Meet Graduate of Distinction and Biology Researcher Halimot Badmus
One of more than 180 graduates of distinction, she has researched all four years and seeks clues for new antibiotics.
This graduation season, the College of Natural Sciences is celebrating 187 students who have earned College Distinctions. Each of these individuals has distinguished themselves with a record of service, excellence, leadership, research achievement, community engagement or entrepreneurialism.
Among this year’s distinction winners in research is Halimot Badmus, who has been working in the lab of Bryan Davies. Her research involves finding potential solutions to the problem of resistance to antibiotics. Natural antimicrobials called microcins show promise in fighting infection, and Halimot has been exploring the use of microcins for killing bacteria.
She started doing research as a member of the Virtual Cures stream of the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI). Halimot went on to become an FRI mentor and to receive an FRI Summer Fellowship, along with opportunities through the National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (NSF S-STEM). She earned a college experiential learning fellowship that supported her ongoing work in the Davies Lab, and she got involved in student dance and spirit organizations that have been a big part of her UT Longhorn experience. Halimot explains her trajectory over her four years in this 2026 video.
Alongside fellow student researchers, Halimot Badmus presented her most recent work at the 25th annual Undergraduate Research Forum.
