Clemson University announced today nine student recipients of 2026 University spring awards. Three undergraduate students and six graduate students will receive awards alongside outstanding faculty and staff during a special ceremony at the Madren Center’s Owen Pavilion on Monday, May 4.
Norris Medal
The Norris Medal has been awarded since 1908 and was established under the terms of the will of the Honorable D.K. Norris, a life trustee at Clemson. The medal is given each year to a graduating student who, on the basis of exceptional scholastic achievement and leadership ability, is judged by the University Scholarships and Awards Committee to be the best all-around student. Recipients of the Norris Medal have their names affixed to a bronze plaque located in Hendrix Student Center.
The 2026 Norris Medal recipient is Sara Alkelani, a senior political science and sociology major.
Alkelani is a Rhodes Scholar finalist and member of both the National Scholars Program and Dixon Global Policy Scholars Program. She served within Clemson Undergraduate Student Government as secretary of the Donor Relations and Service Committee. She also was a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity. Alkelani was the founding leader of Clemson’s chapter of Every Campus a Refuge (ECAR), where she helped build a welcoming culture by connecting students with local efforts to support resettled families in the broader community. Alkelani also served as an intern in the Division of Marketing & Communications with photography services.
Algernon Sydney Sullivan Student Award
The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award is presented to graduating seniors, alumni and community members of selected colleges and universities in the Southern United States for excellence of character and service to humanity. Clemson University is among 70 southern schools to present the award, named in honor of the first president of the New York Southern Society.
The 2026 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Student Award recipients are Mercy Crapps, a senior biological sciences major, and Trey Larkins, a senior computer science major.
Crapps is a member of both the National Scholars Program and Dixon Global Policy Scholars Program. She co-founded and serves as vice president and director of Advancing Rural Communities through STEM Education (ARCS-ED), a non-profit that provides experiential learning opportunities in STEM fields to rural and underserved middle school students throughout South Carolina. Additionally, she serves as a member of the Student Judicial Board, volunteers with Paw Pantry and is an undergraduate researcher and teaching assistant.
Larkins, a recipient of the Orange Carpet Scholarship, founded and presides over FinTech, a student organization that explores financial technology. He also is a member of 180 Degrees Consulting, a student-led consultant group that serves non-profits in Upstate South Carolina. Larkins has served as a peer-assisted learning (PAL) leader and is a member of the student advisory board in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. He also serves as a mentor in the Gantt Center’s 1963 Academy, supporting first-year, low-income students in their transition to Clemson.
Frankie O. Felder Graduate Student Award
The Frankie O. Felder Graduate Student Award is presented to one graduating master’s student or doctoral candidate who exhibits academic excellence and inspires others by demonstrating perseverance through adversity.
The 2026 Frankie O. Felder Graduate Student Award recipient is Srikanth Rapala, a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering.
Rapala conducts innovative research within the Department of Bioengineering on mammalian cell culture processes for biotherapeutic manufacturing — helping to improve productivity and make life-saving therapies more affordable and accessible. He won first place in the poster competition at the 2025 International Cell Culture Engineering Conference and completed a Co-op with AbbVie, a leading global biopharmaceutical company.
Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award
The Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award is presented annually to two graduate student researchers at Clemson in recognition of their outstanding contributions to research activity, future promise as a researcher, and/or originality, imagination and significance of research or creative activity.
The 2026 Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award recipients are Chloe Forenzo, a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering, and Augustine Owusu Achiaw, a Ph.D. student in teaching and learning (science education).
Forenzo has studied new ways to improve RNA-based technologies through her work in the Center for Nanotherapeutic Strategies. She has received multiple publications, a patent application and competitive research support. She is a fellow of both the NASA South Carolina Space Grant Consortium Graduate Research, supporting research related to spaceflight and radiation exposure, and STRIDE ART, helping translate academic discoveries toward innovation and broader application.
Owusu Achiaw has contributed to the research culture within the College of Education by examining how science and engineering practices are enacted in classrooms, how students develop scientific reasoning and how school leadership and instructional policies can better support effective teaching. He has presented his research at both national and international conferences, modeling persistence and discipline of high-quality academic scholarship.
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
The Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award is presented annually to two graduate teaching assistants in recognition of their outstanding contributions to student learning and development across academic spaces, such as classrooms and laboratories.
The 2026 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award recipients are Jang Hyeok An, a Ph.D. student in economics, and Rosemaria Serradimigni, a master’s student in environmental toxicology.
An’s research interests include labor, health and public economics. He teaches concepts of econometrics and has consistently made himself available to students through office hours, review sessions and individual support. An’s teaching blends theoretical concepts with real-world data and applications.
Serradimigni is a teaching assistant in anatomy and physiology labs within the Department of Biological Sciences. In addition to her teaching prowess, she also conducts thesis research on embryonic development within flame-retardant chemicals. Serradimigni trains and mentors both undergraduate and graduate researchers as well, creating a positive and productive laboratory environment.
Graduate Student Award for Mentoring in Creative Inquiry
The Graduate Student Award for Mentoring in Creative Inquiry is presented each spring in recognition of outstanding work with undergraduate students. Nominations come from students who are actively participating in Creative Inquiry project teams.
The 2026 Graduate Student Award for Mentoring in Creative Inquiry recipient is Jeremiah Carpenter, a Ph.D. student in bioengineering.
Carpenter is a graduate research assistant in the Department of Chemical Engineering, working directly with Delphine Dean in the Bioelectromechanics Lab. He researches the detection of heavy metals in fluids. Carpenter owns degrees in bioengineering and biomedical engineering from Clemson and has consistently mentored undergraduate researchers through the Creative Inquiry program throughout his graduate career. Students under his mentorship have earned recognition, including success in the Engineering World Health Design Competition.
