Student Life

Nine UMass Amherst Students Honored for Extraordinary Achievements

Nine outstanding undergraduates have received the spring 2021 Rising Researcher awards. The Rising Researcher program celebrates students who excel in research, scholarship or creative activity.

This year, persistent UMass Amherst undergraduates adapted to COVID-19 restrictions as they engaged in substantial research, exercised their creativity and elevated campus and the community. They found ways to thrive—they worked on campus when permitted and capitalized on remote research, learning, and volunteer opportunities

UMass honors these nine students for challenging their intellect, contributing to research, and exercising their exceptional creativity.

The spring 2021 Rising Researchers were:

Ali Abdel-Maksoud ’21, electrical engineering
Samantha Hano ’22, public health sciences and psychology, Commonwealth Honors College
Claire Healy ’21, political science, Commonwealth Honors College
Isabel Levin ’22, sociology, Commonwealth Honors College
Kathleen Loonie ’21, pre-veterinary sciences, Commonwealth Honors College
Eugenia Roberts ’21, biochemistry and molecular biology, Commonwealth Honors College
Nicholas Sbalbi ’22, chemical engineering, Commonwealth Honors College
Alan Simon ’21, interdisciplinary studies, University Without Walls
Solomon Siskind ’21, sport management and sociology