Dalia van Zyll, who is graduating with a B.A. in Communication, receives the Luis Leal Social Sciences Undergraduate Award for outstanding interdisciplinary achievement in the social sciences. The award was established in honor of the late Don Luis Leal, a distinguished visiting professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies, whose presence and scholarship greatly enriched the Santa Barbara campus.

"UCSB has shaped who I am today as well as my aspirations for the future. Attending this institution and engaging in its undergraduate research opportunities in the Communication Department enabled me to use my learnings from class to make a difference and contribute to human knowledge. I enjoyed learning about the valuable research conducted by my professors, who inspired me to explore my own research interests. From working on a campaign to aid collegiate DACA recipients to writing a conference paper highlighting the Me Too movement, I am so proud to have attended a university that supported my desire to raise awareness of important issues in order to enact change. It is such an honor to receive the Luis Leal Social Sciences Undergraduate Award. I hope to follow in Luis Leal's footsteps and continue to reach new heights and enrich my surroundings after graduation. I look forward to furthering my education at the USC Marshall School of Business and am excited to apply my undergraduate experience to graduate school and my career pursuits thereafter."