2026 Perpall SURF Speaking Competition | Semi-Final Round Session B

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 become an incredible force in improving the oral presentation skills of Caltech undergraduates.

The Student-Faculty Programs Office is proud to announce the Semi-Final Round of the 2026 Perpalls, featuring 29 Caltech undergraduates who were selected for their outstanding presentations during Fall Seminar Day. These semi-finalists, representing a wide range of research disciplines, were chosen by judges and session chairs for their clarity in communicating complex scientific ideas.

Session B is dedicated to projects within the Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy. The schedule of presentations is below, organized by time of presentation, name of the semi-finalist, and their mentors:

Schedule of Presentations

• 2:00 PM to 2:20 PM: Margaux Wong with Charles Young (Senior Scientist, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory), Caterine Vernieri (Assistant Professor of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Stanford University), and Harvey Newman (Professor of Physics)
• 2:20 PM to 2:40 PM: Ram Sivaraman with Gil Refael (Taylor W. Lawrence Professor of Theoretical Physics), Yinan Chen (Graduate Student in Physics), Nina del Ser (DFG Postdoctoral Scholar Fellowship Trainee in Theoretical Physics), and Jacob Steiner (Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in Theoretical Physics)
• 2:40 PM to 3:00 PM: Marcus King with James Fuller (Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics) and Jose Rafael Fuentes (Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in Theoretical Astrophysics)
• 3:00 PM to 3:20 PM: Hypatia Hamkins with John Urschel (Class of 1956 Career Development Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Catherine Babecki (Olga Taussky and John Todd/von Karman Postdoctoral Scholar Teaching Fellow in Mathematics)
• 3:20 PM to 3:40 PM: Runqin Chen with Marco Bernardi (Professor of Applied Physics, Physics, and Materials Science) and Tommaso Chiarotti (Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in Applied Physics and Materials Science)
• 3:40 PM to 4:00 PM: Owen Xu with Matthew Gherman (Hearst Teaching Assistant Professor of Mathematics) and Tasmin Chu (Graduate Student in Mathematics)
• 4:00 PM to 4:20 PM: Mason DuBois with Ryan Lau (Staff Scientist, IPAC) and Mansi Kasliwal (Professor of Astronomy; Director, Palomar Observatory)
• 4:20 PM to 4:40 PM: Phoebe Richter with Yassine El Maazouz (Harry Bateman Postdoctoral Scholar Teaching Fellow in Mathematics)