Astronomy Department Awards
Fred T. Goetting, Jr. Memorial Endowed Presidential Fellowship
The Goetting recognizes a student for outstanding service to the Department of Astronomy, usually for excellence in teaching.
Goetting Award Winners
| Year | Recipient |
| 2024-2025 | Oscar Chavez Ortiz |
| 2023-2024 | Melanie Rowland |
| 2022-2023 | Catherine Manea |
| 2021-2022 | Quang Tran |
| 2020-2021 | Danny Krolikowski |
| 2019-2020 | Andreia Carrillo |
| 2018-2019 | Sinclaire Manning |
| 2017-2018 | Raquel Martinez |
| 2016-2017 | Yao-Lun Yang |
| 2015-2016 | n/a |
| 2013-2014 | Erik Brugamyer |
| 2012-2013 | Rodolfo Santana |
| 2011-2012 | Chalence Safranek-Shrader & JJ Hermes |
| 2010-2011 | Irina Marinova & Jeremy Murphy |
| 2009-2010 | Guillermo Blanc |
| 2008-2009 | Joshua Adams |
| 2007-2008 | Sarah Salviander & Shadrian Strong |
| 2006-2007 | Amy Forestell |
| 2005-2006 | Claudia Knez |
| 2004-2005 | Julia Silge & Joe Tufts |
| 2003-2004 | Marsha Wolf & Erin McMahon |
| 2002-2003 | Nairn Baliber & Joe Tufts |
| 2001-2002 | Pamela Gay |
| 2000-2001 | Yancy Shirley |
| 1999-2000 | Pamela Gay |
| 1998-1999 | Marcel Bergman |
David Alan Benfield Memorial Fellowship in Astronomy
Recognizes outstanding research by a senior graduate student.
Benfield Award Winners
| Year | Recipient |
| 2024-2025 | Kyle Franson |
| 2023-2024 | Ronan Kerr |
| 2022-2023 | Tyler Nelson |
| 2021-2022 | Jessica Luna & Rebecca Larson |
| 2020-2021 | Duo Xu |
| 2019-2020 | Briana Indahl |
| 2018-2019 | Ben Kidder |
| 2017-2018 | Tsz Ho "Benny" Tsang |
| 2016-2017 | Wenbin Lu |
| 2015-2016 | Marshall Johnson |
| 2014-2015 | Michael-Gully Santiago |
| 2013-2014 | JJ Hermes |
| 2012-2013 | Manos Chatzopoulos |
| 2011-2012 | Jeremy Murphy |
| 2010-2011 | Guillermo Blanc |
| 2009-2010 | Donghui Jeong |
| 2008-2009 | David Fisher and Jarrett Johnson |
| 2007-2008 | Ivan Ramirez |
| 2006-2007 | Lucas Cieza |
| 2005-2006 | Nick Sterling |
| 2004-2005 | Mukremin Kilic |
| 2003-2004 | Jeong-Eun Lee |
| 2002-2003 | Anjum Mukadam and David Yong |
| 2001-2002 | n/a |
| 2000-2001 | Yancy Shirley |
| 1999-2000 | Inese Ivans |
Frank N. Edmonds, Jr. Memorial Fellowship in Astronomy
Given to a second- or third-year student who shows strong promise in research.
Edmonds Award Winners
| Year | Recipient |
| 2024-2025 | Hollis Akins |
| 2023-2024 | Marvin Morgan |
| 2022-2023 | Olivia Cooper |
| 2021-2022 | Kyle Franson |
| 2020-2021 | Ronan Kerr |
| 2019-2020 | Maddie Lucey |
| 2018-2019 | Taha Dawoodbhoy |
| 2017-2018 | Duo Xu |
| 2016-2017 | Sam Factor |
| 2015-2016 | Raquel Martinez and Wenbin Lu |
| 2014-2015 | Yi-Kuan Chiang |
| 2013-2014 | Marshall Johnson |
| 2012-2013 | Mimi Song |
| 2011-2012 | Paul Robertson |
| 2010-2011 | Manos Chatzopoulos |
| 2009-2010 | Jeremy Murphy |
| 2008-2009 | Donghui Jeong and Irina Marinova |
| 2007-2008 | Jarrett Johnson |
| 2006-2007 | Ivan Ramirez |
| 2005-2006 | Marcelo Alvarez |
| 2004-2005 | Lucas Cieza |
| 2003-2004 | Nick Sterling |
| 2002-2003 | Shizuka Akiyama |
| 2001-2002 | n/a |
| 2000-2001 | Greg Doppman |
| 1999-2000 | Inese Ivans |
| 1998-1999 | Juntao Yuan |
Board of Visitors Graduate Student Second Year Research Defense Award
Given in recognition for an outstanding Second-Year defense of research to date.
Second Year Research Defense Award Winners
| Year | Recipient |
| 2024-2025 | Lillian Jiang |
| 2023-2024 | Laurel Weiss |
| 2022-2023 | Olivia Cooper |
| 2021-2022 | Kyle Franson |
| 2020-2021 | Quang Tran |
| 2019-2020 | Tyler Nelson |
| 2018-2019 | Patrick Drew |
| 2017-2018 | Sam Factor and Sydney Sherman |
| 2016-2017 | Raquel Martinez and Ben Kidder |
| 2015-2016 | Wenbin Lu |
| 2014-2015 | Jeremy Ritter |
| 2012-2013 | Yi-Kuan Chiang |
| 2011-2012 | Hyunbae Park |
| 2010-2011 | Taylor Chonis |
| 2009-2010 | Manos Chatsopoulos Chalence Safranek-Shrader Erik Brugamyer |
| 2007-2008 | Guillermo Blanc and Sean Couch |
| 2006-2007 | Donghui Jeong |
| 2005-2006 | Mike Dunham Jarrett Johnson David Fisher |
| 2004-2005 | Ivan Ramirez |
| 2003-2004 | Lucas Cieza |
| 2002-2003 | David Smith |
| 2001-2002 | Jeong-Eun Lee |
| 2000-2001 | Jasmina Marsh |
Beatrice M. Tinsley Endowed Graduate Fellowship
Tinsley Award Winners
|
J. Craig Wheeler Endowed Graduate Fellowship in Astronomy
Wheeler Award Winners
| Year | Recipient |
| 2024-2025 | Om Gupta |
Phillip And Karen Kelton Fellowship In Astronomy
Kelton Award Winners
| Year | Recipient |
| 2024-2025 | Malia Kao |
| 2023-2024 | Kaelee Parker |
David L. Lambert Graduate Fellowship
Lambert Award Winners
| Year | Recipient |
| 2024-2025 | Zoe Hackshaw |
| 2023-2024 | Katie Teixeira |
| 2022-2023 | |
| 2021-2022 | |
| 2020-2021 | |
| 2019-2020 | Boyuan Liu and Jonathan Florez |
Paul Teten Execellence Fellowship
Teten Award Winners
| Year | Recipient |
| 2022-2023 | Marvin Morgan |
Board of Visitors Graduate Student Excellence Fellowship
BOV Fellowship Award Winners
| Year | Recipient |
| 2023-2024 | Junehyoung Jeon |
University-Wide Awards
Outstanding Thesis/Report
These annual University awards recognize outstanding master’s theses/reports from across the University. Nominations accepted from Graduate Studies Committee Chairs.
Outstanding Thesis Winners
| Year | Recipient |
| 2020 |
Boyuan Liu Effect of Lithium Hydride on the Cooling of Primordial Gas |
| 2015 |
Hyunbae Park The Kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect as a Probe of the Physics of Cosmic Reionization: The Effect of Self-Regulated Reionization |
| 2011 |
Emmanouil Chatzopoulos Discovery, observations and theory of over luminous supernovae and peculiar transients |
| 2009 |
Tim Weinzirl Outstanding Masters Thesis-Math, Science and Engineering: Constraints on the Origin of Bulges in Hierarchical Models |
| 2005 |
Jarrett Johnson Towards the First Galaxies |
Outstanding Dissertation
To doctoral students whose dissertations merit recognition for excellence in scholarship, research and writing. One nomination accepted annually from each graduate program.
Outstanding Dissertation Winners
| Year | Recipient |
| 2012 |
Guillermo Blanc Studying Star Formation at Low and High Redshift with Integral Field Spectroscopy |
| 2011 |
Ian Roederer From heavy atoms to the outer galaxy : characterizing the chemistry of the Milky Way halo |
| 2007 |
Mukremin Kilic Cool White Dwarfs and the Age of the Galaxy |
University Continuing Fellowships
These are UT’s largest annual awards and are based on: major accomplishments since entering graduate school, a well-defined program of research, strong personal statement and letters of recommendation.
University Continuing Fellowship Winners
| Year | Recipient |
| 2020-2021 | Jackie Champagne |
| 2019-2020 | Sydney Sherman |
| 2018-2019 | Sam FactorYao-Lun Yang |
| 2017-2018 | Intae JungYao-Lun Yang |
| 2016-2017 | Wenbin Lu |
| 2015-2016 | Yi-Kuan Chiang Mimi Song |
| 2014-2015 | Kevin Gullikson Rodolfo Santana |
| 2013-2014 | Paul Robertson Manos Chatzopoulos |
| 2012-2013 | Erik Brugamyer Jeremy Murphy Chalence Safranek-Shrader |
| 2010-2011 | Guillermo Blanc |
| 2009-2010 | Guillermo Blanc Irina Marinova |
| 2008 | Donghui Jeong Jarrett Johnson Joshua Adams |
| 2007 | Michael Dunham Ivan Ramirez Jarrett Johnson |
| 2006 | Elizabeth Fernandez Robert Quimby |
| 2005 | Lucas Cieza-Gonzalez Erin McMahon |
Harrington Fellowship
In support of gifted and ambitious young scholars at The University of Texas at Austin at a level that would equal or exceed the levels of prestigious longstanding programs at other institutions around the world.
Harrington Fellowship Winners
| Year | Recipient |
| 2021 | Boyuan Liu |
| 2014 | Raquel Martinez |
| 2010 | Joshua Adams |
| 2006 | Lucas Cieza-Gonzalez |