Every year, the University Honors Program invites student nominations for Research, Service, and Leadership awards. These are our 2025 winners.

Research & Innovation Award

UHP is thrilled to present Foram Shah with the 2025 Karim Majdi Abou Najm Research & Innovation Student Award. 

Every University Honors Program student is encouraged to engage in research or scholarship in which they have the opportunity to apply classroom experiences to real-world situations. Within UHP and Undergraduate Education, we are incredibly proud of all that our students accomplish. The UHP Research & Innovation Award acknowledges a UHP student’s dedication to academic rigor, curiosity, service, and exploration through a research or creative project.

 Shah whose extensive research has made an impact in the field of Computer Science. Her recent work focused on highlighting the equity gap in education surrounding Machine Learning and data cleaning. They found that many individuals without technical backgrounds lack access to foundational knowledge in these areas. Shah’s research aimed to bridge this gap by providing free, accessible resources that demystify machine learning concepts and preprocessing techniques in digestible formats. By promoting data clarity and inclusion, the project seeks to reduce cognitive load, improve collaboration, and foster diversity and accessibility in the field of Computer Science and specifically Machine Learning     

Congratulations Foram!

Majdi Abou Najm and Nadine Yehya, parents of Karim Majdi Abou Najm a UHP undergraduate researcher and alum who the award commemorates, present the 2025 Research & Innovation Award to Foram Shah.

Community Service Award

UHP is pleased to present Julia Borger with the Community Service Award

The UHP Community Service Award recognizes one student for exhibiting a commitment to giving back to the community during their undergraduate career. All UHP students understand the responsibility to serve the community, but some students truly go above and beyond in their service.

Julia served with the Joan Viteri Memorial Clinic, Therapeutic Recreation Services, and the UC Davis Redwood SEED Scholars Program where she worked with students with intellectual disabilities.

She shares, “Throughout my various service, I have learned that forming strong bonds with the students and supporting their growth, I grew even more passionate about providing care that honors dignity and embraces diversity. Today, every moment where my guidance translates to independence for communities with disabilities motivates me to continue creating opportunities for those who are often overlooked, as I am reminded that anything is possible with the right support.”

Congratulations Julia!

UHP staff members Char'reale Stuger and Kate Andrup Stephensen present the 2025 Community Service award to Julia Borger. 

Student Leadership Award

This year’s Student Leadership Award is presented to Gaius Ilupeju

The UHP Leadership Award identifies one student who has exhibited leadership, excellence, and dedication to being a positive, driving force in society. This student has taken the resources and skills they have learned throughout life and through UHP to be a trailblazer. Gaius Ilupeju served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Associated Students, UC Davis (ASUCD)

Gaius demonstrated unwavering leadership in advocating for underrepresented and marginalized communities. Drawing from personal inequities, he sought to bridge the gap to provide resources and opportunity in their community. At UC Davis and across the UC system, he implemented impactful initiatives—from expanding student food pantries and housing access to developing inclusive programs and advocating for equitable policies at the state and federal levels. As ASUCD President, Gaius’ work has continued to break ground through transportation safety initiatives, Associated Students wage increases, student-run transitional housing resources, and services that prioritize the needs of marginalized students.

In reflecting on what it means to be a leader, Gaius had this to say, “Leadership is the ability to organize individuals towards the accomplishment of a shared goal in an inclusive manner that demonstrates the value of their contributions. I learned that effective collaboration requires both stepping back to create space for others and stepping forward to facilitate constructive dialogue when needed. These lessons continue to inform my approach to coalition-building and policy development.”

Congratulations Gaius!

UHP Staff members Jeni Alvarado and Kate Andrup Stephensen present the 2025 Leadership award to Gaius Illupeju.