There are three prizes associated with the Honors Research Symposium
The Heslet Scholar Awards
This award, named after Mary Lou Heslet, a former Foothill College Honors Director and a founding member of the Honors Research Symposium team, is the grand prize of the Symposium. Every year finalists are selected by the Proposal Committee based on the promise of their abstracts. A team of community college Honors Faculty judges views the finalist presentations and selects the winner. CLICK HERE for the rubric used by the judges to assist the Heslet Scholar selection.
New for 2026: Discipline-Specific Heslet Awards
This year, there will be three Heslet Scholar awards, separately judged by discipline experts in the following categories:
- Humanities & Fine Arts
- Social & Behavioral Sciences
- STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
2025 Heslet Scholar: Angelo Gutierrez, Los Medanos College, A New Ontology of Music: A Study of Space and
Voices in Marching Percussion
Past Winners
2024 Heslet Scholar: Ruth Lee, Cosumnes River College, Gratitude: The Replacement of Envy in the Pursuit of Happiness
2023: Arya Shadan, Cañada College, The Protest of Literature: The Diasporic Voices of the Iranian Revolution
The Katharine Award
This prize is named after Katharine Harer, a former Skyline College Honors Director and a Symposium founder. In the past, it recognized one student whose abstract showed outstanding written flair and expressiveness. However, it has been revamped for 2026 to incorporate a social justice lens.
Starting in 2026, The Katharine Award celebrates a project with the stated intention of contributing to a more just society, assisting a local community in need, and/or improving the lives of traditionally marginalized groups. The project’s proposal must employ original research, evocative language, creativity, commitment, authenticity and follow-through.
2025 Katharine Award Winner: Blessing Beyang, Mt. San Jacinto College, Some Things About Love: Passive Inclusivity in Animated TV Shows
Past Winners
2024 Kexuan Li, Irvine Valley College, The Virgin Queen and the Grandmother of Europe: A Comparative Analysis of Women’s Status in Elizabethan and Victorian England.
2023: Valeria Navarro, Los Medanos College, The Metamorphosis of Grete: An Evaluation of Facticity Illustrated in Dance
The Klaschus Honors Faculty of the Year Award
Named for Candy Klaschus, a former Las Positas College Honors Director and Symposium founder, this prize is given each year to an Honors Faculty member who has gone above and beyond in service to their school’s Honors Program.
2025 Klaschus Award Winner: Michael Plotkin, Mt. San Jacinto College
Past Winners
2024 Jeremiah Bodnar, Las Positas College
2023: Scott Cabral, Los Medanos College