Data Science Institute
Center for Computational Molecular Biology

Comp Bio Undergrads Dixi Han and Megan Carlson win 2026 Dean of the College Award for Outstanding Graduating Seniors

Congratulations to two of our graduating seniors, Dixi Han and Megan Carlson, who have each received the “Dean of the College Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior in Computational Biology” this year, recognizing their excellence in research, academics, and community service.

Dixi (Sissy) Han 

Dixi Han’s time at Brown has been marked by a rare balance of rigorous scientific inquiry and dedicated service to her peers. From serving as a proactive leader within the Computational Biology Departmental Undergraduate Group (DUG) to working as a highly sought-after Head Teaching Assistant for our most rigorous courses, she has made a lasting impact on the CompBio community. This same excellence is reflected in her "very exciting" research—as noted by Professors Will Fairbrother and Sorin Istrail—culminating in her exceptional honors thesis regarding the role of RNA secondary structure in splicing order.

Megan Carlson

Throughout Megan Calrson’s time at Brown, she has distinguished herself as a researcher of rare independence and clarity, as evidenced by her pioneering work in developing the first Drosophila 3D RNA-DNA contact dataset using the complex SPRITE technique. Professor Erica Larschan highlights not only her technical brilliance in creating her own software and first-author manuscript, but also her exceptional leadership in managing a massive team of TAs and mentoring doctoral students. Megan also received the Biology Senior Prize for Academic Excellence this year, awarded by the Division of Biology and Medicine. The Center for Computational Molecular Biology (CCMB) is honored to recognize Megan’s contributions to the field of functional genomics, and we look forward to the fundamental discoveries she will undoubtedly lead in the future.

CCMB will announce these awards, as well as our Data Science Undergraduate Awards, during the DSI Commencement Lunch on Friday, May 22nd, from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM at the Data Science Institute (164 Angell St, Floor 3). 

CCMB is incredibly proud of our students' accomplishments and the positive impact they have made. We commend their hard work and look forward to seeing all that they will achieve in the future.