2026 AAAS Award Winners

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 AAAS Awards. We look forward to celebrating you all in Honolulu!

Early Career Achievement Award: Hardeep Dhillon

 AAAS created the Early Career Achievement Award to honor scholars who have made valuable contributions to the field in the early stage of their careers, via outstanding and innovative research in Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies.

Engaged Scholar Award: Florante Ibañez

AAAS created the Engaged Scholar Award to honor scholars who have applied their scholarship for the “public good” by addressing inequalities in our society and improving the AAPI community. This award recognizes scholars for their body of work and contributions via outstanding and innovative service and research in Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies.

Excellence in Mentorship Award: Amira Jarmakani and Mimi Thi Nguyen (co-winners)

AAAS created the Excellence in Mentorship Award to honor outstanding mentorship of undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows or colleagues.

Lifetime Achievement: Mae Ngai and Laura Kina (co-winners)

 AAAS created the Lifetime Achievement Award to honor an individual who has made an outstanding and lifelong contribution to the advancement of the field of Asian American Studies.

Graduate Student Paper Award: Alex Chun, Brown University: “Bananas!”: Nymphia Wind and the Asian/American Penis”

Honorable Mention: Lanya Feng, University of Toronto:  “Selling Stereotypes: Transpacific Commodification of Race in 1930s China”