Each year the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences nominate and select students for three departmental awards. Award recipients receive a certificate and are recognized at the annual Honors Convocation.
Each year two undergraduate students who have made outstanding contributions in research are selected by the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences to receive the Emil K. Urban Student Research Award in Biology, named in honor of Professor emeritus Emil K. Urban who served as Chair of the Department for 27 years. One award is given to a student whose research is field-based and one is given to a student whose research is laboratory-based.
Each year a senior biology major who has demonstrated an exemplary and sustained degree of selfless and dedicated service to the Department of Biological Sciences is selected by the faculty of the department to receive the Dr. Dianne C. Snyder Distinguished Service Award, established in honor and memory of the late Dr. Dianne Snyder.
Each year a senior biology major who has a distinguished record based on their classroom and laboratory performance and their major and overall grade point average is selected by the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences to receive the Outstanding Biology Senior Award.
Each year the graduating senior who has achieved the highest level of academic excellence as measured by their GPA in science and mathematics courses will receive the Academic Achievement Award.
| 2018 | Jason Brown |
| 2017 | Keri Jones |
| 2016 | Sarai Hacker Graves |
| 2015 | Kevan Khaksarfard Marjorie Marchman |
| 2018 | Samantha Hitchens Anthony Peppers Keturah Mingledolph |
| 2017 | Shelby Howard Jennifer Mercer Mikael "Koty" Sapp |
| 2016 | Shelby Buckner Sarah Ozturk Eric Neff |
| 2015 | Atique Alam Jessica Padgett |
| 2014 | Austin Coleman Sandra Tadros |
| 2013 | Charles Best |
| 2012 | Trenton C. Agrelius |
| 2011 | Nuvonka Wilson |
| 2010 | Chalisa M. Nestell Scarlett Timmons |
| 2009 | Lewis E. Boykin II |
| 2008 | Sherry Banks Vernon Horst |
| 2018 | Missy Hewitt |
| 2017 | Geoff Franqui |
| 2016 | Laurie Coleman |
| 2015 | Eriq Hearn |
| 2014 | Sierra Mannix |
| 2018 | Lara Way |
| 2017 | Keri Jones |
| 2016 | Adrienne Kambouris |
| 2015 | Alyssa Outhwaite |
| 2014 | Lindsey Quibeuf |
| 2013 | Alex Aguilar Amy Jackson |
| 2012 | Patrice A. Frazier Katherine L. Brown |
| 2011 | Kelley Jonske |
| 2010 | Chalisa M. Nestell |
| 2009 | G. Matthew Hinnant |
| 2008 | Sara M. Movaghar David J. Capell |
| 2007 | W. "Hutch" Jackson |
| 2006 | Carol A. Ling |
| 2004 | Sarah Y. Taufique Caroline M. Wolfe |
| 2003 | Mya J. Montoya |
| 2001 | Ruth A. Sapp Sameera T. Warsi |
| 2000 | Daniel H. Platt |
| 1999 | Natalia "Alex" Thrash |
| 1998 | Gwendolyn D. Carroll |
| 1997 | Charles W. Lambert Rinu Varghese |
| 1996 | Laura B. Joiner |
| 1995 | Robert A. DeWitt John F. Mareska |
| 1994 | Lisa M. Walters Johnna E. Wren |
| 1992 | Bonnie P. Jenkins |
| 1991 | Roland M. Brown |
| 1990 | Rebecca L. Feren Christiaan D. Lindsey |
| 1989 | Dennis R. Lindborn |
| 1988 | Laura A. Rayburn |
| 1987 | Donnie P. Hunagan |
| 1986 | K. Suzanne Huffman |
| 1985 | Brian S. Christine |
| 1984 | Michael D. Scott |
| 1983 | Vicky E. Spratlin |
| 1982 | Rayanne Hitzeman |
| 1981 | Kimberly J. Nearhoof |
| 1980 | James R. Herman Tina M. Guillebeau |
| 1979 | Karen L. Swain |
| 1978 | Debra Kay Jones |
| 1977 | Jean Simone |
| 1976 | Sara E. Culpepper |
| 1975 | Kerry C. Diver |
| 1974 | Steven E. Bentley |
| 1973 | Anita T. Cameron |
| 1972 | Jack H. Austin |
| 1971 | Nancy E. Smith |
| 1970 | Jean McRae |
| 1969 | Earl A. Burch, Jr. |
