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32nd Doris S. Perpall SURF Speaking Competition Finals

Thursday, January 15, 2026
1:30pm to 5:00pm
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Noyes 153 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall)
Perpall SURF Speaking Competition
  • Public Event

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 excited to host the 32nd Perpall Final Round! 6 Caltech undergraduates advanced from this year's Semi-Finals, conducted in November 2025. These finalists, listed below alphabetically alongside their mentors and co-mentors, were chosen by judges and session chairs for their excellence in communicating scientific ideas and concepts.

  • Shrila Esturi with Jeffrey Reimer (Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UC Berkeley), Sophia Fricke (Postdoctoral Fellow in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UC Berkeley), and Paul Wennberg (R. Stanton Avery Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Environmental Science and Engineering)
  • Diya Kumar with Fei Dai (Assistant Professor of Astronomy, University of Hawaii) and Lynne Hillenbrand (Professor of Astronomy)
  • Jude McLean with Philip Hopkins (Ira S. Bowen Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics) and Daichi Tsuna (Sherman Fairchild Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in Theoretical Astrophysics)
  • Grace Otos with Bil Clemons (Arthur and Marian Hanisch Memorial Professor of Biochemistry) and Jacob Kirsh (Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in Chemistry)
  • Avinash (Avi) Vadali with Jason Alicea (William K. Davis Professor of Theoretical Physics) and Pablo Sala (Postdoctoral Research Associate in Physics)
  • Ellie Wang with Yanan Sui (Associate Professor, Tsinghua University) and Joel Burdick (Richard L. and Dorothy M. Hayman Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering; Jet Propulsion Laboratory Research Scientist)

Event Schedule

  • 1:45 PM to 2:00 PM: Opening Remarks by Vincent Ton (Program Manager, Student-Faculty Programs)
  • 2:00 PM to 2:20 PM: Jude McLean
  • 2:20 PM to 2:40 PM: Shrila Esturi
  • 2:40 PM to 3:00 PM: Diya Kumar
  • 3:00 PM to 3:20 PM: Intermission
  • 3:20 PM to 3:40 PM: Ellie Wang
  • 3:40 PM to 4:00 PM: Grace Otos
  • 4:00 PM to 4:20 PM: Avinash (Avi) Vadali
  • 4:20 PM to 4:50 PM: Public Reception with Finalists and the Perpall Family
  • 5:00 PM: Announcement of the 2025 Perpall winners by Candace Rypisi (Assistant Vice Provost and Director of the Student-Faculty Programs Office)
For more information, please contact Vincent Ton by phone at 626-395-2921 or by email at [email protected].
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