The application for the 2026 Honors Program is now CLOSED.
Future applicants are encouraged to click the button above and preview the application in our grant portal. Please note that if this is your first time in the log-in portal, you will first have to create a profile (separate from your ASA login information).
About the Honors Program
The Honors Program provides exceptional undergraduate sociology students with a rich introduction to the professional life of the discipline through participation in special activities at the ASA Annual Meeting.
Honors Program students develop long-lasting networks with other sociologists while their sponsoring departments get to showcase their most outstanding majors.
At each year’s Annual Meeting, Honors Program students will:
- Present in an Honors Program roundtable paper session and participate in Honors Program workshops on careers and graduate school;
- Take part in regular sessions and special events; and
- Learn more about the ASA’s programs, initiatives, resources, special interest sections, elected leadership, and governance arms
All students accepted into the program receive free meeting registration. Participants must cover their own travel/lodging costs.
2026 Honors Program Cohort
| Abhishek Jaiswal | Arizona State University |
| Alexis Alvarez Figueroa | Santa Clara University |
| Amaris Martins | Hamilton College |
| Anna Dunscombe | Xavier University |
| Anton-August Macklin | Carleton College |
| Aransa Sanchez | University of California, Irvine |
| Arly Fitzgerald | Southwestern Michigan College |
| Bryan Herpfer | Appalachian State University |
| Caroline Teague | University of Washington |
| Danielle Vu | California State University, Fresno |
| Elijah Geduldig | University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Ella White | Santa Clara University |
| Eva Hanson | Mount Holyoke College |
| Eva Hernandez | Santa Clara University |
| Guitao Aaron Gu | Haverford College |
| Gwyneth Choi | Santa Clara University |
| Haley Beliveau | Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts |
| Haoyi Wang | Vanderbilt University |
| Jadyn Lewis-Jenkins | University of Chicago |
| Jenna Needham | The College of New Jersey |
| Jocelyn Shek | Harvard University |
| Julio Cedillo | University of California, Berkeley |
| Linda Soto | Santa Clara University |
| Madeline Phuong | Harvard University |
| Makenna Huffman | The University of Texas at Austin |
| Mayra Valencia | California State University, Stanislaus |
| Nora Mitchell | Harvard University |
| Olivia Hindman | University of Kansas |
| Omar Said Opeyany | University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Reese Huffman | University of North Carolina, Asheville |
| Rhett McClure | University of North Florida |
| Ryan Wong | University of California, Irvine |
| Ryann Yang (Alpha Kappa Delta award winner) | Virginia Tech |
| Samuel Liu | University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Shea Leary | University of North Florida |
| Talia Thessen | Univeristy of California, San Diego |
| Vicky Chen | University of Washington |
| Whitney Brooks | University of Wyoming |
| William Farley | University of Minnesota |
Xinyi Wendy Zheng (Alpha Kappa Delta award winner) | Macalester College |
| Yomna Zakaria | University of Washington |
| Zayd Chandiwala | University of Cincinnati |
- Applicants must be majoring in sociology.
- Applicants must be juniors or seniors (or sophomores, in special circumstances) in an undergraduate program at the time of application.
- Applicants must be exceptional students whose grades and professors can attest to their abilities.
All documents are expected to be single-spaced and in PDF format, unless otherwise stated. These components can also be viewed by logging into the grant portal and previewing the application form.
- Personal essay (one-page)
- Resume (one-page)
- Research paper (maximum 8 pages) that you have written for a sociology course as the product of an extended research project, senior thesis, or independent study. (Submissions may be theoretical or empirical, basic or applied.) The paper provided will be presented during the Roundtable Session of the Honors Program, if accepted.
- Copy of your transcript (official or unofficial)
- Letter of nomination from a faculty advisor. Instructions provided during the open call for applications.
Deadline to submit by 11:59 p.m. EST on February 17, 2026.
All Honors Program applications are reviewed by the Honors Program Advisory Board (listed below).
Application decisions are released in or before May. Students accepted into the program are encouraged to frequently check email for continuing correspondence through June and July.
In August, the Honors Program Agenda is sent to all participating students. Sessions listed on the program agenda are required unless marked optional.
The Honors Program is proud of its partnership with Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), the International Sociology Honor Society. The three winners of the AKD Undergraduate Student Paper Competition are automatically eligible to be part of the Honors Program.
For more information on the AKD Undergraduate Student Paper Competition and other opportunities offered by AKD, visit www.alphakappadelta.org.
Honors Program Advisory Board
| Cassandra Cotton | Arizona State University |
| Isabella Garcia Valdivia | University of Oregon |
| Nik Lampe | University of South Florida |
| Maria de Jesus Mora | California State University – Stanislaus |
| Shiri Noy | Denison University |
| Dawn Robinson | University of Georgia |
Questions?
For more information or to confirm eligibility, please contact [email protected].