Doris S. Perpall SURF Speaking Competition

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.

Congratulations to the 2024 Perpall SURF Speaking Competition winners!

• First Place: Ishita Mathur with Pablo Moscato (Professor of Computer Science, The University of Newcastle, Australia) and Shinsuke Shimojo (Gertrude Baltimore Professor of Experimental Psychology)
• Second Place: Virginia (Gigi) H. Pistilli with Ingibjörg Svala Jónsdóttir (Professor of Ecology, University of Iceland) and Bastien C. Papinot (Graduate Student in Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland)
• Third Place: Kai L. Svenson with Maria Spiropulu (Shang-Yi Ch'en Professor of Physics)