Prizes and Awards

Source: https://catalog.caltech.edu/current/information-for-graduate-students/prizes-and-awards/ Parent: https://catalog.caltech.edu/

The Caltech Y Advocating Change Together (ACT) Award

The Caltech Y Advocating Change Together (ACT) Award provides students with the opportunity to learn about a global, national, or local issue by immersing themselves with activists working on a cause.

Amori Doctoral Prize in CMS

Established in 2017 by Michael Amori (MS ’07), this prize honors outstanding dissertations in the computing and mathematical sciences during the current academic year. Awardees are selected by a committee of computing and mathematical sciences faculty each spring.

Apostol Award for Excellence in Teaching in Mathematics

Named in honor of Tom Apostol, who taught at Caltech for over 50 years, this award recognizes excellence in teaching by graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants in mathematics.

Charles D. Babcock Award

Voted on by members of the aeronautics faculty, this award is given to a graduate student whose achievements in teaching or other assistance to students have made a significant contribution to the aeronautics department.

William F. Ballhaus Prize

This prize recognizes aeronautics students for outstanding doctoral dissertations.

The Bhansali Family Prize in Computer Science

Established in 2001 by Vineer Bhansali (B.S. ’87, M.S. ’87) in memory of his grandfather, Mag Raj Bhansali, this prize is given to an undergraduate student for outstanding research in computer science in the current academic year. Awardees are selected by a committee of computer science faculty.

Bhansali Family Dissertation Prize in Computer Science

Established in 2018 by Vineer Bhansali (B.S. ’87, M.S. ’87) in memory of his grandfather, Mag Raj Bhansali, this prize is given to honor outstanding dissertations in computer science, broadly defined, during the current academic year. Awardees are selected by a committee of computer science faculty each spring.

Rolf D. Buhler Memorial Award in Aeronautics

This award is given to an aeronautics student for outstanding academic achievement in the master’s program.

The Caltech Y Rise Service Award

The Caltech Y Rise Service Award recognizes exceptional service provided by Rise Program tutors. This award highlights the dedication and outstanding contributions of individuals who exemplify the Caltech Y’s commitment to service.

Ian Campbell Award

The Ian Campbell Award is for outstanding performance in field geology courses during this academic year.

W. P. Carey & Co., Inc., Prizes in Applied Mathematics

Established by William P. Carey and W. P. Carey & Co., Inc., this prize is awarded to outstanding doctoral dissertations in applied mathematics in the current academic year. Awardees are selected by a committee of applied mathematics faculty.

The CCID Activist Scholar Award

This award is given to individuals who demonstrated excellence within their discipline and research while engaging in complex social justice issues. This awardee has led or participated in advocacy campaigns centering on the experiences of minoritized identities and provided vision and leadership in forming affinity spaces and targeted support programs.

The CCID Agent of Change Award

This award is given to individuals embodying servant leadership through a demonstrated commitment to steering institutional change within the Caltech community. This person takes the initiative and has the vision to translate a need into actionable steps or policy to create a legacy and a more inclusive campus climate.

Centennial Prize for the Best Thesis in Mechanical and Civil Engineering

This prize, awarded annually to a Ph.D. candidate in applied mechanics, civil engineering, or mechanical engineering, is given to a student whose doctoral thesis is judged to be the most original and significant by a faculty committee appointed annually by the executive officer for mechanical and civil engineering. This prize was established with gifts from alumni following the Mechanical Engineering Centennial Celebration in 2007.

Richard Bruce Chapman Memorial Award

This award is given to a graduate student in hydrodynamics who has distinguished themselves in research in the Division of Engineering and Applied Science.

Ben P.C. Chou Doctoral Prize in IST

This prize recognizes outstanding doctoral dissertations in the broad area of information science and technology. The prize was established by Ben P.C. Chou’s wife, June, and his son, Scott (B.S. ’86), as a lasting tribute to his lifetime dedication to the pursuit of scholarly research and foregoing personal gain in favor of always doing the right thing for society.

Robert F. Christy Prize for an Outstanding Doctoral Thesis in Theoretical Physics

This prize is given annually to a student who has produced an outstanding thesis in theoretical physics. Established in 2018, this prize honors the memory of Robert F. Christy, former provost and professor of theoretical physics.

Milton and Francis Clauser Doctoral Prize

This prize is given to a Ph.D. candidate* whose thesis is judged by a committee of the Faculty Board to exhibit significant new work, ingenuity, and originality, and to have the greatest potential to open new avenues of human thought and endeavor.

CMS and IST Gradient for Change Award

The CMS and IST Gradient for Change Awards honor students, postdocs, staff, and faculty in the Caltech community who demonstrate exceptional efforts to make Caltech and/or the broader scientific community a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. The awards recognize and highlight individual contributors or small teams who are considered agents of change, community leaders, and/or allies to historically marginalized group(s) in the information sciences, including computer science, applied mathematics, and beyond.

Donald Coles Prize in Aeronautics

This prize is given to the graduating Ph.D. student in aeronautics whose thesis displays the best design of an experiment or the best design for a piece of experimental equipment.

France Córdova Graduate Student Fund in Physics

This fund provides resources for one to three graduate students annually to support research-related expenses. Each awardee shall be recognized as either a Neugebauer, Garmire, or Tombrello Scholar. Preference shall be given to student(s) studying broadly in areas in which professors Gerry Neugebauer, Gordon Garmire, and Thomas Tombrello made contributions.

James A. Cullen Memorial Fellowship Fund

This memorial fund is awarded annually to a graduate student or students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement in physics.

This prize, awarded annually, recognizes a Ph.D. candidate for the best thesis, publication, or discovery in biotechnology or related fields at the Institute in the preceding 12 months. This prize is made possible by a gift from Anna Kokkalis Demetriades and Sterge T. Demetriades (Eng. ’58).

This prize, awarded annually, recognizes the best business plan or proposal, start-up, thesis, publication, discovery, or related efforts by student(s) in entrepreneurship or related fields at the Institute in the preceding 12 months. This prize is made possible by a gift from Anna Kokkalis Demetriades and Sterge T. Demetriades (Eng ’58).

This prize, awarded annually, recognizes a Ph.D. candidate for the best thesis, publication, discovery, or related efforts in benign renewable energy sources or related fields at the Institute in the preceding 12 months. This prize is made possible by a gift from Anna Kokkalis Demetriades and Sterge T. Demetriades (Eng. ’58).

This prize, awarded annually, recognizes a Ph.D. candidate for the best thesis, publication, or discovery in nanotechnology or related fields at the Institute in the preceding 12 months. This prize is made possible by a gift from Anna Kokkalis Demetriades and Sterge T. Demetriades (Eng. ’58).

Demetriades-Tsafka-Kokkalis Prize in Seismo-Engineering, Prediction, and Protection

This prize, awarded annually, recognizes a Ph.D. candidate for the best thesis, publication, or discovery in seismo-engineering, prediction, and protection at the Institute in the preceding 12 months. This prize is made possible by a gift from Anna Kokkalis Demetriades and Sterge T. Demetriades (Eng. ’58).

EAS New Horizons Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award

This award recognizes and honors individuals within the EAS community who have actively contributed to the Division’s goal to be a diverse, equitable and inclusive engineering community.

Constantin G. Economou Memorial Prize

This prize is awarded to a chemical engineering graduate student distinguished by outstanding research accomplishments and exemplary attitude while fulfilling candidacy requirements for the Ph.D. degree.

Everhart Distinguished Graduate Student Lecture Series

This award recognizes graduate students for their exemplary presentation skills and research ability. Awardees participate in the Everhart Lecture Series, a forum that is meant to encourage interdisciplinary interaction among graduate students and faculty, to share ideas about recent research developments.

Lawrence L. and Audrey W. Ferguson Prize

The Ferguson prize is awarded to the graduating Ph.D. candidate in biology and biological engineering who has produced the outstanding doctoral thesis for the past year.

Henry Ford II Scholar Awards

This award recognizes either the engineering students with the best academic record at the end of the third year of undergraduate study or the engineering students with the best first-year record in the graduate program.

GPS Award for Academic Exellence in Research

Awarded to a GPS graduate student for outstanding research achievements.

Graduate Deans’ Award

This award is given to a Ph.D. candidate or candidates who, throughout their graduate study at the Institute, have made great contributions to graduate life and whose qualities of leadership and responsibility have been outstanding.

The Caltech Y Lucy Guernsey Award

This award recognizes graduate and undergraduate students who have provided exceptional service to the Caltech Y and/or the community. Recipients are selected based on their active involvement in Caltech Y service projects, demonstrated leadership in community and volunteer service efforts, and a strong spirit of service.

Hans G. Hornung Prize

This prize is awarded for the best oral Ph.D. defense presentation by a student advised by aerospace faculty. The decision is made by a committee of students who attend all thesis presentations for the year.

The Houses and Residences IDEA Award

The Houses and Residences IDEA Award celebrates exceptional individuals who excel in fostering a vibrant and inclusive environment within the Houses and Residences. Their unwavering commitment ensures that each resident feels a deep sense of belonging and support. These leaders drive positive transformation by nurturing inclusive dialogues and instilling a strong sense of community through advocacy. Through their efforts, they create an environment where everyone can flourish in Houses and Residences.

The IDEA Advocate Award

This award is given to individuals who promote the needs and experiences of other students, staff, or faculty to challenge systemic barriers that impede individuals from contributing their skills and talents in the classroom, workplace, or community. Such actions include raising awareness, inspiring action, advocating for an equitable campus climate, and leading efforts to dismantle structural barriers upholding oppression, and discrimination.

The IDEA Allyship & Advocate Award

This award is given to an individual who promotes the needs and experiences of all members of the Caltech community and challenges systemic barriers that impede members of marginalized identities from contributing their skills and talents at Caltech. Such actions include raising awareness, inspiring action, cultivating an inclusive environment, advocating for an equitable campus climate, and leading efforts to dismantle structural barriers that uphold oppression and discrimination.

The IDEA Outreach & Education Award

This award is given to individuals who teach and inspire interest in inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in the community at large through learning experiences and service. This person takes the initiative to participate in civic engagement through volunteerism, service-learning, and teaching initiatives as a change agent in the community outside of Caltech.

The Inclusive Laboratory Engagement Award

The Inclusive Laboratory Engagement Award celebrates exceptional individuals who excel in their discipline and foster a vibrant and inclusive environment within the graduate student and/or post-doc community, particularly in the laboratory setting. They strive to ensure that each person feels a deep sense of belonging and support. These leaders foster an environment for collaborative research and learning. Through their efforts, they create an environment where everyone can thrive in their academic and research pursuits.

Richard H. Jahns Teaching Award

The Richard H. Jahns Teaching award is given in recognition of outstanding achievement as a graduate teaching assistant. Dick Jahns got his BS and PhD in Geology from Caltech and from 1946–1960 was faculty here. He was known for giving superb lectures, legendary field trips, and spending long hours mentoring students. Dick said, “the most exciting and rewarding aspect of teaching is seeing already able young people come alive intellectually and seeing the emergence in them of a basic drive, enthusiasm, and enjoyment.”

Scott Russell Johnson Prize for Excellence in Graduate Studies

This prize is awarded to continuing graduate students for excellence and extraordinary progress in research and/or excellence in teaching in mathematics.

Scott Russell Johnson Prize for Excellence as a First-Year Graduate Student

This prize rewards excellence in first-year graduate research in mathematics.

Scott Russell Johnson Graduate Dissertation Prize in Mathematics

This prize is awarded for the best graduate dissertation in mathematics.

Kalam Prize for Aerospace Engineering

This prize, made possible by Dr. Abdul Kalam, the 11th president of India and an aerospace engineer, is awarded to a student in the aerospace engineering master’s program whose academic performance was exemplary and who shows high potential for future achievements at Caltech.

R.K. Kar Award for Research in Physics

This award is given annually to an outstanding graduate student who is exceptional in their physics studies and research (emphasis on condensed matter physics).

The prize rewards the best second-year paper by a graduate student in Social Science or Social Decision Neuroscience. The prize was established by Susan G. Davis in recognition of John O. Ledyard’s dedication to developing graduate students as independent researchers and his service to the Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences. The prize is awarded annually by a committee of social science faculty to a sole-authored work and carries a cash award of $1,000.

The Herbert Newby McCoy Award

This award is given to one or more chemistry doctoral students for outstanding contributions to the science of chemistry.

Dr. Nagendranath Reddy Biological Sciences Thesis Prize

The Reddy prize is awarded to the graduating female Ph.D. candidate in the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering who has produced the outstanding thesis in the biological sciences or bioengineering for the past year.

Eleanor Searle Prize in Law, Politics, and Institutions

The Eleanor Searle Prize was established in 1999 by friends and colleagues to honor Eleanor Searle, who was the Edie and Lew Wasserman Professor of History at Caltech. The prize is awarded to an undergraduate or graduate student whose work in history or social sciences exemplifies Eleanor Searle’s interests in the use of power, government, and law.

Ernest E. Sechler Memorial Award in Aeronautics

This award recognizes an aeronautics student who has made the most significant contribution to the teaching and research efforts of GALCIT (Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology). Preference is given to students working in structural mechanics.

John Stager Stemple Memorial Prize in Physics

This prize is awarded annually to a graduate student in physics for outstanding progress in research as demonstrated by an excellent performance on the oral Ph.D. candidacy exam.

R. Bruce Stewart Prize

This prize is awarded annually to a graduate teaching assistant in physics who demonstrates, in the broadest sense, unusual ability, creativity, and innovation in undergraduate and graduate classroom or laboratory teaching.

Thomas A. Tisch Prize for Graduate Teaching in Computing and Mathematical Sciences

The Graduate Teaching in CMS Awards were established in 2016 with a gift from Microsoft and then endowed through the generosity of Thomas A. Tisch (BS ’61). The prize and honorarium are awarded to a graduate and an undergraduate student for outstanding teaching and course development in computing and mathematical sciences. Awardees are selected by a committee of CMS faculty members.

Three Minute Thesis

Originally conceived by the University of Queensland and jointly sponsored by the Caltech Library and the Graduate Studies Office, the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition challenges Caltech graduate students to explain their research in an engaging and clear three-minute talk intended for a non-specialist audience.

Charles Wilts Prize

The Charles Wilts Prize is awarded annually for outstanding independent research in electrical engineering leading to a Ph.D degree. This prize was established in 1992 to honor Charles Wilts, a member of the electrical engineering faculty from 1947–1975, who made substantial contributions to the Department of Electrical Engineering.

The Outstanding Mentee Award

The Outstanding Mentee Award is given to women who demonstrated a sincere desire to succeed as a researcher and is committed to her personal development, open and willing to learn from her mentor and receptive to advice and counsel, worked with her mentor to establish realistic goals and demonstrated a commitment to carrying them out.

Candace Rypisi Outstanding Mentor Award

This award is given to individuals who are willing to share knowledge and enhance their mentee's professional and personal development. This person has provided emotional and moral support and encouragement while improving or helping facilitate access to career-related information and exposure to various professional resources. This awardee is someone who actively promotes their mentee's sense of competence, confidence, and belonging.

Note: Prizes and awards may be subject to federal and state income tax.

Published Date: Aug. 18, 2025