Congratulations to Aileen Morris, the 2025-2026 recipient of the Kristen Hanson Memorial Scholarship!
The nomination period for 2026 will open in the Fall. Please see below for eligibility and nomination instructions.
This award is made possible by the generosity of donors to the Division of Life Sciences.
When MCDB graduate Kristen Hanson passed away in 2012 at the age of 33, her friends Courtney Cochran, Sarah Wagman Ellenbogen, and Jennifer Cohen Bogan raised $25,000 to dedicate a bench at the UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden in her honor.
That experience inspired further philanthropy and the group then raised $100,000 to endow the Kristen Hanson Memorial Scholarship, which further extended Hanson’s legacy by awarding a scholarship to a Life Sciences student each year, chosen by a committee of faculty.
Kristen Hanson (‘02), Jennifer Cohen Bogan (‘01), Sarah Wagman Ellenbogen (‘01), Courtney Cochran (‘01)
She was disarming, funny, stylish and sincere, but most impressive was her intellect. Kristen always had the courage to tackle subjects dominated by men: science, math, finance. And she did so without ever apologizing for being a woman or for being feminine.
– Courtney Cochran
This award honors an undergraduate who exemplifies the many positive traits that Kristen embodied:
- academic accomplishment and a passion for science
- well-rounded interests
- leadership
- originality
- commitment to engage with the world
Eligibility
- Current UCLA undergraduate student
- Major in the Division of Life Sciences
- Nominated by an MCDB faculty member
Application and Selection Process
- MCDB faculty members submit nominations by November 17th, 2026 using this form.
- A faculty committee chooses three finalists by December 4, 2026. These students are invited to submit a CV/ resume and a short essay (750 words or less) answering the question “How have you taken the road less traveled in your studies and personal achievements?” This essay is due by January 4, 2027 and should share how you:
- have overcome a challenge
- contributed to your community
- plan on making an impact on society beyond graduation
- Please also describe what you are passionate about outside of the classroom.
- Finalists will be informed of the committee’s decision by February 1, 2027. Award conferred by the Chair during the MCDB graduation ceremony in the Spring.
Past Winners
Aileen Morris
- Researches how sensory experience guides brain wiring in the fruit fly
- EMT and EMT instructor
- Provides support and childcare to Persian immigrant families
- Serves the unhoused community by preparing meals, distributing supplies and volunteering at an urgent care clinic
Nominated by Daria Siekhaus and Larry Zipursky
Isabel Angres
- Researched human embryonic cell development
- Studied ethical, social, and cultural implications of genetics research
- Managing Editor of the Undergraduate Science Journal at UCLA
- Lab Director of CityLab
- Academic tutor for K-12 students
Nominated by Amander Clark
Elsa Couvillon
- Researched bringing RNAi to giant kelp
- UCLA rowing team member
- Suicide crisis hotline volunteer
- Pediatric cancer patient aid volunteer
Nominated by Siobhan Braybrook and Andrew Goldstein
Gianna Colombo
- Researched hematopoietic stem cell development
- Played the oboe in UCLA philharmonica et al.
- Volunteered teaching math, science, reading, music theory to middle school students.
Nominated by Hanna Mikkola
Avril Rincon
- Did research on zebrafish
- Taught Sunday school
- Prepared food baskets for distribution
- Advocated for public health initiatives
Nominated by Alvaro Sagasti
Zoe Ge
- Did research on E. coli repair mechanisms and antibiotic resistance
- Worked as a medical assistant
- Worked as an EMT during Covid
Nominated by Jeffrey Miller
Daniela Wong
Esmeralda Isabel Villavicencio González
Laila Sathe
Pagé Goddard
Nominated by Bogdan Pasaniuc and Valerie Arboleda.