The Honors College is pleased to announce that Natalie Donato has been named the recipient of the 2025 Joe Hendricks Honors College Scholarship for Academic Excellence. Carley Beeman, Alexandra Egan, Kaitlyn Kim, Max Libmann and Cassidy Ochoa have been named runners-up for this prestigious annual award.
Established by alumni and friends to honor Joe Hendricks, the founding dean of the Honors College, this faculty-nominated scholarship recognizes outstanding honors students for their academic achievements, undergraduate research and campus engagement. Natalie received a $2,500 scholarship award. Each of the runners-up received a $500 award.
Natalie Donato has been passionate about marine science since she was a toddler. "My parents took me to the Monterey Bay Aquarium when I was two, and from then on, this love for marine science kind of took off," she says.
Now a third-year marine biology and ecology major with a minor in biological data science, Natalie is actively engaged in interdisciplinary research that combines her interests in marine life and technology. In the Chapple Big Fish Lab at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon, led by fisheries ecologist Dr. Taylor Chapple, she is investigating shark electroreceptor pore distributions using 3D modeling techniques. Her goal is to develop a noninvasive method for mapping these sensory organs, a project that has become the focus of her Honors thesis.
Natalie’s interest in electroreception began with her URSA project on how skates respond to electromagnetic and geomagnetic fields. "Seeing patterns in their behavior sparked a curiosity to dig deeper," she says. "This led to a drive to rethink and improve traditional data collection methods, aiming for greater efficiency and sustainability."
Natalie commutes to Hatfield several times a week and has worked in the lab since her first year at OSU. She also contributes to intertidal conservation through her involvement with Haystack Rock Awareness Program in Cannon Beach, Oregon.
In addition to her scientific pursuits, Natalie is a committed artist. "I grew up being told that I had to choose art or science, but I found that I could do both here at OSU," she says. As a PRAx Art-Sci Fellow and Goldwater Scholar, she has created works that bridge her dual passions. Concurrently, Natalie is illustrating a poster of Oregon sharks in collaboration with Oregon Sea Grant, and she created a design featuring three native shark species for Oregon’s Vibrant Ocean license plate, which was selected through a statewide submission process and is now in the voucher sales phase — once 3,000 vouchers are sold, the plate will become an official DMV offering. Proceeds from future plate sales will support research and outreach efforts at OSU’s Big Fish Lab.
Donato credits her mentor, Dr. Taylor Chapple, a professor of fisheries and wildlife, with helping her see the full potential of blending science and art. “Taylor has advocated for my art and supported me this whole time,” she says. “He’s the person who kickstarted the opportunities to use my art to communicate my science and vice versa — bringing together what often seem like two distant worlds.”
Under Chapple’s guidance in the Big Fish Lab, Donato has deepened her understanding of scientific research while continuing to grow as a science communicator and conservation advocate. “Working with Taylor has shown me that my dual interests don’t have to be in conflict,” she says. “It became a dual career — being both an interdisciplinary scientist and an artist.”
When Natalie learned she had received the Hendricks Scholarship, she was shocked. "I didn’t even know the scholarship existed," she says. "I am thankful not just for the recognition, but also for the chance to showcase the work that Taylor has impacted."
After graduation, Natalie hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in marine science, with a focus on sensory biology or physiology in large marine fish. She also hopes to become a professor one day. "We can’t reduce human impact to zero," she says, "but we can increase human coexistence with sharks and their ecosystems."
Runner up Carley Beeman is a fourth-year chemistry major with a biochemistry focus and a biology minor. A dedicated student-athlete, she has competed on the OSU women’s gymnastics team for four years, where she also served in leadership roles. “I spent three years on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, representing my team as a first-year student and serving as the OSU liaison in my second year,” she says. “It was a meaningful way to advocate for student-athletes.”
Carley also conducts breast cancer research in Dr. Siva Kolluri’s lab in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology. Drawn to cancer research due to its impact on those around her, she says, “I thought it was impactful that I could apply knowledge in something I was passionate about... Reaching out to Dr. Siva was helpful because he was incredibly receptive and welcoming. I have really enjoyed learning from him.”
Her Honors thesis branches off her lab work and is titled Investigation of the Anti-Cancer Effects of Imidazopyridine Compounds in Human Breast Cancer Cells. “The focus of my research is on triple-negative breast cancer, a particularly aggressive subtype of breast cancer with limited treatment options,” she explains. “I’ve been studying three novel imidazopyridine compounds to assess their ability to induce cell death in these cancer cells.”
Carley says one of the most rewarding parts of her research was navigating challenges in the lab. “When things got challenging, I found a way to make it work and get results I could interpret.”
She credits the Honors College for helping her clarify her path. “Being an honors student was a really positive experience. It helped me figure out what I want to do post-grad.”
Carley is headed to the University of Michigan this fall to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical science with a focus in pharmacology. When she found out she was a runner-up for the Joe Hendricks Scholarship for Academic Excellence, she felt “grateful and honored,” saying the award “gave me a lift financially and also an opportunity to explore and engage in other possibilities.”
For Lex Egan, being named a runner-up for the Hendricks Scholarship came as a surprise—and a meaningful one. “I’m part of a very big lab, so I was surprised that my mentor chose to highlight me,” she says. A fourth-year biology major on the pre-dental track, Lex was one of the few non-psychology students in Dr. Regan Gurung’s Applied Social Cognition Lab. “I wanted to diversify my studies and knowledge during undergrad, and research in a psychology lab gave me that opportunity,” she explains.
Lex was introduced to research through URSA, an undergraduate research training program at OSU. “I joined the Honors College having never done research before, so URSA was the first introduction into research for me,” she says. She found her entry point through Dr. Gurung’s work. “Perception psychology was what initially really drew me in,” she says. That interest continued into her thesis, Examining the Consequences of Amplification: Objectification, Self-Presentations, and Impression Formation, which included both scale development and experimental components. In the first part, she helped create a scale measuring femininity in dress and explored how it correlated with body image, self-esteem and mental health. The second part investigated how participants perceived people based on more amplified or muted styles of feminine dress. “Those dressed more femininely were seen as more approachable, fit and healthy, while muted dressers were perceived as more hardworking. Intelligence ratings were equal across the board,” she notes.
Lex recently presented her thesis at the Western Psychological Association Conference in Las Vegas — an experience she calls her “final hurrah” before graduation. Reflecting on her journey, she says, “adapting to new scientific methods and software for psychological data analysis was a challenge as a biology major, especially since these were skills I had to learn outside of class.”
This summer, Lex will begin dental school at Oregon Health & Science University. Looking back, she says, “Being nominated for this scholarship is an honor! This was the first time I’ve ever been nominated for something like this. It means a lot.”
Fourth-year biochemistry and molecular biology student Kaitlyn Kim is no stranger to the Hendricks Scholarship. Last year’s recipient, she was sitting next to her thesis mentor, Dr. Kathy Magnusson, at a conference when she received the news. “It was really sweet to share that moment with her,” she reflected at the time. “I view it as sort of a joint award.”
This year, Kaitlyn was honored again — this time as a runner-up. “Last year’s nomination was rooted in my work in the lab with Dr. Magnusson,” she says. “This year, Dr. Courtney Campbell nominated me after taking his biomedical ethics course. It reflects another side of me as a student.” The recognition, she adds, “felt immensely gratifying in a different way.”
Kaitlyn’s Honors thesis, conducted in the Linus Pauling Institute with Dr. Magnusson, investigates early sleep alterations in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model. “We focused on optimizing accurate, non-invasive methods to analyze animal behavior,” she explains. The project stemmed from a collaboration they first proposed more than two years ago.
Outside the lab, Kaitlyn has been just as intentional in creating impact. She founded Students for Health Humanities (SHH), a club that brings together students interested in health care, ethics, the arts and community well-being. “Balancing everything was challenging at times,” she says. “But I stayed committed because I believed in its mission and wanted it to make a lasting impact beyond my time at OSU.”
She also serves as a Teaching Assistant and Academic Learning Assistant, supporting peers in foundational science courses and hosting academic workshops in the residence halls. “I love having an active role in students’ lives,” she says. “Watching them discover their passion or grow in confidence is what motivates me.”
In Dr. Campbell’s biomedical ethics course, Kaitlyn found space for reflection. “He made me feel like I could do it. Like I could shake things up,” she says. That encouragement helped her imagine new ways to unite her interests across science and the humanities.
“I’ve always tried to be present and engaged in all areas of my college life,” Kaitlyn shares. “To be recognized for that twice is incredibly meaningful.”
For third-year student Max Libmann, science and community go hand in hand. “Being around people you respect makes everything more encouraging,” he says. “You see someone and think, ‘we’re both doing this together.’” That sense of shared purpose has shaped his experience as a researcher, leader and pre-med student at OSU.
A biochemistry and molecular biology major with a minor in biological data sciences, Max has spent the last three years in Dr. Bo Sun’s biophysics lab, studying the physics of cancer invasion. His honors thesis focuses on how tumor-like structures move through 3D environments that simulate human tissue. “We’re trying to model how cancer invades the surrounding area,” he says. “It’s a long process, but I’m close to finishing data collection.”
Max first encountered research in high school and has focused on cancer studies ever since. “It’s one of the leading diseases humanity faces, and scientifically, it’s fascinating. It brings together so many complex ideas,” he says.
Outside the lab, Max leads the Biochemistry Club as president, organizing panels, professional development events and outreach activities. “Before this, I was the volunteer coordinator — working with OSU events and doing STEM activities with elementary students,” he says.
When he learned he’d been nominated for the Hendricks Scholarship by his PI, it made him “happy to know he believed I was doing a good job,” Max says. “Being a runner-up in a pool of people I really admire means a lot. Last year, the Biochemistry Club president before me was named the 2024 Hendricks Scholar. I really admire them, so it’s cool to now be part of that same conversation.”
After graduation, Max plans to apply to medical school and continue his research. “I’ve come to really enjoy the process of contributing to a body of knowledge,” he says. “It’s something I want to carry with me.”
Cassidy Ochoa, a fourth-year climate science major with a writing minor, was ecstatic to learn she’d been named a runner-up. “I was in my office when I found out my advisor nominated me, and I felt so grateful” she says. “My family was really excited to hear the news, too.”
Cassidy’s academic path reflects a deep commitment to interdisciplinary thinking. With support from mentors Andrea Jenney in the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences and Karen Holmberg in the School of Writing, Literature and Film, Cassidy found a way to combine her scientific and creative interests in her Honors College thesis, Weathermakers. The two-part project includes an analysis of G1 sunshade scenarios —orbital mirrors designed to cool the planet — and a speculative novella inspired by her research, set in a city ruled by weather-making machines.
She says the most difficult part of the thesis process was working through the data analysis for the climate science portion of her project. “I was trying to learn and figure it out as I went,” Cassidy says. “But Andrea was super helpful — she was even troubleshooting her own challenges toward the end, so it felt like we were working through it together.”
Alongside the technical work, Cassidy was also writing Weathermakers, a science fiction novella "created to bring awareness to geoengineering since it's a controversial topic,” says Cassidy. Her storytelling draws inspiration from Andy Weir’s The Martian. “It was the book that was circling around my head when I was writing,” Cassidy explains. “I wanted my novella to feel accessible to a wide audience, so the story is only 30–40 pages. I didn’t want to intimidate certain audiences who feel swayed away from longer material.” She says, “finally seeing the book in print was very rewarding."
Outside the classroom, Cassidy has been involved in student leadership since her first year. She currently serves as president of the Residence Hall Association (RHA) and as vice president of recognition for the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH). She’s also a member of the American Meteorological Society, where she continues to explore her interest in weather prediction and forecasting.
After graduation, Cassidy will intern at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, working on water resource modeling for humanitarian aid through the GEM Fellowship. She’s also been accepted to the University at Albany’s Ph.D. program in climate science, where she’ll focus on extreme weather in South America as part of Dr. Mathias Vuille’s research group. “I am particularly interested in regions surrounding the Andes Mountains,” she says. Long term, she hopes to work with the United Nations on climate science and global policy.
Congratulations to all recipients!
By HC Student Writer Mandy Eng