CLAREMONT, Calif. - Former Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis player Alisha Chulani (HMC '25) was one of four finalists for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's prestigious Sally Ride STEM Award, the organization announced on Thursday. 

Now in the award's fifth year, the ITA Sally Ride STEM Award honors one of the biggest icons in American history, Dr. Sally Ride, who was the first woman to soar into space. Combining two of Dr. Ride's greatest passions in tennis and science, this award has been awarded to some of the most distinguished student-athletes in college athletics.

Being awarded to a female student-athlete who demonstrates zeal, dedication, and perseverance towards her tennis training and competition, STEM studies, and long-term goals, the ITA Sally Ride STEM Award serves as a symbol of the ability of women to shatter barriers both on and off the court. 

Chulani was a six-time ITA All-American throughout her career (four in doubles, two in singles), helping the Athenas to two NCAA Team Championships in 2022 and 2023, as well as the 2024 ITA National Team Indoor Championship. She was also a national finalist in doubles as a junior with Nikolina Batoshvili, and twice reached the quarterfinals in the NCAA singles competition, finishing with a career record of 173-55 (69-18 singles, 104-37 doubles). 

Previous recipients of the ITA Sally Ride STEM Award include Jessica Lu from MIT (2025), Hannah Kassaie from Case Western Reserve (2024), McKenzie Ferrari from UMass Dartmouth (2023), and Anna Tifrea from the California Institute of Technology (2022).

"The ITA Sally Ride STEM Award represents the very best of what college athletics can inspire—excellence in competition and commitment" said ITA CEO David Mullins. "This year's finalists embody Dr. Sally Ride's legacy through their passion for both tennis and STEM, and we are incredibly proud to celebrate their achievements and support their future endeavors".

Each year, the recipient of the award receives a grant in the amount of eight thousand dollars ($8,000) to pursue her dreams. The award money given to the student-athlete may be used in any way she wishes [e.g., tuition, books, rent, etc.]

Additionally, the ITA will donate two thousand dollars ($2,000) to the women's tennis program of the institution from which the award winner graduated. To read the full release from the ITA, go to the following link:

Finalists Selected for the 2026 ITA Sally Ride STEM Award