Honors Program in Anthropology
Malinowski Prize for Undergraduate Research
Ruth Fulton Benedict Paper Prize
The Zora Neale Hurston Prize for Creative, Multimodal Anthropology
Reza Zarif and Rufina Paniego School of Social Sciences Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Anthropology
Current and Past Malinowski and Ruth Fulton Benedict Award Winners
Lambda Alpha
 

Honors Program

The four-quarter Honors Program in Anthropology is designed to allow undergraduates to pursue field research and write an Honors thesis on a topic of their choice under the guidance of Department of Anthropology faculty members. Research projects typically involve a combination of library research, exploratory ethnographic interviews, participant observation, and systematic data collection and analysis. Successful completion of the Honors program and the Honors thesis satisfies the upper-division writing requirement.

ELIGIBILITY

Admission to the program is based on a formal application that is normally submitted in the Winter quarter of the junior year.

To be eligible for the Honors program, students should:

  • Be Anthropology majors
  • Have an overall GPA of at least 3.3
  • Have a GPA of at least 3.5 in Anthropology major courses
  • Have completed or be concurrently enrolled in ANTHRO 100A

Informational Meeting will be on Thursday, January 23rd 2025, SBSG 3323 at 5:00PM

APPLICATIONS

To apply for the honors program in 2025-26 (you must expect to graduate in spring or summer 2025): Complete the Docusign Application Form, fill it out, have your advisor sign the form, by Sunday, February 23, 2025 for the 2025-26 academic year. You will be notified of application results via email by Thursday, March 27, 2025. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Undergraduate Program Directors, Professor Ian Straughn (istraugh@uci.edu).

 

DEADLINES, EXPECTATIONS, and TIMELINE for Honors Students

Students who are accepted into the Honors program complete a four-quarter Honors seminar series beginning in Spring quarter of their junior year. Students will write a proposal describing their research questions, the relevant background literature, and the methods of data collection and analysis (ANTHRO H190A); conduct ethnographic field research (ANTHRO H190B); apply qualitative data analysis methods to their research data (ANTHRO H190C); and write a senior Honors thesis that is typically 40 to 80 pages long (ANTHRO H190W). Each quarter, students must concurrently be enrolled in one unit of ANTHRO 199 with their thesis advisor. Honors theses are read and evaluated by the advisor and the Undergraduate Program Director.

STEP 1: Find a topic and an advisor (ideally during the first half of Junior year)

At this beginning stage, you should find a professor willing to serve as your research project advisor on the basis of a mutually acceptable abstract that indicates the goal and significance of the study. The faculty advisor must be a full time regular faculty member in the Anthropology Department. Any other potential advisor is subject to the approval of the Undergraduate Director.

STEP 2: Submit an Honors Program application by the deadline.

See above for a link to the application and more information about current deadlines and the submission process.

STEP 3: For Spring 2024 enroll in ANTHRO H190A (3 units) AND enroll in ANTHRO 199 (1 unit) with your advisor.

During the Spring quarter of your Junior year, you and the other Honors program participants will design your research projects, submit your research protocols for ethical review, and apply for UROP and/or SURP funding.

STEP 4: For Fall, enroll in ANTHRO H190B (3 units) AND enroll in ANTHRO 199 (1 unit) with your advisor.

Having spent time developing your project over the previous Spring, you should be ready to start research in the Fall. You will spend the bulk of the Fall quarter conducting research.

STEP 5: For Winter, enroll in ANTHRO H190C (3 units) AND ANTHRO 199 (1 unit) with your advisor.

During the Winter quarter, you will continue or finish your primary research and will focus on analyzing your data. You will complete an annotated outline of the thesis, including chapter or section abstracts, and bibliographic information.

DUE Monday of Week 10 in Winter quarter: AT MINIMUM, an annotated outline with chapter or section abstracts, delivered to your advisor.

STEP 6: For Spring, enroll in ANTHRO H190W.

This course fulfills your upper division writing requirement. Over the Spring quarter, you will complete a full draft of the thesis and turn it in to your advisor and the Undergraduate Director three weeks prior to the last day of the quarter. After receiving feedback on the draft, you must submit the final version of the thesis by the end of the quarter. Be sure to check all deadlines and plan appropriately.

DUE Monday of Week 7, Spring quarter: Full first draft of thesis, delivered to your advisor.

NOTE: In order to graduate with Honors, you must submit a full draft of your thesis to your faculty advisor by this date. If you do not submit a full draft of your thesis to your advisor by this deadline, you will NOT receive Honors at graduation. The draft should be a complete thesis that requires only minor stylistic or bibliographic work, or easily fixable revisions, before being submitted in final form.

DUE Friday of Week 10, Spring quarter: Final thesis/draft, delivered to your advisor.

NOTE. If you plan on submitting your thesis for a paper prize, these deadlines may need to be revised to earlier dates. Talk to your advisor and the Undergraduate Director for details.

Anthropology Honors Degree Check Form

Anthropology Honors Students, 2023-2024

Ethan Cole Ambrose

Gavin Michael Mosher

Giselle Jacquelin Solorio 

Mathew Clinton Margrave

Natali Vivian Lemus

Anthropology Honors Students, 2022-2023

Madilyn Salgado

Anthropology Honors Students, 2021-2022
Jacob Ryan Clayton
Andrea Danielle Valentini
Sadat Zaman

Anthropology Honors Students, 2020-2021
Obeydah Mona Darwish
Christine Ji-Young Kim
Layla Dawn Athena Littlemeyer
Mara Jordan Shaprio

Anthropology Honors Students, 2019-2020
Talin Abramian
Tanya Michelle Bertone
Arian Karimi
Victoria Angela Maola
Karla Denisse Milicich
Jael Alanah Nixon
Nina Parshekofteh
Lafayette Pierre White

Anthropology Honors Students, 2018-19
Salvador Lee Amezuca III
Abbygail Noelle Banglos
Carisa Rochelle Carlton
Melissa Hurtado
Gloria Sosa
Melissa Grace Whitsell
Anthropology Honors Students, 2017-2018
Diego Davila Macias
Nan Ding
Jennifer Jones
Sarah Shirori Mahoney
Jack Elliott Smith

Anthropology Honors Students, 2016-2017
Soha Bayginegad
Madison Marie Dixson
Aaron Goeser
Yuneun Pamela Lopez Acosta
Amanda M. Ortscheid

Anthropology Honors Students, 2015-2016
Medha Asthana
Harwood Garland II
Krystina Jarema
Eurie Kim
Natalie Schroeder

Anthropology Honors Students, 2014-2015
Arielle Margot Arambula
Ricardo Avelar
Jordan Harrison Glenn
Victoria Hoerth Litvin
Allison Stoddard Krebs
Amanda Victoria Ramirez
Ashley Kayrinna Wellls

Anthropology Honors Students, 2013-2014
Ali Shamsuddin Alkhatib
Christopher Bucklew
Sharon Ho
Linh Khai Le
Jacqueline Anh Nguyen
Nadia Nikroo

Samuel Puliafico
Alexander Tron

Anthropology Honors Students, 2012-2013
Jessica Michelle Holland
Shadia Jennifer Mansour
Esther Marie Mealy
Mika Alyssa Smith
Jazmine Ka Yan Wong
Anne Marie Mariscal

Anthropology Honors Students, 2011-2012
Jaime Allen
Autri Baghkhanian
Markie Bear
Meghan Brady
Jennifer Bui
Marc Calilan
Julianne M. Holloway
Emily K. Johnston-O'Neill
Khuyen Lam
Yuliya A. Polovinchik

Anthropology Honors Students, 2010-2011
Anun Arshad
Caroline Clausen
Farley Hamada
Elizabeth McDowell
Merusha Nasoordeen
Nahal Nikroo
Shahrzad Mossanenzadeh
Donna Vuu

Honors Students in Anthropology, 2009-2010
Shaheen Amirebrahimi
Jamie Bennigsdorf
Ian Collins
Hadia Hakim
Kate Rippel
Sarah Seif

 



 

Paper Prizes in Anthropology

The Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine, announces three undergraduate student paper prizes that recognize outstanding achievement in anthropological research and communication. The recipient of each paper prize will receive a $100 award.

The Malinowski Prize for Undergraduate Research

The Malinowski Prize for Undergraduate Research recognizes outstanding original research. Original research encompasses independent data collection based on any combination of the following methods: participant observation, interviews, surveys, documentary research, collection of images or texts from popular culture, and/or formal data collection and analysis. Anthropology majors who conduct such studies as part of regular coursework, an Honor's thesis, UROP, SURP, EAP, or other such programs are eligible. Papers written in collaboration with faculty members may NOT be submitted.

Criteria: Students may submit only one paper for consideration for this prize. Papers should be no more than 40 pages in length. Honor's theses may be submitted, but must adhere to the length requirement. The winning research paper will be posted and archived on the Departmental website and the recipient of the prize will receive an award at the Department's Spring awards ceremony.

Deadline: May 16, 2025. Please submit your project via the Google Form. Faculty may nominate student projects (only one project per student); please submit a copy of the project with your nomination by 1 pm on May 16, 2025. 

 

The Ruth Fulton Benedict Paper Prize

The Ruth Fulton Benedict Paper Prize recognizes outstanding writing in anthropology. All undergraduates are eligible. The recipient of the paper prize will receive a $100 award.

Criteria:
Students may submit only one paper for consideration from an anthropology class at UCI. Papers should be no more than 30 pages in length. Honor's theses may not be submitted. The paper need not report on original research, but it must demonstrate analytical acuity, creativity, and dexterity with the conventions of anthropological writing. The winning paper will be posted and archived on the Departmental website, and the recipient of the prize will receive an award at the Department's Spring awards ceremony.

Deadline: May 16, 2025. Please submit your project via the Google Form. Faculty may nominate student projects (only one project per student); please submit a copy of the project with your nomination by 1 pm on May 16, 2025. 

The Zora Neale Hurston Prize for Creative, Multimodal Anthropology

The Zora Neale Hurston Prize for Creative, Multimodal Anthropology recognizes outstanding anthropological engagement across multiple media, including film, image, sound, and digital technologies. All undergraduates are eligible. The recipient of the prize will receive a $100 award.

Criteria: Students may submit only one project for consideration from an anthropology class at UCI. These may include videos, podcasts, animations, photo essays, graphic narratives, performances, games, ethnographic fiction, posters, or other multimodal projects. Projects should demonstrate effective and creative communication of anthropological methods and insights. Projects may be accompanied by a brief (1-2 page) written description or artist's statement. The winning project will be posted and archived on the Departmental website, and the recipient of the prize will receive an award at the Department's Spring awards ceremony.

Deadline: May 16, 2025. Please submit your project via the Google Form. Faculty may nominate student projects (only one project per student); please submit a copy of the project with your nomination by 1 pm on May 16, 2025. 

 

Current and Past Malinowski and Ruth Fulton Benedict Paper Prize Winners

Malinowski Prize:

2024 - Sebastian Calderon

2023 - Chinaenye Ibeanusi

2022 - Alvaro Garcia

2021 - Christine Kim

2020 - Victoria Angela Maola, "Dinner Table Conversations: An Ethnographic Collection of a Speech Community of Bilingual Italian-Americans in North County San Diego, California." (Faculty sponsors: Kris Peterson and Justin Richland)

2019 - Nina Parshekofteh, "A Green Strand in the Urban Fabric" (Faculty sponsor, Valerie Olson)

2018 - Aaron Michael Goeser, "Evading Capture: The Affective Movements of a Samurai Art" (Faculty sponsor, Valerie Olson)

2018 - Amanda Ortscheid (Honorable Mention), "The Inevitable Ascendance of Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Conceptualization of Social and Scientific Progress" (Faculty sponsor, Valerie Olson)

2017 - Madison Marie Dixson, "Humans and their Emotional Support Animals: Challenging Legal and Social Discourses with Lived Experiences" (Faculty sponsor, Angela Jenks)

2016 - Medha Asthana

2014 - Linh Khai Le, "Documentary: An Argument for Subjectivity" (Faculty sponsor, Roxanne Varzi)

2013 - Not Awarded

2012 - Not Awarded

2011 - Farley Hamada, "Of Plight and Providence: Big Pharma and the Effects of Pharmaceutical Advertising on U.S. Patients with RLS, Insomnia, GERD, and GAD"
(Faculty sponsor: Keith Murphy)

2010 - Not Awarded

2009 - Hadia Hakim, "Palestinian Identity-Formation in Yarmouk: Constructing National Identity Through the Development of Space" (Faculty sponsor, Victoria Bernal)

2008 - Ana Siria Urzua, "Gentrification and Displacement: Assessing Responses in Santa Ana, California" (Faculty sponsor, Michael Montoya)

2007 - Kevin Michael Smith and Raul Perez, "Research in Intentional Communities: Past and Present" (Faculty sponsor, Bill Maurer)

2006 - Ashley T. Brenner, "Analysis of the Perception of the Paradigms of Archaeology and the Effect on the Discipline" (Faculty sponsor, Bill Maurer)

Benedict Prize:

2024 - Zara Kihm

2023 - Antoni Kalkowski

2022 - Jiaxin Li

2021 - Monica Rodas

2020 - K Persinger, "'Online you can...seek out people you know are going to accept you': A Discussion of LGBT + Digital Fandom Community" (Faculty sponsor: Anneeth Hundle)

2019 - Lafayette White, "Urban Aesthetic Authoritarianism" (Faculty sponsor: Valerie Olson)

2018- Sarah Shiori Mahoney, "The Machiya Boom: Remodeling Identity Through Space" (Faculty sponsor: Sylvia Nam)

2017 - Angela Romea

2016 - Natalie Schroeder,

Carmen Chem, Honorable Mention

2015 - Not Awarded

2014 -Jazmin Martinez, "Join Us In Mouring"

2013 - William Larsen, "Fishing for Answers"

2013 - Mallory Bruno, "Death is Cute: Global Consumer Images of the Supernatural Aspects of Death"

2012 - Not Awarded

2011 - Elizabeth McDowell, "Birth Control, Out of Our Control"
(Faculty Sponsor, Susan Greenhalgh)

2010 - Ariana Keil, "Genital Anxieties and the Quest for the Perfect Vulva: A Feminist Analysis of Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery"
(Faculty Sponsor, Susan Greenhalgh)

2009 - Monica Murtaugh, "Constructing the Haitian Zombie: An Anthropological Study Beyond Madness"
(Faculty sponsor, Angela Garcia)

2008 - Not Awarded

2007 - Katie Harrison, "The Image of the Disney Princess and the Impressions of Feminism"
(Faculty sponsor, Susan Greenhalgh)

2006 - Jeannine Stepanian, "Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Policies in the U.S."
(Faculty sponsor, Tom Boellstorff)

Hurston Prize

2024 - Angelina Miller

2023 - Angeline Phu

2022 - Mia Isabelle Castro

2021 - Nicole Diem

2020 - Mirindah Yang, "The Mystical Wellness of Ankhlettes" (Faculty sponsor: Ian Straughn)

2019 - Nichole Yuki Wong, "An Encounter with Biomedicine. A Story about a Cholecystectomy" (Faculty sponsor: Angela Jenks)

The Reza Zarif and Rufina Paniego School of Social Sciences Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Anthropology

2013 - Not Awarded

2012 - Adrienne Nguyen

2011 - Julianne Holloway

2010 - Claudia Moya
The value of anthropology in Claudia's words: "College has opened my mind and it has expanded it beyond all my expectations...If it had not been for anthropology, I would not have been able to accept the fact that there are more important things in life than letter grades. And this is where anthropology's biggest life lesson comes in: everyone has a story. One of my goals in life is to help tell someone's true-life story and to help make one life easier to live. The more we open our eyes and our minds to the world around us, the more we learn about ourselves. Thus, it is a win-win situation. You just have to be willing to take risks and respect differences."

2009 - Elizabeth McDowell
The value of anthropology in Lizzie's own words: "While nations may be able to amass an impressive arsenal of weaponry, they will not possess the tools to discover the root cause of their conflicts, many of which are seated in cultural differences. That is why anthropology is the most advantageous tool one can possess. By using it, a wealth of knowledge can be gained and applied to propose concrete solutions when we are in dire need of them."