More about the Vodopia-Hasson Competition

Memories of summer jobs while at Caltech sparked Sam Vodopia's (BS '54, Physics; Ricketts House) interest in the SURF program. "What a better way for students to earn a stipend over the summer and have an opportunity to see firsthand what research is all about and the cooperative efforts involved," he once remarked. After Caltech, Sam worked at both Bell Labs and the Hughes Aircraft Company.

It was at the Hughes Aircraft Company, where Sam met his life-long partner of over 50 years, Carol Hasson. Carol attended Reed College and graduated in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. At Hughes, Carol worked as a Systems Engineer and did real-time software programming.

Sam and Carol generously endowed this competition in 2016, creating an incentive for students presenting their work in the summer to practice excellent poster presentation skills. In appreciation for many years of outstanding contribution toward our students, the 2020 SURF year was dedicated to both Sam and Carol.

The Vodopia-Hasson SURF Summer Poster Competition is the only Communication Competition open to both Caltech and visiting students, as this competition occurs during Summer Seminar Day. Judging occurs during the Poster Session portion of Seminar Day, and winners are announced live at the conclusion of the session. The next Vodopia-Hasson Competition will happen on Thursday, August 21, 2025, with additional details to be announced in mid-July 2025.