
PhD Candidate, University of Antioquia in Colombia
Visiting Fellow, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
- Suárez-Baron H, Alzate JF, Ambrose BA, Pelaz S, González F, Pabón-Mora N. 2023. Comparative morphoanatomy and transcriptomic analyses reveal key factors controlling floral trichome development in Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae). Journal of Experimental Botany74(21):6588–6607. Abstract

Krittika Petprakob
2018 Ashton Award
PhD Student, University of Maryland
Margaret Grose
2018 Sargent Award
Senior Lecturer, University of Melbourne, Australia

Meghan Blumstein
2018 Deland Award
PhD Candidate, Holbrook Lab, Harvard University

Natalia Pabón-Mora
2018 Jewett Prize
Associate Professor, University of Antioquia in Colombia
Visiting Scholar, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
- Suárez-Baron H, Alzate JF, Ambrose BA, Pelaz S, González F, Pabón-Mora N. 2023. Comparative morphoanatomy and transcriptomic analyses reveal key factors controlling floral trichome development in Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae). Journal of Experimental Botany74(21):6588–6607. Abstract

Nathan Swenson
2018 Arnold Arboretum Genomic Initiative and Sequencing Award
Acer griseum genome

Robin Hayward
2018 Ashton Award
PhD Student, University of Stirling, Scotland
2017 Award Recipients

Agusti Randi
2017 Ashton Award
Master’s Student, Bagor Agricultural University, Indonesia

Jessica Savage
2014-2016 Putnam Fellow
2017 Sinnott Award
2023 Jewett Prize
Associate Professor, University of Minnesota, Duluth
Visiting Scholar, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
- Savage JA, Kiecker T, McMann N, Park D, Rothendler M, Mosher K. 2022. Leaf out time correlates with wood anatomy across large geographic scales and within local communities. New Phytologist 235: 953-64. Abstract

Margaret Kosmala and David Basler
2017 Sinnott Award and Sargent Award
Postdoctoral Fellows, Harvard University, Richardson Lab

Michael and Scott Dietrich
2017 Sargent Award
Professor, Dartmouth College (MD)
Co-Curator, Hong Kong Stair Archive (SD)
Stephanie Schmiege
2017 Ashton Award
PhD Student, Columbia University
Asimina triloba genome
2017 Arnold Arboretum Genomic Initiative and Sequencing Award
Fagus grandifolia genome
2017 Arnold Arboretum Genomic Initiative and Sequencing Award
2016 Award Recipients
Adam Roddy
2016 Jewett Prize
Post-doctoral fellow, Yale University
Visiting Fellow, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

Alexander Susko
Deland Award
PhD candidate, University of Minnesota

Callin Switzer
2016 Sinnott Award
PhD Candidate, Harvard University, Hopkins Lab

Dan Sullivan
Associate, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

Danilo Fernando
2016 Jewett Prize
Associate Professor at the State University of New York

Jonathan Mahoney
2016 Deland Award
Master’s student, University of Connecticut
Visiting Fellow, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
- Mahoney JD, Brand MH. 2021. Pre- and postzygotic barriers associated with intergeneric hybridization between Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott x Pyrus communis L. and ×Sorbaronia dippelii (Zabel) CK Schneid. x Pyrus communis. HortScience 56(2): 177-184. Abstract

Kuo-Fang Chung
2016 Sargent Award
Associate Research Fellow, Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
- Kuo W-H, Liu S-H, Chang C-C, Hsieh C-L, Li Y-H, Ito T, Won H, Kokubugata G, Chung K-F. 2022. Plastome phylogenomics of Allaeanthus, Broussonetia and Malaisia (Dorstenieae, Moraceae) and the origin of B. × kazinoki. Journal of Plant Research 135: 203–220. Abstract
- Chung K-F, Kuo W-H, Hsu Y-H, Li Y-H, Rubite RR, Xu W-B. 2017. Molecular recircumscription of Broussonetia (Moraceae) and the identity and taxonomic status of B. kaempferi var. australis. Botanical Studies 58: 11.
- Yu C-C, Chung K-F. 2017. Why Mahonia? Molecular recircumscription of Berberis l., with the description of two new genera, Alloberberis and Moranothamnus. Taxon 66: 1371-1392.
Meghna Krishnadas
2016 Ashton Award
PhD candidate, Yale University

Meng Li
2016 Hu Student/Postdoctoral Exchange Award
Ph.D student, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Visiting Fellow, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
- Li M, Ohi-Toma T, Gao Y-D, Xu B, Zhu Z-M, Ju W-B, Gao X-F. 2017. Molecular phylogenetics and historical biogeography of Sorbus sensu stricto (Rosaceae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 111: 76-86.
Dan Sullivan
2016 Sargent Award
2015 Award Recipients

Jianhua Li
Sargent Award
Professor of Biology, Hope College
Associate, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
Luke Keogh
2015 Sargent Award
Post-doctoral Fellow, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Germany

Nalaka Geekiyanage
2015 Ashton Award
PhD Candidate, Kyoto University, Japan
Stephen Decina
2015 Deland Award
PhD Candidate, Boston University, Templer and Hutyra Labs
- Decina SM, Hutyra LR, Gately CK, Getson JM, Reinmann AB, Short Gianotti AG, Templer PH. 2016. Soil respiration contributes substantially to urban carbon fluxes in the greater Boston area. Environmental Pollution 212: 433-439.
2014 Award Recipients

Andrew Groover
2014 Sargent Award
Geneticist, USDA Forest Service
Visiting Scholar, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
Bryan Connolly
2014 Cunin/Sigal Award
PhD Candidate, University of Connecticut, Brand Lab

Janice Chan
2014 Ashton Award
PhD candidate, Harvard University, Moorcroft Lab

Kristel Schoonderwoerd
2014 Deland Award
Master’s Student, Erasmus Mundus Master Program in Evolutionary Biology
- Schoonderwoerd KM, Friedman WE. 2016. Zygotic dormancy underlies prolonged seed development in Franklinia alatamaha (Theaceae): a most unusual case of reproductive phenology in angiosperms. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 181: 70-83.

Laura Garrison
2014 Deland Award
PhD Candidate, Brown University, Edwards Lab

Ling Guo
2014 Jewett Prize
Curator, Beijing Botanic Garden
Visiting Scholar, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
Luke Keogh
2015 Sargent Award
Post-doctoral Fellow, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Germany
2013 Award Recipients

Ha Thanh Nguyen
2013 Ashton Award
PhD Candidate, Boston University, Hutyra Lab
- Nguyen HT, Hutyra LR, Hardiman BS, Raciti SM. 2016. Characterizing forest structure variations across an intact tropical peat dome using field samplings and airborne LiDAR. Ecological Applications 26: 587-601.

Kathryn Weglarz
2013 Deland Award
PhD Candidate, Utah State University, von Dohlen Lab
- Dial DT, Weglarz KM, Aremu AO, Havill NP, Pearson TA, et al. 2021. Transitional genomes and nutritional role reversals identified for dual symbionts of adelgids (Aphidoidea: Adelgidae). The ISME Journal 16(3):642–54. Abstract

Rosanne Healy
2013 Sargent Award
Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Minnesota
Visiting Fellow, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
- Healy RA, Zurier H, Bonito G, Smith ME, Pfister DH. 2016. Mycorrhizal detection of native and non-native truffles in a historic arboretum and the discovery of a new North American species, Tuber arnoldianum sp. nov. Mycorrhiza 26: 781-792.
- Leicht-Young SA, Healy R, Del Tredici P. 2016. Observation of mycorrhizal colonization in roots in natural populations of Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 143: 322-324.
- Shao D, Tang S, Healy RA, Imerman PM, Schrunk DE, Rumbeiha WK. 2016. A novel orellanine containing mushroom Cortinarius armillatus. Toxicon 114: 65-74.

Yong-Jiang Zhang
2013 Hu Student/Postdoctoral Exchange Award
Post-doctoral Fellow, Harvard University, Holbrook Lab
2012 Award Recipients
Bharti Sharma
2012 Jewett Prize
Post-doctoral Fellow, Harvard University, Kramer Lab

Claire Williams
2012 Sargent Award
Distinguished Scholar, Forest History Society
- Williams CG, Després V. 2017. Northern Hemisphere forests at temperate and boreal latitudes are substantial pollen contributors to atmospheric bioaerosols. Forest Ecology and Management 401: 187-191.

Hugh McAllister
2012 Sargent Award
Honorary Lecturer, University of Liverpool
Visiting Scholar, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

Jorge Lora
2012 Jewett Prize
Post-doctoral Fellow, Experimental Research Stations (CSIC), Spain
Visiting Fellow, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
- Losada JM, Hormaza JI, Lora J. 2017. Pollen–pistil interaction in pawpaw (Asimina triloba), the northernmost species of the mainly tropical family Annonaceae. American Journal of Botany 104:1891–1903

Laura Lagomarsino
2012 Deland Award
PhD Candidate, Harvard University, Davis Lab
2011 Award Recipients
E. Scherbatskoy
2011 Deland Award
Undergraduate Student, University of Colorado, Boulder

Juan M. Losada
2011 Deland Award
PhD Candidate, Aula Dei Experimental Station–CSIC, Spain
Visiting Fellow, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

Mariana Oliveira e Castro
2011 Deland Award
Master’s Student, University of Coimbra, Portugal

Preeti Rao
2011 Deland Award
PhD Candidate, Boston University, Hutyra Lab