ABOUT THE PRIZE
The Jessie Alpaugh Senior Prize in Disability Studies, awarded annually, was established to recognize graduating seniors who are enrolled in the UCLA Disability Studies major or minor, and have developed an outstanding capstone project that contributes to emerging scholarship in the field and also captures their intellectual passion.
ABOUT JESSIE CHARLOTTE BLACKMAR ALPAUGH
The prize is named in honor of Jessie Charlotte Blackmar Alpaugh, an art history major at UC Berkeley who, during the last summer before her sudden death in 2002, worked at UCLA on an independent studies project that contributed to the foundation of UCLA’s Disability Studies minor.
At the age of 16, Jessie had suffered a catastrophic series of neurological illnesses that left her a quadriplegic with severe speech, hearing, and visual impairments. Despite these challenges, Jessie thrived intellectually and was admitted to UC Berkeley in 1999 as a Chancellor’s Scholar. There she found a vibrant group of scholars who were engaged in developing the interdisciplinary field of disability studies. The disability world was never a “club” that Jessie wished to join – the illness that had threatened her life and left her severely disabled deeply saddened her. However, through disability studies she discovered an amazing academic community that simultaneously challenged her mind, respected her experience, and sparked in her a sustaining passion and purpose.
Jessie would be extraordinarily proud of the UCLA Disability Studies program and would be humbled to learn about the senior prize awarded in her name.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Please review the 2025 Jessie Alpaugh Senior Prize Announcement to ensure eligibility BEFORE starting your application.
The prize totals $6,100 split into one or two awards.
In a single pdf document, include the following three items:
- Cover page with the following information:
- Full Name
- Student ID Number
- Enrolled in DIS STD 191, DIS STD 199B or DIS STD 198B
- Please list your 191 instructor or Faculty Mentor for 199B or 198B
- Internship Site
- A 1-page double spaced Capstone project proposal covering the following:
- Working title
- Brief explanation of the project
- Impact your project will have on the field of Disability Studies
- A 1-page double spaced response to the following prompt:
- Disability Studies scholars understand ‘disability’ as a social construction and a dominant lens through which we can understand difference in the world. How has disability studies shaped your perspective of difference? How is your capstone project related to your aspirations and how does it contribute to viable action to advance a just society?
Save the PDF in the following format:
- LastName_FirstName_Application.pdf
- Ex: Block_Gene_Application.pdf
Obtain a copy of your unofficial transcript and save it in the following format:
- LastName_FirstName_Transcript.pdf
- Ex: Block_Gene_Transcript.pdf
Email both files to the Jessie Alpaugh Senior Prize Committee*
Confirmation email:
- You will receive a confirmation email when your application has been received**
Applications are due Monday, May 5, 2025 at 11:59 PM
*Your application materials should be sent directly to the committee via the following email address: 2025.n9qwcw2m9m8zjv3a@u.box.com
**If you do not receive a confirmation email or if you are having issues uploading your application materials, please contact Nicole Chavez.
If you have questions about the application requirements, please contact Nicole Chavez.
Lani, a young woman with long, dark brown hair poses in front Royce Hall. She is wearing a white and blue dress with a blue and gold “Class of 2025” graduation stole.
LANI JACOBSON
Major: Communication and Disability Studies
Project Title: Disability in Musical Theater: An Exploration of d/Deafness in Musicals
Lani Jacobson recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from UCLA with degrees in Disability Studies and Communication. At UCLA, Lani’s passion for community outreach led her to join Bruin Belles Service Association and Medleys A Cappella, a service based singing group. Lani also served as an intern for Best Buddies where she paired individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in meaningful friendships. Lani seeks to improve accessibility in the spaces she enters and loves to share what she has learned through UCLA Disability Studies with the world. In her role as the Membership and Community Engagement assistant at the Assistance League of Los Angeles, she helps educate her co-workers on accessibility and introductory disability studies topics. She also works to create accessible service events which benefit unhoused and foster youth in LA. Lani also recently spoke at the Community Service Commission’s Service Impact Summit where she led a workshop on accessibility in service, education, communication, and daily life.
Lani has always loved the arts, specifically performing arts. Her passion for musical theater combined with disability justice led her to complete her capstone- Disability in Musical Theater: An Exploration of Deafness in Musicals. Drawing from knowledge gained in her Disability Studies courses, specifically DSM112 with Professor Raymond Knapp and DSM115 with Professor Ben Lewis, Lani outlined how viewing theater through the lens of disability enhances one’s experience. She watched multiple shows by Deaf West, an iconic, inclusive performing group that bridges the gap between the hearing and d/Dead world. She also met with leading industry professionals, such as DJ Kurs, to learn more about the disabled theater world. In the future, Lani would love to work alongside theater companies in producing inclusive productions. It is her mission to ensure that theater is available to everyone, whether they want to watch, perform, or work in production behind the scenes. She is grateful to her advisor, Professor Raymond Knapp, for all his guidance, as well as the other Disability Studies professors who have completely shifted her perspective. Lani is extremely honored to have been selected for the scholarship and thanks the committee for supporting her pursuit of accessible theater!
Aryan, a young man with short black hair, smiles in front of an amusement park. He is wearing a gray sweatshirt.
ARYAN PANDEY
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: Disability Studies
Project Title: Advancing Autonomy: Evaluating and Implementing Supported Decision-Making (SDM) in California’s Disability Landscape
Aryan Pandey graduated from UCLA in 2025 with a degree in Neuroscience and a minor in Disability Studies. Throughout his time at UCLA, Aryan’s work has centered on reimagining healthcare through the lens of accessibility and disability justice. His commitment to this mission began when he helped a patient with cerebral palsy schedule her first OB/GYN appointment in over five years, an experience that revealed the systemic neglect many individuals with disabilities face in clinical settings. This experience sparked his desire to address barriers not only in medicine but education. At Los Angeles City College’s Office of Special Services, Aryan serves as the Lead STEM Tutor, supporting students with disabilities through multisensory instruction and leading accessibility initiatives. Building on this work, he developed an AI-driven tool to help students navigate college, from accommodations to finding support services. His interest in early intervention led him to Therapy West Inc., where he works with young children with sensorimotor challenges and helps refine therapeutic programming. Extending his impact into emergency care, Aryan also collaborated as an EMT to revise prehospital response protocols, ensuring emergency services are more inclusive and responsive to the needs of patients with disabilities.
In his final year at UCLA, Aryan co-led an initiative on Supported Decision-Making (SDM) in collaboration with Dr. Linda Demer and an interdisciplinary research team. The project evaluated over 80 digital SDM resources for accessibility and cultural sensitivity. These resources are now featured in California’s State Council on Developmental Disabilities Resource Library. Aryan co-authored a policy proposal currently under review by UCLA Health and is working on a first-author national meta-analysis on the clinical efficacy of SDM tools in promoting patient autonomy. Beyond research, he is developing a webinar series to translate these findings into community education. His SDM work reflects a broader commitment to restructuring medical systems to center autonomy in culturally responsive care.
Aspiring to become a neurosurgeon, Aryan hopes to open a free neurosurgery clinic for individuals with disabilities. He believes no one should be disregarded because a system fails to uphold the equity it promises. For Aryan, medicine is not only a science but a platform for cultural recognition and promoting equity.
| Adam Kipust – 2024 Major: Psychobiology Project Title: Developing Disability Studies 19 – Sexual and Reproductive Health Care for People with Disabilities |
| Faith Lee – 2024 Major: Human Biology & Society Project Title: Blurring the Line |
| Rowan O’Bryan – 2023 Major: Art Project Title: The Familiar Pinch – Cystic Fibrosis Chronicles |
| Quinn O’Connor – 2022 Major: Theater Project Title: Disability Access and Representation Present in Los Angeles Theaters |
| Kathleen De Nicola – 2021 Major: Dance Project Title: Dancing Beyond the Eye – Using Audio Descriptions to Make Dance Accessible to the Blind and Visually Impaired Community |
| Kristal Orta Martinez – 2021 Major: History Project Title: Investigating the Experiences of Autistic Women of Color: Does the Spectrum Include Women of Color? |
| Veeksha Balasa – 2020 Major: Psychobiology Project Title: More Than a “Public Charge”: An Investigation of the Targeting of Migrants with Disabilities by the U.S. Immigration Regime |
| Amy Bugwadia – 2020 Major: Political Science Project Title: Integration of Disability Studies Frameworks into the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling Program at UCLA |
| Isita Tripathi – 2020 Major: Neuroscience Project Title: Embracing Neurodiversity: Impacts of an Early Social Skills Intervention on Acceptance and Advocacy among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Social Challenges |
| Avery Horne – 2019 Major: Psychology Project Title: Legalized Ableism: A Look Into the Criminality of Conservatorship Hearings in the U.S. |
| Bethanie Atinuke Sonola – 2019 Major: Psychology Project Title: Mind the Gap: The Role of Special Education in Higher Education Outcomes |
| Juliana Kotz – 2018 Major: Cognitive Science Project Title: Human Rights, Dignity, and Disability Studies: An Investigation of Jail Conditions for People with Psychiatric Disabilities |
| Justin Kawakami – 2017 Major: English Project Title: “Merely more than de minimis”: Establishing Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the United States under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) |
| Miso Kwak – 2017 Major: Psychology Project Title: Relationship Between Accessibility of Music Education and Self-Esteem of Blind/Visually Impaired Students in Grades 6-12 |
| Jaemmie Cañas – 2016 Major: Anthropology Project Title:What Futures Await Foster Youth and Psychiatric Disabilities? |
| Rebecca Snyder – 2016 Major: Psychology Project Title: Examination of Voting Restrictions for Individuals with Mental Disabilities |
| Dianna Padilla – 2015 Major: Anthropology Project Title: Latino Border Town Communities and Autism: An Analysis on Access to Resources for Children with Autism in Nogales, Arizona |
| Nikki Reyes – 2015 Major: English Literature Project Title: SISE – Sensory Integration Strategies for Early Educators (A proposal for Public Early Educators) |
| Brittany Steiminger – 2014 Major: Psychology Project Title: Democratic Schooling: A viable alternative for autistic students? |
| Shayna Svihovec – 2014 Major: Human Biology and Society Project Title: Straddling the Line Between the Deaf and Hearing Communities in a Hearing Dominated World |
| Hannah Warren – 2013 Major: Psychology Project Title: Insurance and Intervention: An Evaluation of the Relationship between Service Access and Socioeconomic Status of Families with Children with Autism |
| Jessica Kianmahd – 2013 Major: Psychology Project Title: Proposing a New Perspective of Disability: Approaching the Persian Jewish Community from a Jewish Lens |
| Paulina Ong – 2012 Major: Physical Science Project Title: Saying Something About Autism: An Evaluation of the Personhood Consciousness Model of Music Therapy |
| Sarah Baron – 2012 Major: Political Science Project Title: Impact of Affordable Care Act for people with disabilities |
| Eunice Im – 2011 Major: English Project Title: What Happened to the Clubhouse? An Investigative Study on a Program for Children with Autism in the UCLA Medical Center |
| Rhiannon Maycumber – 2011 Major: Psychology Project Title: A Qualitative Comparison of Transition Practices for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in California and the United Kingdom |
| Shareen Nizami – 2010 Major: Political Science Project Title: Working with the FMLA: Expanding Rights of the Workforce |
| Michelle Tang – 2010 Major: English Project Title: Center Stage: How a Passion for the Performing Arts Help Deaf/hard of Hearing Individuals Find a Social Outlet and Overcome Their Disability |
| Ashley Johnson – 2025 |
| Aaron Nguyen – 2025 |
| Arezo Ahmadi – 2024 |
| Samantha Chang – 2022 |
| Nanami Murata – 2022 |
| Priyanka Bhakta – 2021 |
| Natalie Hynes – 2021 |
| Haley Gamboa – 2019 |
| Samantha Mallari – 2019 |
| Claudine Ignacio – 2018 |
| Elaine Lu – 2018 |
| Amanda Mekhail – 2017 |
| Hayley McAvoy – 2017 |
| Lindsey Hoffman – 2016 |
| Vanessa Magula – 2016 |
| Ana Zepeda – 2016 |
| Cindy Sayani – 2015 |
| Kristen Lee – 2015 |
| Brianna Mitchell- 2013 |
| James Choi – 2012 |
| Jenna Rodman – 2012 |
| Laura Merchant – 2010 |
| Lillian Kong – 2010 |