Awards

Sam Z. Coronado Student Poster Art Contest 2024

Theme

The Center for Mexican American Studies is proud to announce ¡Adelante! as the chosen theme for the 2024-2025 Sam Z. Coronado Poster Art Contest. Feel free to interpret this theme however it moves you in the creation of your artwork. We invite all full-time enrolled UT Austin undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of major or college, to submit an original poster design. Three winning entries will be determined by a blind jury process, and the chosen artwork will live on in various forms throughout the next year and half. This student award is as much about making a lasting impression on the visual archive of our department as it is about winning.

Deadline: 

Sunday, December 1, 2024, at 5:00 pm. 

 

Dorothy and Rudy Martinez Family Award in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies

Through the generosity of UT alumnus Mike Martinez, founding partner of Edge Resources in Ft. Worth, the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies will award an annual scholarship in the name of Mr. Martinez’s parents, Dorothy and Rudy. This scholarship will be given to an outstanding student majoring in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies.

Eligibility:

Students interested in applying must have a minimum grade point average of 2.50 and be enrolled as a Mexican American and Latina/o Studies undergraduate major for the coming academic year.

How to Apply:

Applicants must submit a two-page (double spaced) essay that examines the high school drop-out rate among Mexican American and Latinx students, and includes what the applicant thinks can be done about the issue.

Deadline: 

Friday, November 1, 2024, at 5:00 pm. 

 

Américo Paredes Endowed Award

A world-renowned scholar of folklore and the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, Américo Paredes established an intellectual and institutional legacy that endures to this day. A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, Professor Paredes was instrumental in the founding of the Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS) and served as its first director. The Américo Paredes Endowed Award was established to honor his lasting impact on students and the academy.

Each year continuing students (graduate and undergraduate) in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies with demonstrated commitments to research and/or social justice may apply for this award.

Award amounts vary based on need and available funds. All awards will be made on a one-time basis and cannot be renewed. Furthermore, these awards are considered part of a student’s financial aid package and must be reported to the Office of Financial Aid. 

Eligibility:

Awards will be made to students who are registered as full-time students and either majoring in MALS, or enrolled in the PhD Program or Graduate Portfolio Program in MALS. Applicants must be making significant progress toward their degree. Previous winners are not eligible. 

How to Apply:

To apply, complete the application form and upload a Letter of Application (2-page maximum) that explains the following:

• Outline your demonstrated commitment to research and/or social justice, specifically in relation to Latino Studies and/or the U.S.-Mexico borderlands
• Outline the circumstances that merit financial assistance

Deadline: 

Monday, December 2, 2024, at 5:00pm.

 

MALS Professional Development Award

The Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies (MALS) offers financial assistance designed to help current undergraduate and graduate students at The University of Texas at Austin complete their studies and go on to successful professional careers. This financial assistance was established by former UT President Bill Powers and his commitment to the students, faculty, staff, and community that MALS serves. It is intended to support the professional development of enrolled undergraduate and graduate students at UT Austin.

Recipients must demonstrate superior qualifications and be completing a program of work consistent with the scholarly aims of the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies.

Ideally, the award would be applied directly by MALS toward the travel costs for a student to attend a major professional meeting to present an original paper or to travel to a research site in the continental United States to conduct research in support of a thesis or dissertation project.

Eligibility:

The award requires that recipients be enrolled in either the Bachelor of Arts degree in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies or the Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies.

How to Apply:

• Complete the online application;
  • Upload a cover letter that describes the benefit that this award will provide your research and its relation to MALS;
  • Upload verification of your research-related activity. This document can be a copy of your correspondence with the research site, a confirmation of registration or acceptance to a conference, etc.
• In order for your application to be considered complete, we must receive an email or letter from the student's academic advisor or coordinator in their home department stating that the applicant they will NOT be receiving departmental assistance for this same research-related activity. This email should be sent directly to Luis Guevara, at lvg@austin.utexas.edu.  

Deadline:

All application materials, including confirmation from your home department, must be received at least 30 days prior to the intended use by the student.

External Scholarships:

• Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship Program
• Research Experience for Undergraduates
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Programs
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund
• Texas Exes Scholarships
• Scholarships for DREAMers

For more information, contact our Senior Academic Program Coordinator, Luis Guevara, at lvg@austin.utexas.edu.