The eight schools and colleges at Fresno State, along with the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, each selected an outstanding student to honor as part of the class of 2026 Graduate Deans’ Medalists.
The deans selected an undergraduate and graduate medalist based on academic excellence, community involvement and other achievements. Fresno State’s Undergraduate Deans’ Medalists were announced on May 1.
In mid-May, one medalist from the group below will be announced as the President’s Graduate Medalist, the university’s top academic honor for a graduate student.
This year’s Graduate Deans’ Medalists are:
Ayuba Abaka, College of Science and Mathematics
Ayuba Abaka of Yola, Nigeria, earned his M.S. in biology with a 4.0 GPA. He previously earned a Bachelor of Technology degree in biotechnology from Modibbo Adama University of Technology in Yola. Abaka is a graduate research assistant and teaching associate in the Biology Department. He volunteered as a student assistant for the Black Excellence in Science and Technology Club and served as a mentor judge at the National Diversity in STEM Conference. Growing up in an agricultural community, Abaka developed an early interest in using biological science to solve practical problems of plant diseases in countries where chemical pesticides are prohibitively expensive. The loss of his stepbrother to sickle cell anemia expanded his interest in developing solutions for diseases in humans. Abaka’s research at Fresno State focused on using CRISPR gene editing technology for detecting cancer. He published several research papers in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific conferences, including the Conference for Emerging Black Academics in STEM at the California Institute of Technology, where he was the sole graduate student oral presenter. Abaka plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biology at UC Merced, where he will join a research project on genetic factors in Valley fever. He hopes to launch a biotech startup to create home diagnostic tools for early cancer detection.
Luis Favián Ramírez Arizaga, Kremen School of Education and Human Development
Luis Favián Ramírez Arizaga, of La Cañada de Ramírez, Mexico, earned his M.A. in higher education administration and leadership with a 4.0 GPA. He previously completed an M.A. from the sustainability and business transformation certificate program at IE University in Madrid, Spain, and earned a B.A. in Latina and Latino studies and a B.A. in women and gender studies from San Francisco State University. Arizaga spent his formative years in Mexico, raised primarily by his mother while his father worked on farms throughout the Central Valley. Arizaga migrated to California as a teenager and attended Tranquillity High School. He enrolled at San Francisco State in 2007 through the AVID and Upward Bound programs. That same year, his father passed away while working in the field. Through grief and a life transition, Arizaga found his life’s passion — supporting students confronting similar challenges. He currently works as assistant director for the GEAR UP program at Wonderful College Prep Academy in Delano and Sanger, and as a senior college and career readiness lead for the United We Lead Foundation in Fresno. Arizaga plans to continue his educational journey through the Fresno State Doctoral in Educational Leadership program.
Charles Bittle, College of Health and Human Services
Charles Bittle, of Santa Barbara, earned his M.S. in kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise science with a 4.0 GPA. He previously earned his B.S. in kinesiology-exercise science from Fresno State, where he was a scholar in the College of Health and Human Services’ Honors Program in Collaborative Leadership. Early in his academic journey, Bittle developed a strong passion for teaching, which he applied in his roles as a teaching associate and graduate assistant for the exercise science program’s Human Performance Laboratory. During his first year in the two-year master’s program, Bittle’s father suffered a spinal cord injury, but was able to fully recover through intensive physical and occupational therapy. This life-changing experience motivated Bittle to further pursue his studies within neuroscience and biomechanics, which led to his work as a neuro exercise specialist with the Spinal Cord Injury Functional Integrated Therapy facility in Fresno. For his master’s thesis, Bittle collaborated with the Fresno State women’s water polo team and worked closely with head coach Natalie Benson to design research that would provide practical insight for their coaching staff. Bittle plans to continue his studies and pursue a Ph.D. in motor development and exercise physiology, with the goal of becoming a professor.
Samuel Chheng, Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
Samuel Chheng, of Fresno, earned his M.S. in counseling with an emphasis in student affairs and college counseling with a 4.0 GPA. He previously earned a B.A. in psychology with a minor in Asian American Studies at Fresno State. Chheng, a first-generation college student, is the youngest child of Khmer Rouge survivors who worked to foster a sense of belonging for students of all backgrounds at Fresno State through his leadership positions. He was a peer mentor in the Educational Opportunity Program, after participating in Summer Bridge, and transitioned to a graduate counselor intern. As a counselor intern, Chheng provided counseling to low-income, first-generation students and provided information on campus resources, academic advising, personal development and more. He also served as a mentor for LaunchPad, a new program under the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, in which he helped first-year students transition to university life. Chheng was a graduate assistant for the Off-Campus Student Life Program, a Dog Days orientation leader, Student Affairs and College Counseling Graduate Student Association president, and he was a volunteer for Vintage Days with the Educational Opportunity Program’s Students Organizing for Success Club. Chheng wants to be a special program counselor or outreach and recruitment counselor and would like to pursue a doctoral degree in educational leadership.
Adam Hiett, College of Social Sciences
Adam Hiett, of Fresno, earned his M.A. in history with a 4.0 GPA. He previously earned a B.A. in history at Fresno State. Hiett focused his master’s thesis on 19th-century British missionaries in the Pacific and presented his research at Fresno State’s History Graduate Student Symposium in 2025. By reading texts from these subjects, he studied the knowledge missionaries created from their experiences alongside Pacific Peoples about tropical medicine, climates and race. His research employed a cross-disciplinary approach tied to anthropology, fashion studies and history, with an additional focus on climate, emotions and medical history. He shared his passion for education as an intern for a digital public history project, and as a graduate teaching assistant for the Department of History. Hiett also worked as a social science tutor at Fresno State’s Learning Center. Throughout these experiences, Hiett learned to navigate archives, deliver data, facilitate classroom discussions and meet student needs. As vice president of the History Graduate Student Association, he helped host social events and academic conferences that enabled students to present their research.
Grace Morrow, College of Arts and Humanities
Grace Morrow, of Fresno, earned her M.A. in art with a 4.0 GPA. She previously earned a B.S. in art history from Fresno State in 2024 and received the Undergraduate Student of Distinction Award for the School of Art, Design and Art History. She also earned an A.S. in biology and an A.A. in art history from Fresno City College. At Fresno State, Morrow was awarded the Edward O. Lund Foundation Scholarship, which funded her study abroad in the London Program, and she worked as a docent and intern for the “Wings of the City” exhibition by Mexican artist Jorge Marín at Fresno State. Morrow’s thesis, “Are We Not Beautiful/Enough?: Reclaiming the Female Agency of the Pre-Raphaelites,” highlights the contributions of women in art before the mid-1800s. Women, Morrow said, were muses and models to the men in their world. They were often the creative minds behind their husbands’ and partners’ most famous works and businesses, yet are overlooked. In addition to her studies, Morrow published her debut adult gothic romantasy novel, “We Become Darkness,” by Alcove Press in 2026. Morrow plans to become a professor of art history at a local college or university.
Sara Qadiree, Jordan College of Agriculture Sciences and Technology
Sara Qadiree, of Kabul, Afghanistan, earned her M.S. in plant science with a 3.7 GPA. She previously earned a master’s in horticulture from the Agricultural University of Tirana in Albania, a bachelor’s in agriculture from Kabul University and an associate in information technology from Kabul Polytechnic University. Qadiree’s thesis research was on determining effective irrigation scheduling for jujube, a Southeast Asian, drought-tolerant specialty crop. She was a researcher with University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources and assisted its research and grower education programs. She worked at the federal ministry in Afghanistan to improve food access in one of the world’s poorest countries and began a master’s degree in agronomy while working with international humanitarian organizations. She and her family fled the country in 2021 and came to the U.S. a year later. She conducted research on long bean germplasm lines, moringa and drought-tolerant crops, and she presented her findings at conferences. Qadiree is a certified drone pilot, completed coursework in ArcGIS Pro and served as a judge for FFA citrus and soil contests. Fluent in three languages, she has volunteered at local organizations that serve children, immigrants and ministries.
Laura Ramos, Craig School of Business
Laura Ramos, of Fresno, earned her MBA with a 4.0 GPA. She previously earned a B.S. in business administration at Fresno State in 2001. Since graduating with her undergraduate degree, Ramos has worked continuously at Fresno State, starting her career at the Center for Irrigation Technology. She has served as director of research and education for the California Water Institute since 2018. Throughout her time in the MBA program, Ramos used what she learned in the classroom to improve policies and procedures at the California Water Institute. She aligned the institute’s planning with the university’s strategic goals, expanded partnerships with tribal and environmental groups to bring all stakeholders to water negotiations and launched a Weekly Water Insights segment on KMJ radio. Ramos’ culminating MBA project focused on defining a niche strategy for the California Water Institute, supported by a financial sustainability framework targeting at least $1 million in annual grant funding. Ramos plans to lead the institute to be the preeminent public policy institute for the Central Valley.
Ronald Shrestha, Lyles College of Engineering
Ronald Shrestha, from Nepal, earned his M.S. in construction management with a 4.0 GPA. He previously earned his B.S. in civil engineering from Kathmandu Engineering College. During his master’s program, he worked as a graduate fellow at the Fresno State Transportation Institute, where he researched transportation infrastructure and coordinated outreach events that connected students with industry professionals and showcased construction and transportation careers to Valley K-12 students. Noted for his scholarly contributions, Shrestha played a key role in a statewide initiative to examine alternative project delivery methods in California transportation agencies. His work resulted in numerous publications and presentations at professional conferences throughout the U.S. Srestha currently works as a construction manager with the Montez Group, a Bay Area construction management firm that leads major public transportation infrastructure initiatives.
