Department News

• Banoo Malik is the Department of Biology's top dissertation nominee for the 2009 D. C. Spriestersbach Dissertation Prize. The Prize was established to recognize excellence in doctoral research. Each year the winners of the D.C. Spriestersbach Dissertation Prize become the University of Iowa's nominee in the national competition for the Council of Graduate Schools/University Microfilms International Distinguished Dissertation Award.

• Brandy Bennett was given the Excellence in Research Award at the 1st Annual Sackler Research Day where more than 25 departments from microbiology to plastic surgery and almost 200 people participated. Eighty-five posters were presented by graduate and medical students, postdocs, and clinical fellows, ranging from basic to clinical sciences. Awards were given for best abstracts in pre-doctoral and post-doctoral categories, with the best two selected for oral presentations:

• Daniel Carapau was awarded the title of Runner-up for the Young Investigator Award at the Annual Vaccine Conference organized by the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases. He was shortlisted among the 10 semifinalists and made it to the final 3.