Three MCB students compete in the College of Science Graduate Awards
(from left:) Alexis Garbarczyk, Chance Parkinson, and Ryan Hecksel with MCB Department Head Ryan Gutenkunst
Alexis Garbarczyk, Ryan Hecksel, and Chance Parkinson received Graduate Student Awards in the MCB Department. They were honored at a reception on April 23 and are now in the running for the College of Science Awards.
Alexis Garbarczyk received the Graduate Student Service Award. She volunteered to serve as a Small Group Co-Leader for the University of Arizona Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP) in the summer of 2025. These are graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who interact closely with and mentor a group of 10-12 UBRP students throughout the summer. They meet weekly with their assigned group and co-lead workshops every other week. Before she was a UBRP Small Group Co-Leader, Alexis had already been a volunteer at Meet MCB!, a grand award judge at the SARSEF high school science fair, and a teaching assistant for the Molecular Basis of Life course.
Ryan Hecksel received the Graduate Student Award for Teaching. Ryan has twice been a Teaching Assistant for the course MCB 425 Cancer Discoveries, taught by Joyce Schroeder and solely based on journal articles in cancer; basic science, preclinical therapeutic development, and clinical trials. In the summer terms of 2025 and 2026, Ryan has taken on the role of being the primary instructor for MCB 301 Molecular Basis of Life (online). Additionally, Ryan has mentored undergraduates in the lab, which includes teaching hands-on skills and experimental planning and interpretation.
Chance Parkinson received the Outstanding Scholarship Award. Chance is on track to complete his PhD this summer. His PhD project is on the regulation of transcription factors in response to H2O2 stress in human cells. Outside the lab, Chance has volunteered twice over the summer to help members of the US Army transition from the military to the university as part of the Warrior-Scholar project. He also volunteered to organize an annual Biology Retreat spanning five Biology departments at the University. Chance’s long term career goal is to become a research faculty member.