Celebrating Outstanding Leaders

April 2025

Do you know an outstanding student leader, organization, mentor, or colleague and want the opportunity to acknowledge how much you appreciate the work they do for the UB and Buffalo community? Nominate them for a Pillars of Leadership Award!

Formerly known as the LEAD Awards, The Pillars of Leadership Awards are designed to recognize individuals and organizations who have demonstrated a commitment to leadership, service, mentorship, and the UB and Buffalo communities.

The Pillars of Leadership Awards Ceremony took place on April 25, 2024. Student Engagement emailed all nominees and nominators on April 12 and invited them to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of the UB community.

On This Page:

Nomination Process is Closed!

Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination! We look forward to celebrating our winners on April 25. Winners will also be announced on this website after April 29.

Awards by Category

There are a total of 23 awards that students, faculty, and staff can nominate leaders for, with multiple winners for some of those awards. Check out each category to see those awards and what we look for in our winners. 

Special Acknowledgments

As part of The Pillars of Leadership, it is important to acknowledge some student groups that have made significant contributions to the UB community before their graduation. The students in these groups have demonstrated strong leadership skills, teamwork, and dedication to personal and professional growth throughout their time here. They have inspired future generations of leaders and fostered a culture of excellence and achievement at UB. 

A special thank you to all of these students for their hard work and commitment to making the UB community a better place.

Legacy of Excellence Award

Pam Stephens-Jackson

Pam Stephens-Jackson, Director for Fraternity & Sorority Life at the University at Buffalo, is honored with the inaugural Legacy of Excellence Award for her profound impact on Student Life over her remarkable 33-year career. Her dedication to and deep knowledge of Fraternity and Sorority Life at UB has enriched student experiences, fostered pride and tradition, and upheld community building on our campus. Pam's leadership extends beyond the university, reaching into the Buffalo community where her mentorship and service leave a significant impact. Her legacy of excellence will continue to inspire generations, reflecting her immeasurable contributions to student engagement and community building.

2024 Award Recipients

Congratulations to our 2024 Pillars of Leadership Award Recipients! We had over 160 nominations for these awards - a huge congratulations to all who were nominated!

Community & Civic Engagement

  • Dorothy M Haas Community Engagement Award – Luke Hess & Elnaz Amini
  • Outstanding Community Impact Award (Undergraduate) – Sam Daponte
  • Outstanding Community Impact Award (Graduate) – Gina Mersereau 
  • Exceptional Community Partnership Award – Crisis Services Advocate Program 
  • Visions of Social Justice Award (Undergraduate) - Annayah Noorani, Sarah Bukhari & Julian Livingston
  • Visions of Social Justice Award (Graduate) - Mala Mccormick-Cisse

Esports

  • Most Valuable Player (MVP) - Shengming Cheng
  • Outstanding Services to the Esports Community - Fern Hernandez

Fraternity & Sorority Life

  • Outstanding Service to the UB Greek Community - Grayson Cary, Phi Sigma Sigma
  • Outstanding Service to the UB Greek Community - Zaria Gibson-Stevenson, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
  • Outstanding Service to the UB Greek Community - Cole Fredericks, Lambda Chi Alpha

Leadership & Development

  • Exemplary Mentorship Award (Graduate Student) – Matthew Agurto
  • Exemplary Mentorship Award (Emerging Faculty/Staff) – Dr. Nitasha Sehgal & Thomas Vane
  • Exemplary Mentorship Award (Mid-Level Faculty/Staff) – Dr. Alina Vereshchaka
  • Exemplary Mentorship Award (Senior Faculty/Staff) - Dr. Kristen MooreLori Chiarilli
  • Emerging Student Leader Awards - Chirag Ohri
  • Exemplary Student Leader Awards - Daysia Augustin
  • Innovative Student Leadership Awards – Jason Jiang & Emily Genovesi
  • Service Above Self Award (Student) – Nicole Gerdes
  • Service Above Self Award (Faculty/Staff) - Dr. Elizabeth Bartelt
  • UB Pride & Service Award (Undergraduate) – Selin Arnavut
  • UB Pride & Service Award (Graduate) – Trinithas Boyi

Student Governance & Organizations

  • Organization of the Year - Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Chapter
  • Innovative Program or Event of the Year - ENT-SIG
  • Student Organization Officer of the Year - Hanna Liu
  • Outstanding Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative Award - Graduate Planning Student Association
  • New Student Organization of the Year - NMDP Chapter of University at Buffalo
  • Student Organization Collaboration of the Year - Asian American Student Union - AASU Night Market
  • Student Organization Award for Excellence in Academics and Service - INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
  • Student Organization Advisor of the Year - Hannah Giarrizzo

Learn More About These Winners

Click on each of the categories below to learn more about each of our incredible award winners.

More Ways to Celebrate

Check out the Celebration of Academic Excellence for more awards and ways to recognize student leaders on campus!