PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Sam Stea ’26 Sc.M., a master’s student in biotechnology, has been selected for the 2026 Master’s Award for Outstanding Academic Accomplishment. The award recognizes exceptional academic achievement demonstrated by a Brown University master’s student.

Stea was chosen in recognition of his innovative neuroscience research, strong academic record and contributions to teaching and mentorship within the biotechnology program. Faculty highlighted his ability to advance complex research projects, develop novel experimental methods and demonstrate leadership in both the laboratory and the classroom.

“Sam operates well beyond what is typically expected at the master’s level,” said Karla R. Kaun, Ph.D., associate professor of neuroscience. “He brings both intellectual rigor and creativity to every stage of the research process.”

For his master’s thesis, Stea developed and validated a new behavioral assay to study how organisms make decisions over time using Drosophila melanogaster, also known as the common fruit fly. The project had faced technical challenges in the lab before his arrival, but he was able to move it forward by refining experimental procedures and carefully redesigning key protocols.

His research looks at how fruit flies develop preferences when presented with competing options, focusing on behavior over time rather than at a single moment. To support this work, Stea also built a custom data analysis pipeline to measure and interpret subtle patterns in behavior and better understand how decision-making unfolds.

The resulting research has contributed to a deeper understanding of how learning and memory shape behavior and is currently under review for publication in a leading peer-reviewed journal.