The Leatherby Libraries is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize!

For the eighteenth year of this award, we received applications from students across numerous disciplines, including Anthropology, Applied Human Physiology, Business Administration, Community Education Studies, Creative Writing, Dance, Economics, Film and Media Studies, French, History, Liberal Studies, Music Composition, Political Science, Public Relations, Advertising, and Entertainment Marketing, Religious Studies, Sociology, and Strategic Communication.

 

Pictured from left to right: Dean of the Leatherby Libraries, Kevin Ross, Abigail Bond Halling, Rowan Eiselman, and Levi Ramirez Garcia.

We invited this year’s winners to the Leatherby Libraries on Friday, May 8, 2026, to celebrate their achievements at the Library Student Research Prize Ceremony.

First Place: Rowan Eiselman

Rowan, a senior studying Community Education, won first place for “Gaps in the Academy: Evaluating Pre-Service Criminal Justice Training for Interactions with Vulnerable Populations.”

I am truly honored to be recognized for my research. I plan to pursue a career in research and education within the criminal justice system, so receiving this award for my project, “Gaps in the Academy: Evaluating Pre-Service Criminal Justice Training for Interactions with Vulnerable Populations,” affirms that I am on the right track. Conducting research in the criminal justice system allows me to advocate for those impacted by it and shed light on a system many people know very little about. It feels meaningful to contribute to broader community education through this work. As I continue my education, starting next fall at USC for its Master of Studies in Law and, hopefully, pursuing a PhD, I will draw on this experience to push me forward. This is just the start of my research journey.

Second Place: Abigail Bond Halling

Our second-place winner, Abigail Bond Halling, is a senior, double-majoring in Sociology and Anthropology, Her paper is titled “Shaping the Ape: Storytelling, Cultural Reflection, and Boundary Negotiation in Human-Ape Zoo Encounters.”

“I am deeply honored to be recognized with the Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize. The resources made available through the Leatherby Libraries were foundational to my fieldwork at the Los Angeles Zoo and its subsequent development into my capstone project. Through this experience, I learned the indispensable value of interdisciplinary research, rigorous source evaluation, and careful methodological design, all of which I will carry forward in my future professional and academic career. Participating in this Research Contest also allowed me to engage reflexively with my use of library resources and to reflect on my development as a scholar in the social sciences. I am especially grateful to my advisors Steven Pfaff and Kyle Harp-Rushing, whose guidance allowed me to turn my passion for anthropology, sociology, and primatology into a cohesive research project.”

 

 

Third Place: Levi Ramirez Garcia

Levi, a senior double majoring in Political Science and Strategic Corporate Communications, was awarded third place for his work “More Money, More Votes? Not Always.”

I am honored to receive the 2026 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize. As an international, first-generation student, opportunities like this one carry deep meaning; they stand as a testament to achievement and determination, and as a reminder to make the most of every resource available to create a meaningful impact in my community. Through my research, I hope to help build a more research-driven community, one that understands and develops critical thinking about local politics. I am truly grateful for this opportunity, and for the chance to make an even greater impact.

 

About the Prize:

This research prize, established by the Leatherby Libraries in 2008, recognizes excellent research and the effective use of library resources, with a focus on information literacy. Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information to create new knowledge and to participate ethically in communities of learning.

“My wife Tam and I believe in the importance of information literacy. Information literacy is essential for students conducting useful and relevant research that informs both the public and the academic community, and is crucial to the success of any university. This Undergraduate Research Prize allows our students to showcase their research abilities by connecting their individual research interests with our outstanding librarians and abundance of library resources.” – Kevin Ross, Dean of the Leatherby Libraries

We sincerely thank Kevin and Tam Ross for their continued support of this research prize and our undergraduate students.

The selection committee included the following faculty members and librarians:

    • Taylor Greene, Leatherby Libraries, Chair of the Undergraduate Research Prize Selection Committee
    • Lauren McDaniel, Coordinator of Special Collections and Librarian at the Leatherby Libraries
    • Amy Telarico, Reference Librarian at the Leatherby Libraries
    • Dr. Louise Thomas, Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Student Success and Professor in the Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music
    • Dr. Michael Wood, Assistant Professor, Faculty Director of the Japanese Studies Program, WCAHSS

Thank you to all who applied to the 2026 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize and to the faculty and librarians who gave their time and effort to select the winning applicants.