2026 KU microbiology graduate Lauren Reimer awarded KU Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship
LAWRENCE — Lauren Reimer, a 2026 University of Kansas graduate in microbiology, is the winner of this year’s James Blackiston Memorial Graduate Fellowship from the KU chapter of Phi Kappa Phi.
Reimer, of Carrollton, Missouri, won $1,500 and is the chapter’s nominee for a national Phi Kappa Phi fellowship.
While pursuing her degree and maintaining a 4.0 GPA, Reimer worked as a peer tutor supporting fellow students in STEM disciplines and as a medical scribe, gaining firsthand experience in clinical settings. She volunteered extensively at LMH Health, including the Cancer Center, and spent significant time shadowing physicians, deepening her understanding of patient care.
“Lauren’s research experience reflects both persistence and intellectual curiosity,” said Lisa Wolf-Wendel, associate dean for research and graduate studies and Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor in the School of Education & Human Sciences, and president of KU’s Phi Kappa Phi chapter.
While presenting the award to Reimer at a ceremony in May, Wolf-Wendel praised Reimer’s perseverance through challenges in lab projects.
“She continued refining her methods through multiple setbacks, ultimately identifying bacterial isolates capable of inhibiting biofilm formation and presenting her findings. This determination is characteristic of her approach to scholarship more broadly,” Wolf-Wendel said.
Reimer also served as an events coordinator for the KU chapter of the American Medical Women’s Association, led a college Bible study and contributed to musical ensembles including the KU Treble Choir.
Reimer will attend the KU School of Medicine, where she will pursue her M.D.
About the Blackiston Fellowship
The Blackiston Fellowship was created to honor the memory of James Blackiston, a graduate student in the Department of Linguistics and an instructor in the Intensive English Center, now the Applied English Center, at KU. He graduated from Michigan State University, where he was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi. In 1975, Blackiston played a key role in the formation and activation of the KU chapter of Phi Kappa Phi.
The Blackiston Fellowship recipient becomes the KU chapter’s nominee for one of nearly 60 fellowships from Phi Kappa Phi with values from $5,000 to $15,000. These national fellowships provide assistance to students during their first year of postgraduate study.
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines. More than 100,000 members maintain their active status in Phi Kappa Phi, which offers them numerous benefits as dues-paying members including access to $1.4 million in awards and grants each biennium.