Johns Hopkins University’s faculty in the Advanced Academic Programs division recently lauded the extraordinary individual work of students’ capstone projects, theses, research, and other outstanding achievements completed in the 2025-26 academic year.
The student-award winners are:
Master of Arts in Communication
Gillian Henneberry and Matthew Giombetti received Outstanding Student Awards.
Henneberry was an exceptional president of the graduate student organization and has shown outstanding leadership, communication, commitment, work ethic, and professionalism. In addition to her role in the organization, she is an outstanding student and scholar, who goes above and beyond to engage in readings, assignments, and especially in class discussion. Finally, she is an ambassador for the program and is always willing to meet with prospectus and incoming students.
Giombetti has demonstrated exceptional leadership, initiative, and impact on the Krieger community. As founder and president of StoryLab, he built a vibrant, interdisciplinary storytelling community of more than 70 students, many from outside the communication program. He established the organization’s mission and goals and has worked tirelessly to elevate storytelling at Hopkins through partnerships with organizations such as The Moth and Story District, dynamic workshops, StoryLab’s first StorySlam, and collaborations with HopCommNet and DC Improv. Giombetti leads with generosity and a genuine commitment to helping others grow, whether mentoring peers, leading seminars on organizational storytelling, or building resources to support future programming. He is a thoughtful and dedicated student leader who brings vision and energy to everything he does.
Master of Arts in Film and Media
Benjamin Schultz won the Outstanding Capstone Project Award for Screenwriting.
Schultz brings talent, grit, intelligence and kindness to the program. For his Capstone, he crafted a clever, heartfelt, sci-fi, historical “what-if” feature-length screenplay that shakes up expectations. From our recent past, a different future emerges because one fateful moment changed our world and civilization. In this “new” America, a young woman is faced with a clash of old expectations, a battle for humanity’s survival and a possible new path … if she’s brave enough to take it. Writing a good feature is like climbing a mountain. It takes determination, will-power, a sense of purpose and an outright refusal to give up. Schultz consistently does the work to build and add layers to his characters and screenplay.
Tony Yan won the Outstanding Capstone Project Award for Filmmaking.
Yan has an infectious, joyful and artistic personality. He directed, wrote and edited a tender, romantic, engaging and instantly re-watchable music video about the beginning and ending of a romance that he also co-wrote the music for and sings beautifully, making him a quintuple threat.
Conor James won the Outstanding Capstone Project Award for Immersive Storytelling, and Emerging Technologies.
James exceeded all expectations in his work and potential as part of the program’s ISET concentration. He successfully completed not one, but two Capstone projects. On one, he is the only student working with seasoned, award-winning professionals from around the world on an innovative project combining neurotechnology, AI, theater, and film. He’s risen from an intern to a full-fledged programmer and lead cameraman. On the second, he’s reinhabiting and digitally restoring a historic, ethereal, Gothic-style Baltimore landmark through the use of cutting-edge technology, enhanced scanning, 3D modeling, and Web XR techniques. As James states in his Capstone, he is “returning life to (this mysterious structure), and we’ll see what it has to say.” Additionally, James was selected for and served in a competitive internship opportunity at the Sundance Film Festival and is now also composing film scores and exploring new filmmaking techniques. He is a model for stretching the boundaries of film and storytelling possibilities into the future.
Amma Prociuk and Anny Gan were each recognized with Outstanding Student Awards.
Prociuk began as a writing major with limited production skills, but she consistently challenged herself across her time here to become not only familiar with, but knowledgeable and textured in the artistry of filmmaking. She quickly became a key crew member on several experiential film opportunities. Prociuk is the program’s assistant editor on a large documentary project that the program is producing in conjunction with a JHU Guggenheim award-winning historian. She has served as a sound mixer, assistant camera operator, and editor on a number of panels and educational videos that have been filmed for the Deans, the Philosophy department, and across the university. Her work imbues a level of professionalism, dedication to craft, creativity, and talent that one would expect to find in a professional filmmaker and collaborator.
Gan is one of the strongest cinematography students the program has produced. Her focus, determination, technical savvy, and humanity will take her far. Gan has worked on several of key productions across the university and beyond. She consistently raises the game of experienced filmmakers who have had the pleasure of working beside her and seeing first-hand what the next generation has to offer.
Center for Data Analytics, Policy, and Government
Michael Olkin received The Seidman Award for Outstanding Capstone in Public Management for his paper, Rising PUC is Threatening the Viability of Affordable Housing Development. At a time when housing affordability is proving to be one of the most important challenges facing policy thinkers, his paper offers a practical and well thought-out analysis of the problem and a detailed policy response.
Chloe Sisselman received the William F. Clinger, Jr. Award for her thesis, The Climate of the Era: Pre-, During, and Post -Roe Analysis of the Polarization of Abortion, which excels at assessing a topic in institutional or representative government, using original research and displaying superior writing.
Outstanding Thesis in the Area of Presidential Studies
John Steve Bougiamas was recognized for his thesis, The Life Cycle of Presidential Power: Selection, Structure, and the Limits of Executive Authority.
Outstanding Thesis in the Area of Democracy Studies
Virnalisi Velez was recognized for her thesis, The Masculinity Crisis Index: Measuring Demand-side Risk in Democratic Backsliding.
Outstanding Thesis in the Area of Law and Policy
Baily Martin was recognized for her thesis, Legal Gaps in the Digital Age: Free Speech, Drones, and Children’s Privacy.
Outstanding Applications of Research Paper in Public Policy
Kaila Hodge was recognized for her research, Environmental Racism, Housing Policy, and the Future of Equitable Urban Governance.
Outstanding Applications of Research Paper in American Politics
Megan McDonnell was recognized for her research, Between Message and Market: How the Entertainment Industry Impacts Political Storytelling.
Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management
Joanna Green received the Outstanding Capstone Project Award.
For her capstone thesis, Green conducted a qualitative study exploring how nine U.S.-based nonprofit leaders in the international development and assistance subsector navigate external challenges and implement internal solutions to maximize mission impact. Using an inductive approach, a grounded theory emerged indicating that nonprofit leaders’ values and beliefs cultivate organizational cultures of caring that enhance mission impact. Overall, her paper on international nonprofit work speaks to a significant part of the sector that draws on individuals’ faith and values to provide financial and human resources. Her passion for this work, and the research she conducted, is evidenced by the depth of her paper in drawing out commonalities and differences in meaning for the individuals who participated in the interviews.
Master of Arts in Science Writing
Nada Fadul received the David Everett Award for Outstanding Thesis.
Fadul received this award that is given annually to a graduating MA in Science Writing student who is recognized by the faculty as having an outstanding thesis with promising prospects for publication. Fadul’s thesis was selected by faculty for offering a nuanced look at health care in the U.S. – a system she portrays as under increasing strain, despite extraordinary scientific progress. In nominating her for this award, faculty members praised Fadul’s careful reporting and original research, as well as her ability to present “creative, intelligent ideas for solving problems in the world through persuasive, evidence-based, polished prose.”
Zachary Hayes received the Outstanding Student Award.
Hayes drew praise for his strong writing on the biological underpinnings of mental health and for providing generous, comprehensive notes on his fellow students’ work. “He spent a lot of time offering his classmates incredibly thoughtful feedback,” one faculty member wrote, in their nomination. “He’s probably the best critic I’ve ever had.”
Master of Arts in Writing
Emily Clark received the David Everett Award for Outstanding Thesis, Fiction.
The David Everett Award is given annually to a graduating MA in Writing student who is recognized by the faculty as having an outstanding thesis with promising prospects for publication.
Clark’s thesis adviser praised her work, Half-formed Saints, as “one the best, if not the best, I’ve ever had the privilege of engaging with. Can she write! And, it turns out, revise artfully and with tremendous skill – on a level that took me by surprise.” She was commended for her commitment to learning, unfailing work ethic, and open-mindedness. A member of the thesis committee described Clark’s manuscript in these words, “These stories explore spirituality, the transformation of character, and ‘places that border the magical and the mundane’ through a variety of genre lenses – Western, horror, fantasy, fairy tale – pushing beyond the tropes of those genres to arrive at surprising story developments and nuanced conclusions.”
Will Cole received the David Everett Award for Outstanding Thesis, Nonfiction
Cole’s thesis, A Light in Outer Darkness, leapfrogs through “decades, capturing discrete memories of queer experience and denial” as he shares his experiences as a young girl growing up in the Mormon faith, marrying, and having a child before ending his journey as an out trans man. His thesis adviser shared, “I was confident that I was in the hands of a skilled writer who moved seamlessly between scene and summary, who was economical but vivid in his use of language, who understood precisely how much background material he needed to include to orient readers, and who embraced complexity in the messy world of human relationships without trying to tidy things into a moral.”
Christina Bailey received the Outstanding Student Award for Fiction
Bailey was lauded for demonstrating a collegial commitment to the work of her classmates through sharp, insightful feedback letters and mentorship. She also volunteered to organize a student reading and many other aspects of the annual Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference. Her thesis, Imitation Days, wowed a faculty member for “its sheer inventiveness, along with gorgeous prose that leans into figurative language to evoke impossible worlds. The characters are authentic and as real as you and me. The prose is lush and gorgeous, while also being controlled. Her command of how to tell a speculative story is very strong, both when it comes to world building and establishing narrative plausibility.”
Greshen Gaines received the Outstanding Student Award for Nonfiction
Gaines was “consistently insightful when offering feedback to colleagues and also able to hear and incorporate the feedback she received.” Through her thesis, she was seen as a “writer skillfully employing a variety of literary techniques to great effect, presenting essays that – straightforward in their language – were deceptively complicated in their meaning. The deft braiding of various strands created the desired effect of strengthening the whole through the interchange.”
Center for Biotechnology Education
The Patrick Cummings Research Award recognizes students for exceptional research in the field of biotechnology during their graduate studies.
1st Prize
Ava Movahed Abtahi, in the MS in Regenerative and Stem Cell Technologies program, won the First Prize for her research work, Anoctamin 8 (ANO8) as a Molecular Tether Orchestrating Phosphoinositide (PIs) Dynamics and STIM1-Orai1 Ca2+ Signaling at ER/PM Junctions.
Abtahi’s research revealed striking similarity seen between ORP8 and ANO8 and raises the question of whether ANO8 modulates the function of ORP8. That could reveal an entirely new mechanism of phospholipid regulation at ER/PM junctions, going beyond classical tether or transferring models.
2nd Prize
Monalia Sadia Rahman Chowdhury, in the MS in Biotechnology program, won Second Prize for her research work, Nutrient-Based Modulation of Auditory Function, Behavior, and Neurodegeneration in a Mice Model.
Age-related neurodegeneration affects both memory and sensory systems, and hearing dysfunction can act as an early functional indicator of broader neural decline.
Chowdhury’s hypothesis of this project is that a cricket-based intervention, combining dietary exposure with prey directed hunting activity, will increase locomotor activity and exploratory behavior, and may also preserve auditory pathway function and reduce neurodegeneration-related tissue burden. Her research findings suggest that the intervention generates an early and reproducible effect on locomotor and exploratory measures before noticeable changes in cognitive endpoints are detected.
3rd Prize
Sherry Gao, in the MS in Bioinformatics program, won Third Prize for her research work, Mitochondrial transfer from glioblastoma stem-like cells to neurons and immune cells alters tumor microenvironment.
Glioblastoma is the most aggressive primary brain tumor, characterized by profound therapeutic resistance and immune evasion. Glioblastoma stem-like cells drive tumor heterogeneity and create an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, but the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Gao’s research indicates GSC-derived mitochondrial transfer represents a novel mechanism of immune evasion in GBM by promoting M2 macrophage polarization. These findings provide rationale for targeting mitochondrial transfer as a therapeutic strategy to overcome GBM immunosuppression and enhance immunotherapy efficacy.
Master of Science in Financial Economics
Minqi Shu and Fan Ma each received Outstanding Student Awards.
Shu was singled out for this distinction because of her academic performance and intellectual curiosity. She demonstrated strong intuition for concepts and consistently engaged deeply with the material. Her questions during lectures were thoughtful, insightful, and often pushed the discussion beyond the immediate topic, contributing significantly to the intellectual liveliness of the class. Shu was also lauded for the quality of her research, analytical work and coursework where she showcased strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to translate questions into relevant empirical analysis and engage actively with theoretical ideas. These qualities distinguish her as a highly promising young scholar in financial economics.
Ma was recognized for her focus on time series methods, econometrics, and machine learning, especially mixed-frequency frameworks. Her work with the United Nations ESCAP involved real-time nowcasting of export dynamics across Asia and the Pacific. Ma constructed a dataset of over 120 monthly and quarterly indicators across more than 50 economies, combining high-frequency signals with traditional statistics into a balanced panel of over 20,000 observations and extracting reliable signals from fragmented data, with the goal of improving the timeliness and comparability of trade assessments across economies in the region and supporting more consistent regional monitoring where official data are delayed but decisions still need to be made.
Master of Science in Energy Policy and Climate
Christian Tilmann, Aaron Demers, Babatunde Balogun and Raqib Chowdhury each received Outstanding Capstone Project Awards.
Through his research study, Rebuilding Ukraine’s Energy System, Tilmann analyzed the reconstruction of Ukraine’s electricity sector in light of its Soviet legacy, wartime damage, and requirements for EU accession. It argues for a hybrid, decentralized model to replace the centralized, vulnerable pre-war architecture. By integrating renewable energy microgrids and hardened infrastructure, the study outlines a pathway toward both national energy security and alignment with European climate standards.
Through his project, High School Energy Science Course, Demers designed and evaluated a dedicated five-module curriculum for secondary education to address the fragmentation of energy topics in current STEM education. The study found strong perceived educational value and implementation of feasibility among participating educators. By bridging the gap between theoretical physics and real-world policy, the curriculum aims to equip the next generation with the literacy needed to navigate the global energy transition.
Through this research study, Offshore Platform Decommissioning, Balogun investigates strategies for addressing abandoned offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, focusing on transforming these liabilities into opportunities for marine ecosystems or energy repurposing. It explores the “Rigs-to-Reefs” program as a method to enhance biodiversity while reducing the immense financial burden of total removal. Additionally, the study evaluates the potential for converting these aging structures into hubs for carbon capture or offshore wind support.
Through this research study, Electricity Access in Sub-Saharan Africa, Chowdhury examines pathways and policy lessons from Eastern and Southern Africa to accelerate electricity access and infrastructure development. It classifies regional nations into performance tiers, such as “Leaders” and “Laggards,” based on their institutional readiness and financing frameworks. The final analysis recommends utilizing geospatial least-cost planning and regional power pools to achieve universal electrification goals.
Charles McCoull was awarded the Bob Means Scholarship 2025.
McCoull focused his efforts within the Climate Change track after joining the program in Fall 2022. Having successfully completed his core coursework, McCoull integrated his extensive professional and service experience into a comprehensive analysis of climate solutions, ultimately securing the scholarship through a highly competitive application process that highlighted his potential as a future scholar-practitioner.
Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Policy
Christopher Clark, Shane Kaupalolo, and Madeline Musante each received Outstanding Capstone Project Awards.
Through his research study, Rainwater Capture & Flood Resilience, Clark uses GIS mapping to develop flood- and disaster-resilience strategies in the Swannanoa River Watershed by enhancing rainwater capture techniques. By identifying high-risk runoff zones, the research proposes a network of green infrastructure designed to mitigate the impact of extreme precipitation events. The findings suggest that localized capture not only reduces downstream flooding but also enhances regional water security during droughts.
In this research study, Spatial Drivers of Wildfire in Maui, Kaupalolo assesses the spatial and topographical factors driving wildfire occurrences within Maui’s Wildland Urban Interface to improve local fire mitigation. Based on an analysis of 797 fire incidents, the study found that human proximity is a significantly stronger predictor of ignition than natural terrain features. Consequently, the project advocates for a shift toward dynamic, policy-informed zoning and vegetation management to protect critical infrastructure.
In this project, Debt-for-Nature Swaps, Musante provides a comprehensive review of U.S.-funded financial mechanisms used for international conservation of tropical forests and coral reefs. It evaluates how debt relief can be leveraged to secure long-term environmental commitments from developing nations facing economic distress. The study concludes with a framework for optimizing these swaps to ensure that financial gains directly translate into measurable biodiversity protection.
Andrés Beibe and Ayatalla Ali each received Outstanding Student Awards.
An international student from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Beibe has become one of the program’s most distinguished ambassadors on the global stage as a leader who moves fluidly between science and policy, and between local action and global consequence. A champion of resilient agriculture at a moment when climate extremes and food security have never been more urgent, he has operated at the highest levels of science, strategy, and policy across multiple continents. He has participated in UN negotiations on the Rotterdam Convention, played a pivotal role in the passage of a landmark peatlands law in Chile, and led the creation of the Agribusiness Working Group at the U.S.-Argentina Chamber of Commerce, all while serving on the boards of two major trade associations. Beibe previously founded a nonprofit focused on youth civic engagement, launched a farm-to-fork poultry company, and established an agricultural policy think tank.
Ali brought a depth of experience, technical expertise, and personal resilience to the program. Raised in Sudan, she shared her compelling accounts of growing up as a woman in science an experience that has shaped both her career choices and the conviction with which she pursues them. With a strong academic record, advanced technical skills in Fortran and AutoCAD, and several years of leadership in water project management, she has built a career at the intersection of engineering and environmental stewardship. Her commitment extends beyond the professional realm as she volunteers with the Food Bank in Toronto, is actively engaged in environmental science and engineering organizations, and began her work with a charitable organization as a volunteer before being quickly promoted to staff, a trajectory her recommenders describe with consistent admiration. Collaborative, dedicated, and deeply purposeful, Ali is a true leader.
Master of Science in Geographic Information Systems
Irene Jazowick and Mallory Box each received the Outstanding Student Awards.
Jazowick has demonstrated exceptional scholarly promise throughout her tenure in the GIS program, distinguished not by the ease with which she navigated its demands, but by the intellectual rigor and intentionality she brought to every challenge. Her dedication, generosity of mind, and technical acuity placed her consistently above her peers and qualities that manifested most visibly in her capacity to engage with complexity rather than circumvent it. This disposition is perhaps best evidenced by her final GIS project for Emergency Management, the Washington County Emergency Response Geospatial Hub. It is a work of considerable sophistication that is at once technically precise, practically consequential, and executed with a degree of care rarely seen at this stage of professional development. Her contributions to seminar discourse were equally distinguished where she participated with consistency and depth, advancing conversations in ways that enriched the learning environment for her colleagues. What sets Jazowick apart, however, is the deliberateness with which she approaches her own development. She receives critical feedback not as a formality, but as an instrument of growth and returning to subsequent work with demonstrable and measurable improvement in both her cartographic and capstone outputs.
Box has distinguished herself as a student of exceptional promise. Arriving with an undergraduate foundation in international relations, she demonstrated an immediate and instinctive affinity for the intersection of spatial analysis and environmental inquiry – a disposition so evident in her first course, Environmental Applications of GIS, that she promptly pursued degrees in both ESP and GIS. What sets Box apart is the rare combination of meticulous attention to data detail and a deep, animating passion for avian ecology, qualities that have enriched both programs and brought a distinctive perspective to her scholarly work. She approaches every endeavor with a sense of responsibility and drive that is exceptional among her peers, consistently setting a standard of commitment and follow-through that reflects the highest ideals of graduate study. She is precisely the kind of intellectually curious, purpose-driven scholar that these programs are designed to cultivate, and she is most deserving of this recognition.
Master of Science in Intelligence Analysis
Sofia Flynn and Lloyd Kersey were the recipients of Outstanding Capstone Awards.
Flynn’s capstone paper, On the Dawn of Quantum, Strategic Readiness for the Post-Quantum Era, sought to answer whether the U.S. Intelligence Community is prepared for the cryptographic implications of a large-scale computing breakthrough. Flynn’s paper on this challenging topic stood out for its detailed research, close reading of government documents, clear writing, and sound reasoning. She communicated her findings on this difficult technical topic with great skill. Always open to constructive criticism and suggestions, she also took pains to make corrections to various drafts to improve her work. The results were an outstanding capstone paper, which will serve as an exemplar for other students.
Kersey’s capstone paper, The Impact of Unmanned Aerial Systems in Large Scale Combat Operations, sought to address how an emerging technology is reshaping combat operations and how military institutions need to adjust to this reality. Kersey’s paper on this challenging topic stood out for its deft use of case studies, its rigorous research, and clear and direct writing. The paper offered sound recommendations on how the U.S. Army can assimilate the new technology into its operational practices. Throughout the capstone process, Kersey demonstrated a remarkable receptivity to brainstorm new ideas, share his draft with colleagues, and make important revisions. The results were an exemplary capstone paper.
Order of the Sword and Shield
The following students earned induction in the Order of the Sword and Shield:
Nathan Andersen, Andrew Azadan, Jessica Barnes, Andrew Check, Nicholas Klinger, Noora al Naqadan, Gabriela Rodriguez, Ishaan Sandhu, Liam Torrey and Dored Shiba
Master of Science in Organizational Leadership
Outstanding Capstone Award
The Outstanding Capstone Award is presented to Bevin Burns for her capstone project, Only One Throne? The Generational Dynamics Behind Women’s Competition and Collaboration at Work.
Through an original eight-part podcast series grounded in leadership theory, systems thinking, ethical leadership, and qualitative inquiry, Burns explored how women across generations experience competition, collaboration, and leadership in organizational life. Drawing from interviews with women across diverse professional and cultural backgrounds, the project challenged simplistic narratives surrounding women’s workplace dynamics and illuminated the structural and cultural forces shaping leadership experiences across generations. Distinguished by both intellectual rigor and creative public engagement, the capstone transformed scholarly inquiry into a meaningful contribution extending beyond the classroom. Her work exemplifies the program’s commitment to leadership learning that is analytically rigorous, ethically reflective, and deeply connected to lived human experience.
AGLSP National Honor Society
The following Master of Liberal Arts program students earned induction in the AGLSP National Honor Society:
Diane Christine Beck, Leanna Darling, Kristen Lawless, Alexander Loring Redd, Adrianne Morales, Jolisa Porter-Lasseter, Yvonne Rieckhoff and Travon Wiliams