Each year, the MCB department presents several awards to graduating senior students at the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony. Many of these awards are based on a high level of participation in research as well as having a good standing in the major. As honors program participants, you are encouraged to declare your candidacy for these awards.

To be eligible for the departmental awards, please have your PI write a letter of recommendation on your behalf, speaking about your contributions to the lab and your overall character, work ethic or any other notable qualities that you embody. Please have your PI write the letter for a generic departmental undergraduate award rather than a specific award since the faculty on the awards committees will select the winners as they see fit based on the letter, research quality, and academic standing.

Winners for each of the awards will be based on

• letter of recommendation,
• your academic standing in the major (MCB progress report), and
• your presentation at either the symposium and/or the poster session.

If you would like to be considered for a departmental award, you must present your research at an MCB event.

STUDENTS IN BMB & GGD: The students who present at the divisional symposium will be strongly considered over those who present at the poster session, as the symposium gives each candidate a more in-depth opportunity to talk about his/her research.

STUDENTS WHO COMPLETE H196B IN THE FALL: Students who complete the honors program in the fall semester (ie, participate in the MCB Fall Honors Poster Session and submit a thesis) are eligible for select awards in the following spring semester.

More information regarding the individual departmental awards can be found here.

If you would like to declare your candidacy for the departmental awards [again, not in any specific category], please have your PI send the letter of recommendation to:

Or, you may bring the letter into the UAO yourself in a sealed envelope with your PI’s signature on the seal. The letters may be addressed to the Undergraduate Awards Committee.

We will also accept an email from your PI with a .pdf attachment of their letter. They can email their letters to Clara at cngquinn@berkeley.edu.

Please check the honors timeline webpage for the most current deadline for nomination letters.