Department of Biostatistics graduate students Helin Hernandez and Caitlin Ward are the 2018 recipients of the Kathryn M. Chaloner Memorial Scholarship and the Leon F. Burmeister Memorial Scholarship, respectively.

Hernandez will receive her MS in biostatistics this semester and will begin the PhD program in January. She is originally from Van Nuys, Calif.

Ward is from Iowa City, Iowa, and is currently a PhD student. She earned her MS in the spring of 2018.

Jacob Oleson, professor of biostatistics, is the faculty advisor for Hernandez and a co-advisor for Ward.

The Kathryn M. Chaloner Memorial Scholarship was established in honor of Dr. Chaloner’s commitment to diversity and inclusiveness in the field of biostatistics. Chaloner served as professor and head of the University of Iowa Department of Biostatistics for 12 years.

The Leon F. Burmeister Memorial Scholarship was established to support an exceptional graduate student in the Department of Biostatistics, with preference given to students from the state of Iowa. Dr. Burmeister was a professor of biostatistics with a career at the University of Iowa spanning 42 years.