We are excited and honored to share that longtime Lecturer Dr. Jean-Paul (JP) Contreras deGuzman is the 2025-26 recipient of the C. Doris and Toshio Hoshide Distinguished Teaching Prize in Asian American Studies.

Dr. deGuzman is being recognized for his high impact teaching practices and student engagement work that has inspired students to pursue degrees in Asian American Studies and in many ways transformed the lives of our students. His students spoke about his contagious passion and excitement in making Asian American Studies and history come to life. A student mentioned how he made Asian American Studies more approachable and created a solid foundation for learning. His colleagues wrote how they greatly benefitted from him sharing resources, teaching materials, and discussing best practices for everything from new methods, reading material, approaching remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, and currently how to navigate higher education in the age of AI. He received his Ph.D. in history and an M.A. in Asian American Studies from UCLA.

Congratulations, JP!

Graduating AAS major, Ryan Horio (Class of 2025), was recently featured in UCLA Newsroom in which he reflects on his journey with Asian American Studies, his goal to resolve health inequities, and the intersection of social activism and medicine.

Link to article: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/ryan-horio-research-physician-activist-commencement-2025

UCLA Asian American Studies lecturer Jean-Paul Contreras deGuzman explains that the drink is “a quintessentially Asian North American story” that “speaks to the trans-Pacific circulation of culture and cuisine that has lasted for generations.” Read the full article here.