2025 Perpall SURF Speaking Competition | Semi-Final Round Session B

The Doris S. Perpall SURF Speaking Competition was endowed by Robert (Bob) C. Perpall (BS ‘52 Mechanical Engineering; MS '56 Mechanical Engineering) in memory of his late wife as an incentive for Caltech students to give excellent oral presentations. Mr. Perpall strongly believed that effective communication skills were critical to one's future success.

For over thirty years, the Perpall SURF Speaking Competition has developed into an incredible force for improving the oral presentation skills of Caltech undergraduates.

The Student-Faculty Programs Office is proud to announce the Semi-Final Round of the 2025 Perpalls, featuring 27 Caltech undergraduates who were selected for their outstanding presentations during Fall Seminar Day. These semi-finalists, representing a wide range of research disciplines, were chosen by judges and session chairs for their clarity in communicating complex scientific ideas.

Session B is dedicated to projects within the Divisions of Humanities & Social Sciences, Geology & Planetary Sciences, and the Departments of Mathematics and Astronomy. The schedule of presentations is below, organized by time of presentation, name of the semi-finalist, and their mentors:

• 2:00 PM to 2:20 PM: Ella Holland with Victoria Orphan (James Irvine Professor of Environmental Science and Geobiology; Allen V. C. Davis and Lenabelle Davis Leadership Chair, Center for Environmental Microbial Interactions; Director, Center for Environmental Microbial Interactions) and Jeremy Schreier (Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in Geobiology)
• 2:20 PM to 2:40 PM: Diya Kumar with Fei Dai (Assistant Professor of Astronomy, University of Hawaii) and Lynne Hillenbrand (Professor of Astronomy)
• 2:40 PM to 3:00 PM: Vivian Loh with Matthew Gherman (Assistant Teaching Professor of Mathematics)
• 3:00 PM to 3:20 PM: Aleksandar Marinkovic with John O'Doherty (Fletcher Jones Professor of Decision Neuroscience) and Sneha Aenugu (Graduate Student in Social Science)
• 3:20 PM to 3:40 PM: Jude McLean with Philip Hopkins (Ira S. Bowen Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics) and Daichi Tsuna (Sherman Fairchild Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in Theoretical Astrophysics)
• 3:40 PM to 4:00 PM: Samuel Moss with Aravind Asok (Professor of Mathematics, University of Southern California) and Thomas Graber (Professor of Mathematics; Executive Officer for Mathematics)
• 4:00 PM to 4:20 PM: Alana Nisperos with Geoffrey Blake (Professor of Cosmochemistry and Planetary Sciences and Professor of Chemistry) and Emma Dahl (Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in Planetary Science)