Sophie Alter, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major, has been named the recipient of the Ronald M. Huntington Award for Outstanding Scholarship for 2025. 

The Ronald M. Huntington Award is bestowed upon the graduating senior judged to have exhibited the most distinguished record of scholarly accomplishments while a student at Chapman University. Evidence of exemplary and meritorious scholarship well beyond normal classroom activities is expected. A nomination from a Chapman faculty member is required.

Alter completed substantial research during her four years at Chapman. Among her research experiences, she is most proud of her senior capstone. Under the guidance of Associate Professor John Miklavcic, Alter worked on a Phase I clinical trial for pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. The study — a collaboration with the Children’s Hospital of Orange County — assessed the safety and efficacy of a dietary treatment. 

“I was enveloped and challenged to analyze and connect patterns in medical data, while being pushed to expand my own understanding of what healthcare means and what it can do,” said Alter.

The summer after her first year at Chapman, Alter completed a research internship at Stanford University School of Medicine, in an NIH-funded hepatology and gastroenterology lab. “Being part of an active medicinal lab as an undergraduate student was invaluable,” said Alter. 

The following summer, Alter worked as a youth program leader with the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula, where she taught incoming first-graders from East Palo Alto. She covered a wide curriculum, spanning mathematics, reading, and science. “This experience not only deepened my understanding of the power of scholarship but the impact of sharing it,” said Alter. 

Additionally, Alter spent time in Nuevo Progreso, Guatemala as part of a surgical team. “I was in the operating room for hours a day, assisting surgeons and learning everything I could absorb,” said Alter. 

Outside of the lab, Alter served on the Schmid Student Leadership Council and participated in the American Medical Student Association. 

Alter will pursue an MS in Public Health this fall. “Through these varied experiences, I have come to appreciate that scholarship is not only about the acquisition of information, but also sharing and applying that knowledge in ways that contribute to humanity.”