Graduate Division announces winners of annual mentoring awards

Two longrunning mentorship prizes spanning a variety of disciplines have been awarded by UC Santa Barbara’s Graduate Division to this year’s recipients. 

Now in its 22nd year, the Fiona and Michael Goodchild Graduate Mentoring Award recognizes outstanding graduate students in the sciences. This year’s winners are Annette Hilton (Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships), Laura Huerta Sanchez (Psychological & Brain Sciences) and Anna Boser and Cori Lopazanski (Bren School of Environmental Science & Management). 

Beginning in 2016, the Carol Genetti Graduate Mentoring Awards honor graduate students in social sciences, humanities, education and the arts. The recipients for 2025 are Hyojin Lee (Communication), Juliana Ison (Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology), Marcela Alvarez (Education) and Sherry Chien (Linguistics). 

“Our graduate students contribute so much to the university through their research and teaching,” said Leila Rupp, a feminist studies professor and former interim dean of the division. “These awards recognize what sometimes goes unnoticed: the powerful influence graduate students have on the undergraduate students they mentor. While nurturing students headed to graduate school or careers, the winners of these awards are also preparing themselves to be outstanding mentors as faculty members or leaders in other fields.” 

Selected by a subcommittee formed by the Academic Senate Graduate Council, each awardee receives $1,000 in recognition of their role as research mentors of undergraduate students.

“At UCSB, mentorship is a cornerstone to professional development for graduate students,” said Anna Theogarajan, Director of Graduate Professional Development. “By guiding undergraduates, collaborating with peers, and leaning into personal growth, our graduate students are cultivating critical skills in leadership, communication, and project management that are valued across every career path.”