Michael E. Martinez Prize Awarded to Tyler Watts, Honorable Mention to Grace Lin

Distinguished Professor Jacquelynne Eccles, Director of UCI's PhD in Education program and Associate Dean, presented the Michael E. Martinez Prize for Outstanding Scholarship and Service to Tyler Watts, during the School's 2017 PhD Recognition Ceremony. Grace Lin was awarded Honorable Mention.

Text of Professor Eccles Presentation

In 2013, the School established the Michael E. Martinez Prize for Outstanding Research and Service. This annual award commemorates the scholarly and professional achievements of the late Michael E. Martinez, Professor of Education at the University of California, Irvine, from 1992 through 2012. As a scholar, Professor Martinez is remembered for his significant contributions to our understandings of cognitive processes and the malleability of intelligence, and how these understandings could be applied to student learning. He is also remembered for the kindness and collegiality that he embodied. In his honor, this award is given to a doctoral student who demonstrates superior scholarship, intellectual curiosity, and high levels of professionalism, service and collaboration with fellow students and/or faculty. I’d like to invite Mrs. Stephanie Martinez to come forward to present the award to this year’s honorees
 
This year, it was difficult to select just one winner, as several of our students are doing remarkable things – as citizens, scholars, and learners. Although we did select a recipient, we also wanted to provide an honorable mention to a student who has been a tremendous resource in our school. This student is passionate about supporting and mentoring others, at both the graduate and undergraduate level. She has been a dedicated pedagogical fellow, developing new and innovative teaching approaches, organizing and leading workshops, and helping new teaching assistants. She is an active contributor to ADSE as well as the campus-wide AGS. Most recently, she is the SoE representative for the Discover Science Initiative (DSI), coordinating outreach activities and STEAM workshops. In addition to these tireless services, she has also conducted high-quality and interesting research. For these reasons, we would like to acknowledge Grace Lin with an Honorable Mention.
 
This year’s recipient has conducted excellent research, shown outstanding intellectual curiosity, and has been an exemplary student, collaborator, and citizen. He has excelled in all of his classes and collaborated with a wide group of students and faculty on an impressive list of publications. His dissertation focuses on how and why early mathematics achievement relates to later academic and other important outcomes.
 
Additionally, he has mentored in the School of Education’s DECADE Program, served as a Student Representative for ADSE, and taught undergraduate statistics. Less formally, he frequently helps his peers seeking data-related advice.
 
In the spirit of this award, he “has demonstrated intellectual curiosity, high quality scholarship, and collegiality” throughout his time here. It is with pleasure that we award the Michael Martinez Prize to Tyler Watts.

Pictured below: Dean Richard Arum, Tyler Watts, Mrs. Stephanie Martinez