This award is given each semester to the best CHEM 535 and 575 seminars, as judged by the students enrolled in each course. The award is sponsored by the late Dr. Peter Beak, who served as faculty at the U of I for over 60 years, and his wife Sandra Beak. The award was inaugurated with the Spring 2021 semester. Recipients:
| Fall 2024 |
CHEM 535: Joshua Berger (Burke) |
| Spring 2023 |
CHEM 535: Alfons Pineda-Knauseder (White) |
| Fall 2022 | CHEM 535: Kyle Abo (Hergenrother) CHEM 575: Riley Carter (Mitchell) |
| Spring 2022 | CHEM 535: Jacob Weaver (Hergenrother) CHEM 575: Alec Murray (Burke) |
| Fall 2021 |
CHEM 535: Samantha Barlock (Hergenrother) |
| Spring 2021 | CHEM 535: Shelby King (White) CHEM 575: Shravan Dommaraju (Mitchell) |