Citlalli Chávez-Nava
The twelfth annual Undergraduate Research Week, a week-long celebration of multidisciplinary undergraduate research and creative inquiry at UCLA where students gather to share their innovative and impactful ideas creating the campus’ largest undergraduate research conference, was held May 19-23.
The event is produced by the Undergraduate Research Center – Social Sciences, Humanities, Arts, and the Undergraduate Research Center – in collaboration with the UCLA Division of Undergraduate Education, UCLA Library, UCLA Alumni Affairs, the Undergraduate Science Journal, and Aleph: Undergraduate Research Journal for the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Below is a listing of this year’s social science award winners.
Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Research and Creativity: Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Award Winners
The Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Research and Creativity Award for humanities, arts, and social science students is awarded for outstanding recorded presentations and multimedia at the Undergraduate Research & Creativity Showcase.
| Year | Student | Major | Project Title | Faculty Mentor |
| 2025 | Narod Arisian | History | Anjar’s Urban Fabric and the Stranger Within: Tracing the Evolution of Armenian Diasporic Consciousness and Transnationalism | Dr. David N. Myers |
| 2025 | Kristina Dove | Anthropology | “On the Razors Edge:” Women’s Sex Work, Roles of Advocacy, and the Law | Dr. Jessica Cattelino |
| 2025 | Ellen Lu | History | Laundry Swindlers and Lost Sisters: The Gendered Dimensions of Anti-Chinese Activism, 1868-1905 | Dr. Katherine Marino |
| 2025 | Yanci Rosales Huezo | Anthropology | “We Do Not Depend on You”: Nawat-Pipil Efforts in Preserving Identity and Ancestral Knowledge in western El Salvador | Dr. Shannon Speed |
| 2025 | Emily Rusting | Political Science, History | Identity Politics: The Effect of Affective Polarization on Americans’ Attitudes Toward Outparty-Stereotypical Groups | Dr. Efren Perez |
| 2025 | Tiara Weedagama | Sociology | Bridging the Gaps: Regional Disparities in Global Nutritional Aid Networks | Dr. Chris Wegemer |
| 2025 | Jeannine Xu | Sociology & Communications | Perceived Unfairness in AI Interactions: Examining Trust, Attribution, and Emotional Responses | Dr. Steven Peterson |
| 2025 | Wanchen Yu | Psychology, Communication | Trust in AI: The Influence of Embedded Ideologies in AI-Generated Content on People’s Perceptions | Dr. Steven Peterson |
Faculty Mentor Award Winners
The Faculty Mentor Award honors the considerable dedication of UCLA faculty who consistently and enthusiastically serve as effective mentors to undergraduate students involved in research or creative inquiry. Faculty are nominated by undergraduate students they supported in their research or creative practice and professional development.
| Faculty | Department | Year |
| Jessica Cattelino | Anthropology | 2025 |
| Ugo Edu | African American Studies | 2025 |
| Tamar Kremer-Sadlik | Anthropology | 2025 |
| Jared McBride | History | 2025 |
| Salma Mousa | Political Science | 2025 |
To learn more about undergraduate research week, visit: UCLA Undergraduate Research Week.