Awards Ceremony Honors Campus Leaders

Each spring, the Margo F. Souza Student Leadership Center recognizes and celebrates students, staff and faculty members, and student organizations demonstrating outstanding leadership to the campus and the community.

Thirty campus members or student organizations were recognized across 24 categories during the 2016 UC Merced Leadership Awards held April 28 at the Wallace-Dutra Amphitheater.

“The annual UC Merced Leadership Awards program is a wonderful way for our campus to recognize the hard work of students, advisors and students organizations,” Assistant Director of Student Life Steve Lerer said. “I am amazed by the incredible leadership and commitment to the community demonstrated by all the nominees, finalists and award recipients.”

Winners, selected by the 2016 Leadership Awards Committee and a campus-wide application review team, include:

• Carol Tomlinson-Keasey Award: Desiree Mc Clain
• Legacy Award: Thu Tran
• Distinguished Leader Awards: Brenda Yu, Aspen Fernando, Eric Chu and Domonique Jones
• Inspirational Bobcat Award: Savanna Briggs
• Organization President of the Year Award: Mercy Maina
• Outstanding Advisor Award: Ross Avilla
• Outstanding Graduate Student Award: Danielle Bermudez
• Social Justice Leadership Award: Whitney Do
• Fraternity and Sorority Council Outstanding Chapter of the Year: Delta Gamma
• Professional Fraternity Council Outstanding Chapter of the Year: Delta Epsilon Mu
• Fraternity and Sorority Life Outstanding New Member of the Year Award: Andrea Gurrola
• Fraternity and Sorority Life Outstanding Member of the Year: Karen Munoz
• Contribution to Student Affairs Award: Devonyo Bills, Carli Bardier, Michael Pierick and Jason Davis
• Student Organization of the Year: Students Advocating Law and Education
• Outstanding New Student Organization of the Year: Society of Physics Students
• University Friends Circle Distinguished Volunteer Scholarship: Marqose Saephan
• University Friends Circle Community Service Organization Award: Ingenieros Unidos
• Margo F. Souza Entrepreneur in Training Team Scholarship: BLOX
• Margo F. Souza San Joaquin Valley Mentor of the Year: Fabian Filipp
• Program of the Year: “Health Professional Panel” by The American Medical Student Association
• Cobi Jones Male Sport Club Athlete of the Year: Brandyn Ryan
• Sport Club Female Sport Club Athlete of the Year: Ai-Linh Alten
• Intercollegiate Male  Athlete Award: Andy Galvan
• Georgette “Ma” Kelley Intercollegiate Female Athlete Award: Courtney Danna

Get more information about individual awards online.