Raymond H. Berner Graduate School Scholarship Program in Molecular Biosciences

Raymond H. Berner was born in November 1913 in Chicago, Illinois and moved west after World War II where he worked as a quality control inspector for the aircraft/aerospace industry then retired at an early age. He spent 25 years of his life as a resident of Douglas County and Carson City, Nevada and died on March 12, 2004 at the age of 90. Ray was cognizant of the need for higher education and upon the death of his wife Margaret in December 2015, the Berner Trusts were distributed equally to four institutions to endow perpetual funds in his name to provide grants-in-aid to graduate and undergraduate students. The University of Nevada, Reno Foundation, Northwestern University, the University of California, Berkeley Foundation and the University of Illinois Foundation are the grateful beneficiaries.

The Raymond H. Berner graduate scholarship provides educational funding to students in three programs within the Molecular Biosciences graduate programs; graduate programs and the Integrated Neuroscience Program. To nominate a student, please contact the graduate program director.

To be eligible for this scholarship program, students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Current/continuing students must have completed the annual general scholarship application. It is available in the supplemental forms section of students' MyNEVADA accounts. In order to be eligible, students nominated for a Berner Scholarship must have been admitted to their program without an exception-to-policy (e.g., due to a low GPA).

2025-2026 Raymond H. Berner Scholarship winners

  • Abhimanyu Sharma - Biochemistry, Ph.D.
  • Abhishek Amlesh Kumar - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Alexander R. Delgado - Neuroscience, Ph.D.
  • Andrew James Goffinet - Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology, Ph.D.
  • Arianna Lentini - Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology, Ph.D.
  • Aspen Claire Easter - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Axel Munoz - Cellular Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Ph.D.
  • Benjamin Howard Brittain - Cellular Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Ph.D.
  • Bibek Aryal - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Chloe Collier-Allen - Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology, Ph.D.
  • Cody J. Cris - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Corina A. Mathews - Sanchez - Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology, Ph.D.
  • Dayton Alexander Morris - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Emer Ni Bhraonain - Cellular Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Ph.D.
  • Emily Brewer - Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology, Ph.D.
  • Farideh Razmjoo - Animal and Rangeland Sciences, M.S.
  • Gretchen Berg - Biochemistry, Ph.D.
  • Irene Louise Richardson - Biochemistry, Ph.D.
  • Isaac Hinne - Biochemistry, Ph.D.
  • Ismam Ahmed Protic - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Jacob L. Dayton - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Jaiden Cloud Christopher - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Jennifer Lynn Stevens - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Joshua Dylan Sisco - Neuroscience, Ph.D.
  • Kassadee Herring - Cellular Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Ph.D.
  • Katherine Anne Johnson - Ecology, Evolution & Conservation, Ph.D.
  • Katherine Izzat Gabrie - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Laura Miranda Estevez - Biochemistry, Ph.D.
  • Lauren Linnea Parker - Cellular Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Ph.D.
  • Lauryn Massic - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Madhusudan Manjunatha - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Maria Paula Cedeno Guzman - Cellular Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Ph.D.
  • Maryam Barancheshmeh - Cellular Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Ph.D.
  • Matthew John Bolino - Biochemistry, Ph.D.
  • Mavis Esaawa Turkson - Biochemistry, Ph.D.
  • Mst Salma Akther - Biochemistry, Ph.D.
  • Nathan Warren King - Biochemistry, Ph.D.
  • Nikhil Bhoumik - Chemistry, Ph.D.
  • Noa Alexis Ratia - Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology, Ph.D.
  • Nycolin Ninni - Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology, Ph.D.
  • Ramin Lashanizadegan - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Ryan James Gustafson - Medicine, M.D.
  • Sandra Nyarko - Cellular Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Ph.D.
  • Seamus Michael Caslin - Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology, Ph.D.
  • Sei Kim - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Shaun Martin Suranowitz - Medicine, M.D.
  • Simindokht Aliabadi - Cellular Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Ph.D.
  • Sophia Dorothy Babish - Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology, Ph.D.
  • Sreyashi Paul - Cellular Molecular Biology, Ph.D.
  • Sridhar Lanka - Materials Science and Engineering, Ph.D.
  • Swati Khandual - Neuroscience, Ph.D.
  • Travis Nielsen - History, Ph.D.
  • Trevor Lewis - Biochemistry, Ph.D.
  • William Anthony Larkin Van Loon - English, MFA

Previous Raymond H. Berner Scholarship awardees