HMI Team Member Receives UC Riverside Award

For the second year in a row, a team member of the Human Migration Institute has received the UC Riverside School of Education Alumni Excellence Award in Education.

This year’s recipient is Hsin-Yu Teresa Hsu-Contreras, HMI’s Academic and Outreach Director, UCR master’s graduate and lecturer. She was honored for her efforts creating ESL classes that are welcoming and emotionally helpful for newcomers and refugees. More than 300 students have benefited from these programs. Her program includes social-emotional learning to help students grow both academically and personally.

"It's an honor for HMI leaders to win this award two years in a row." said Hsu-Contreras , It illustrates that the work that UCR alumni do is very important for humanitarian advancement. This acknowledgment comes with the duty to share our experiences and work with the academic community to find real solutions.

Dean Joi Spencer of the School of Education presented  the award during an in-person ceremony  honoring alumni who have made significant contributions to the field. Recipients additionally receive a $250 gift card and a crystal award from the School of Education.

Selin Nielsen, HMI's CEO and co-founder and UCR lecturer, won the prize last year for being an outstanding School of Education PhD alumnus. She got 16 nominations and was also honored for her leadership and contribution in education.

"When I found out last year that I had won the Alumni Excellence Award, I was so moved." It felt like a full-circle moment, not just for me, but for the mission of HMI,” Nielsen said. "And this year, that circle got even bigger. Teresa received the same award and seeing another member of our HMI family honored by the very institution that shaped us both is a powerful reminder that when we lift each other, we all rise.”

For more information about the award:

https://education.ucr.edu/news/2025/06/17/soe-announces-2025-alumni-excellence-awards-education