Leadership, Research and More Than a Few Energy Drinks: InfoSci Spring 2026 Student Award Winners
Brooke Hesse, BSIS '26, crosses the stage at College of Information Science Spring Convocation on May 14, 2026. Hesse, an Outstanding Senior Award winner, is one of 14 College of Information Science Spring 2026 student award winners.
Photo by Michael McKisson.
From malware analysis and machine learning to immersive technologies and community leadership, the University of Arizona College of Information Science Spring 2026 student award winners leave behind more than resumes and research projects. They leave stories, some fueled by persistence, some by service and at least one, apparently, by an industrial quantity of energy drinks.
The college recently recognized graduate and undergraduate students for academic excellence, research, teaching, leadership and resilience ahead of Spring 2026 Convocation ceremonies.
“These students represent the very best of the College of Information Science,” says Interim Dean Catherine Brooks. “They are thoughtful scholars, innovative researchers, generous mentors and community builders. What stands out most is not only what they accomplished academically, but how they supported others while doing it. They have been extraordinary students, and we are extraordinarily proud of them.”
Outstanding Graduate Student
Robert Delfs, MS CIO '26.
Among the honorees is Outstanding Graduate Student Award recipient Robert Delfs, who earned his MS in Cyber and Information Operations and served as a student speaker at convocation. Reflecting on his time at U of A, Delfs says, “Graduate school is mostly quiet work and the occasional 72-hour stretch where time stops behaving normally, so it’s nice to see the effort recognized.” He adds that the MS CIO gave him “room to be wrong about something for long enough to get it right,” while noting that he “owes most of that to faculty who brought me into their research and a college that gave me the resources to chase questions of my own.”
PhD and Graduate Teaching Awards
Laura Werthmann Dozal, PhD in Information '26.
Laura Werthmann Dozal, recipient of the Outstanding PhD Student Award, says her experience in the PhD in Information inspired her to help others find support and belonging in the college community. “I wanted to give back and provide similar support to what was granted to me…. I have made it a point to make new students and researchers feel comfortable in our information community,” she says.
Salena Ashton, PhD in Information '26.
This year’s Graduate Teaching Award winners highlighted the collaborative spirit of teaching and learning. Salena Ashton, a PhD in Information student graduating this fall, praises students who “ask hard questions or push back on ideas,” adding, “they sharpen me as an instructor and I intend to keep earning their hard questions and idea discussions. This award also belongs to them.”
Dylan Maldonado, MLIS '25, PhD in Information.
Dylan Maldonado, who recently completed his first year in the PhD in Information after earning his MA in Library and Information Science, says the award reflects the culture of care within the college: “The kind of care, service and understanding of others that make up the beating heart of this community have had such a powerful impact on my work.”
Outstanding Master’s Students
Devashree Pawar, MSDS '26.
The college also recognized students from other graduate programs. Devashree Pawar, MS in Data Science student and recipient of one of two Outstanding Master’s Student Awards, describes the honor as “a reminder that showing up fully, even under the hardest circumstances, does not go unnoticed. This program gave me more than a degree in data science; it gave me the confidence to know I belong in this field, and the fuel to keep leading with intention in everything I do.”
Ali Madad Basharyar, MLIS '26.
Ali Madad Basharyar, a MA in Library and Information Science student and other recipient of the Outstanding Master’s Student Award, reflects on the broader impact of information work. “This degree has been about more than learning technologies and processes; it is about ethical stewardship, social equity, institutional innovation and the power of accessible resources for community development,” he says, adding that the award itself is “a combination of long nights, passion and the unwavering support of mentors.”
Undergraduate Awards: Wit and Wisdom
Undergraduate award winners brought equal parts achievement and personality to this year’s recognition.
Ethan Chumley, BAS CO '26.
Outstanding Senior Award recipient Ethan Chumley, who earned a BAS in Cyber Operations with a Cyber Engineering emphasis, sums up his academic journey this way: “After nine years, three different universities, seven changes to my major and an estimated $19,000 in energy drinks (roughly 1.1 kilograms of caffeine), we finally made it.”
Fellow Outstanding Senior Award recipient Brooke Hesse, a BS in Information Science student with an Interactive and Immersive Technologies emphasis and a student speaker at convocation, says the college’s interdisciplinary environment helped shape her future. “I was challenged to grow in ways I never expected and am leaving with a stronger sense of purpose, confidence and excitement for what comes next,” she says. “Receiving this award is incredibly meaningful because it reflects not only the hard work I’ve put in academically and as a leader, but also the people and experiences that shaped my time at the University of Arizona.”
Royce Yaezenko, BAS CO, BAS IIO '26.
Royce Yaezenko, recipient of the Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award, jokes that his research journey involved “countless hours and enough malware to infect the university ten times over.” The double major in Cyber Operations and Intelligence and Information Operations credited faculty, peers and the university community for helping make his work possible.
Vivian Huynh, BSIS '26.
The Undergraduate Leadership and Community Award recognized two students who helped strengthen the college community beyond the classroom. Vivian Huynh, an iAmbassador and BS in Information Science student with a Data Science emphasis, says the award reflects “the collaborative spirit the College of Information Science fosters,” noting that the BSIS “pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t expect.”
Humza Sheikh, BAS CO '26.
Humza Sheikh, a BAS in Cyber Operations student with a Cyber Defense and Forensics emphasis, ASUA senator for the college and Cyber Saguaros student club leadership team member, says his experience taught him that “true leadership is about creating infrastructure that outlasts you…. This award is a great validation of the hard work our entire student community has put in.”
Student Success Awards: Honoring First-Generation Students
Riqué Duhamell Escobedo, MLIS '26.
This year’s Student Success Award recipients included Iris Cao, who earned dual degrees in Information Science and Game Design and Development, along with MLIS graduates Riqué Duhamell Escobedo and Olivia Otero.
Duhamell Escobedo reflects on the significance of earning a master’s degree as a former foster youth: “Finishing my Master of Arts in Library and Information Science with such high honors is the culmination of everything I’ve dreamed of since starting college. Now being part of the 1% of former foster youth who obtain a master’s degree is a testament to the dedication I’ve put in over the years.”
Olivia Otero, MLIS '26.
Otero describes the recognition as both celebratory and deeply personal: “Grief and loss are such weird things to contend with in times of celebration, and this recognition is also in recognition of everyone who helped me get to this point. This is a celebration of what’s to come, while also recognizing the (albeit) difficult path it took to get here.”
Celebrating Community, Discovery and Stories
Together, the Spring 2026 award winners reflect the breadth of the College of Information Science itself—technical and creative, research-driven and people-centered, serious about their work but never entirely without humor. And with convocation just behind us, they leave with more than degrees. They leave with communities, discoveries and stories worth celebrating—and perhaps a little too much caffeine consumption.
Learn more about College of Information Science student awards, or join with us in celebrating this semester’s College Distinguished Scholars.