Excerpt from student nomination: “Jose is a Distinguished Honors faculty because of how he has mentored me since we met last summer. He knew I wanted to apply for graduate school so he repeatedly pushed me towards opportunities that would prepare me. I recall one conversation where he said he has been pushing me to do more, not because I am not good enough, but because he wants me to be well-equipped for graduate school…. He showed me grace and patience that I have not seen from other faculty members; he created a safe environment for me to grow as a researcher… Having spoken with his graduate students, we all concur that anyone would be lucky to have him as a mentor.”