Awards & Honors

University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship Award

University of Florida Research Foundation (UFRF) Professorships are awarded to tenured faculty members who have a distinguished current record of research. The purpose of these awards is to recognize recent contributions and to provide incentives for continued excellence in research.

Note: no awards were given in 2021 and 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

UF Medical Guild Research Symposium

The Medical Guild Graduate Research Award was established in 1975.  During this competition a senior level graduate student from each of the biomedical science areas of concentration presents his or her research.  A panel of biomedical science faculty members determines the ranking of the gold, silver, and bronze awards and how the money will be distributed.

To learn more about these awards please visit the Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences website.

Boyce Award

The Boyce Award honors Wanda and Richard Boyce for their dedication to graduate education. Mrs. Wanda Boyce strived to recognize the singular importance of graduate education by supporting the Medical Guild’s research competition and by instituting the graduate student loan program. Professor Richard Boyce devoted his entire career to the education and training of graduate students, and also enriched the lives of young scientists through his service as Biochemistry and Molecular Biology graduate coordinator. The names of all of the Boyce Award winners are inscribed on a plaque which is on permanent display in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Academic Research Building.

Dr. Mavis Agbandje-McKenna Distinguished Research Mentoring Award

Named after the late Dr. Mavis Agbandja-McKenna who was a dedicated mentor and teacher, this was acknowledges the impact of research mentors and their critical role in creating a culture of resilience, career advancement and success in the College of Medicine.

Dr. Mavis Agbandje-McKenna Undergraduate Poster Award

This award is named after the late Dr. Mavis Agbandje-McKenna, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry whose world-renowned work on the structure of viruses led to advances in gene therapy treatments for a variety of diseases. Dr. Agbandje-McKenna was a strong advocate for promoting diversity in science and extremely passionate about training the next generation of scientists. Her commitment to mentoring undergraduate researchers was felt throughout the Department and the College of Medicine.

The BMB Undergraduate Poster Symposium was an event that Dr. Agbandje-McKenna always looked forward to, and we are honored to remember her legacy through this award. The recipient of the Dr. Mavis Agbandje-McKenna Undergraduate Poster Award will receive a cash prize funded by the Mavis Agbandje-McKenna, Ph.D., Scholarship Fund. Additionally, the recipient’s name will be inscribed on a trophy which will be on permanent display in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Academic Research Building.