The UCSB Writing Program in the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is delighted to announce the undergraduate student winners of two new awards supported by the M. Garren Tinney Memorial Fund: the 2025 M. Garren Tinney Technology in Society Writing Award and 2025 M. Garren Tinney Interdisciplinary Solutions to Environmental Problems Writing Award. From a pool of excellent submissions, the two winners are Tori Merryman ’25 (Biological Sciences) for Technology in Society and Aisling Clancy Parast ’26 (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) for Interdisciplinary Solutions for Environmental Problems. Each student receives a prize of $2,500 for their work.
For the Technology in Society Writing Award, Tori’s piece is a combination of written reflection, extensive research, and poster design for the project: “The Eras Tour of Biotechnology.” This creative project is designed to teach middle school students about the many elements of biotechnology through a familiar lens—the songs of Taylor Swift. By pairing lyrics with important figures in the field like Jennifer Doudna and Paul Berg, and with topics like the Human Genome Project and the Structure of DNA, this project is not only informative, but a call to action for future scholars. As Tori explains in the introduction: “If these posters can help even a few students see biotechnology as something within their reach, then I'lI consider the project a success, not just as a submission for this award, but as a step toward building a more engaged and diverse future in science.”
Tori, originally from Moorpark, California, expects to graduate a year early in June 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a career in biotechnology intellectual property law by attending law school. Tori aims to merge her scientific background with her love of writing to support innovation and protect scientific advancements.
For the Writing Award in Interdisciplinary Solutions to Environmental Problems, Aisling’s piece: “How Can Recycling be Improved in the United States?” explores a vital topic. As she states: ”The paper covers a historical analysis of recycling in the United States and actionable solutions at both the individual and governmental level.” This winning entry combines a variety of disciplines, including environmental science, political science, law, and communications to provide important context to current recycling programs, common misconceptions, and a variety of clear paths for the future.
Aisling is a third year Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major. Originally from Pacifica, California, she loves to spend time outside hiking, camping, and backpacking. This background directly affected her work on this project: “Growing up, I developed a passion for environmentalism and am extremely grateful to receive the M. Garren Tinney Interdisciplinary Solutions to Environmental Problems Writing Award.”
The award recipients were selected by a committee of Writing Program faculty from a pool of strong applicants all from across campus. According to the M. Garren Tinney Memorial Fund Committee Chair Robert Krut, “These new awards opened up new avenues for engaging, thought-provoking work from our entire campus—honestly, all of the submissions offered something unique.”
These one-time prizes awarded in Spring 2025 are possible due to Donna “Dee Dee” Tinney in memory of her son UCSB alumnus Michael “Garren” Tinney ‘01 (L&S English). Mrs. Tinney established the M. Garren Tinney Memorial Fund at UCSB in June 2023 to support aspiring future writers who shared her son’s passion for writing. While the fund provides numerous opportunities in perpetuity for UCSB undergraduate students committed to writing and who have an interest in pursuing writing-related careers, Mrs. Tinney wanted to make available additional opportunities to reach more undergraduate students across a broad range of disciplines to address these critical societal and technological topics. These award topics were inspired by the many conversations she and Garren had over the years.
Read more about the M. Garren Tinney Memorial Fund.
