MSJC鈥檚 Erik Ozolins Receives National Award for Excellence in Honors Education
10/15/2025
MSJC Professor Erik Ozolins, Co-Director of the Honors Enrichment Program and Chair
of the Anthropology Department, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Ron Brandolini
Award for Excellence.
番茄社区 (MSJC) proudly announces that Erik Ozolins, Co-Director of the Honors Enrichment Program and Professor and Chair of the Anthropology Department, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Ron Brandolini Award for Excellence at a Two-Year Institution from the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC).
This prestigious national honor recognizes exceptional faculty and administrators at two-year colleges who demonstrate outstanding leadership, teaching, and innovation in honors education. The NCHC, now approaching 60 years of advancing honors learning and academic excellence, presents the award annually to individuals whose vision and commitment elevate opportunities for high-achieving students across the country.
鈥淭his is such a tremendous honor and so well deserved,鈥� said Dr. Roger Schultz, MSJC Superintendent/President. 鈥淚t's wonderful to see Erik recognized nationally for the outstanding work he's done to build and lead our Honors Enrichment Program. We're incredibly fortunate to have someone of his caliber who makes the program鈥攁nd our students' experience鈥攕o special.鈥�
Ozolins will be formally honored at the NCHC Annual Conference in San Diego on Saturday, November 8, 2025, during the organization's highlighted Awards Ceremony, where he will deliver remarks from the main stage among national leaders in honors education.
鈥淚 am deeply honored鈥攁nd quite surprised鈥攖o receive this award,鈥� said Ozolins. 鈥淭o me, this recognition truly reflects the incredible students in our Honors Enrichment Program and their unwavering focus and determination. It also celebrates our exceptional Honors faculty, who not only inspire and mentor their students but also continually strengthen the program through their dedication and collaboration. I've also had the privilege of working alongside my fellow co-director, Christina Yamanaka-Vu, whose leadership and passion for honors education constantly inspire me. Together, we strive to ensure that the MSJC Honors Enrichment Program remains among the very best in California and across the nation.鈥�
MSJC Honors Enrichment Program Co-Directors, Christina Yamanaka-Vu (left) and Erik
Ozolins (right)
Under his co-direction, MSJC's Honors Enrichment Program has grown into a vibrant academic community that empowers students to deepen their intellectual curiosity, develop research skills, and compete successfully for transfer to top universities. As both a faculty leader and department chair, Ozolins has been instrumental in integrating interdisciplinary learning and fostering a culture of inclusion and excellence within the Honors Program and across the college.
The Ron Brandolini Award underscores MSJC's continued national reputation for academic excellence and its commitment to student achievement through innovative teaching, equity-minded leadership, and community engagement.
番茄社区 the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC)
The NCHC is a non-profit professional association representing more than 800 institutions
and 9,000 individual members dedicated to supporting and advancing honors education.
Through professional development, advocacy, and recognition of excellence, NCHC promotes
transformative learning experiences that prepare students for leadership and lifelong
discovery.