Student Achievement Awards

The Athletes and Recreation Leadership Award recognizes athletes who participate in Division 1 sports, intramurals, or club sports whose leadership has transcended their sport. Recipients will have made invaluable contributions to their team, achieved academic distinction or have made significant contributions to our university and its surrounding community.

Recent Recipients

• Pallavi Khurana
• Ana Marquez
• John Syracuse 

The Christine A. Bouchard School Spirit Award was established in honor of Christine A. Bouchard by her colleagues and friends upon her retirement as Vice President for Student Affairs at the University at Albany. The award recognizes undergraduate students who best exemplify and promote school spirit. This award typically carries two scholarships of $850 each.  

Recent Recipients

• Ryan Goldstein
• Cassie Jones 

The Five Quad Award is for an exceptional member of the University's student-run, 24/7 volunteer ambulance service.  

Recent Recipients

• Sean Beck 

The Fraternity & Sorority Leadership Award is given to sorority and fraternity members and organizations who have contributed to their chapter, the Greek system and the University. Through strong leadership and valuable service, these students and organizations have exemplified the ideals of brother and sisterhood and have worked to further develop Greek life at the University at Albany. Pre-professional fraternities are encouraged to apply.  

Recent Recipients

• Laurent Dorvilier
• Alyssa Kamara 

The Middle Earth Award is for an exceptional member of this peer counseling and referral group.

Recent Recipients

• Brianna Lennon 

The Outstanding Student Organization Advisor Award recognizes faculty or staff advisors who go “above and beyond” for the organization(s) they advise. The nominated individual must serve as the official advisor to a Student Association, Graduate Student Association or University recognized student organization in good standing. Nominations for this award should be submitted by students.

Recent Recipients

• Camelia Lenart

The Project SHAPE Award is for a student volunteer in recognition of exceptional performance, commitment and service as a valuable member of the Project SHAPE: Sexual Health & Peer Education program.

Recent Recipients

• Leah Keefer 

The Residential Life Outstanding Achievement Award honors individuals who strive to improve the quality of life of residence hall students. Recipients will have demonstrated exceptional leadership and taken an active role in the residence hall system.

Recent Recipients

• Kiara Bragg-James
• Deasia Clarke
• Sterling Pagan
• Melanie Paredes
• Ashley Rogliano
• Escarle Tapia
• Godswill Utionkpan

The Sustainability Leadership Award recognizes a graduate or undergraduate student who contributes to the advancement of environmental, economic and social sustainability within the UAlbany campus and surrounding community. This student will have demonstrated a leadership role in raising awareness and increasing campus involvement in advancing sustainability.

Recent Recipients

• Olivia Dirla 

The Interfaith Center Award is given to an individual whose accomplishments reflect significant contributions to The Interfaith Center and the University. The award acknowledges a student who has made laudable efforts to further interfaith understanding and to promote the spiritual growth of members of The Interfaith Center community.  

Recent Recipients

• Maria Celeste Villacreses Valarezo 

The Jonathan Whyte-Dixon Memorial Scholarship recognizes a UAlbany student (undergraduate or graduate) who best exemplifies Jonathan’s school spirit, meaningful involvement within the UAlbany community, leadership on campus, and overall enthusiasm and passion. Preference will be given to a student who has volunteered or worked for the Liberty Partnerships Program and demonstrates financial need. This award carries two scholarships of $1,500 each.  

Recent Recipients

• Oreoluwa Afolabi 

The UAlbany Fund Award recognizes a student caller who, through outreach to parents and alumni, is an exceptional representative of the university and has been successful in obtaining the private support that UAlbany needs.

Recent Recipients

• Ava Sparacino 

The University Governance Leadership Award recognizes students who have provided important leadership by taking an active role in policy matters of student government and the University.

Recent Recipients

• Jalen Rose 

The Community Service Leadership Award recognizes students who most clearly evidence a service ethic in their citizenship. Students will have demonstrated unselfish involvement at UAlbany or in the surrounding community as they strive to better an aspect of society by dedicating considerable time to worthwhile projects that benefit others.

Recent Recipients

• Molly Mann
• Sakthi Muthukrishnan
• Ashleigh Plante
• Eric Walter 

The Rod and Carolyn Hart Memorial Award is given to an undergraduate student of junior class standing who has demonstrated academic achievement and who has made a difference on the UAlbany campus by organizing benefit drives for charitable causes or demonstrated leadership within a campus organization that serves the good of the University community. This award typically carries a scholarship of $500.  

Recent Recipients

• Jessica Airhienbuwa

The Diversity & Inclusion Award recognizes a person who has demonstrated leadership in increasing the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. This includes promoting appreciation of individual differences and working with others to find common ground.

Recent Recipients

• T'Oluwanimi Ademola-Thomas

The Social Justice Leadership Award recognizes two individuals who have demonstrated a passion for social justice and played a leadership role in advancing initiatives related to advancing social change and promoting equity and inclusion. This award includes two scholarships of $700 each.

Recent Recipients

• Eva Alvarez Ero
• Jedidah Pacheco

The Juneteenth Scholarship commemorates the importance of Juneteenth, promotes the values of diversity and inclusion at UAlbany, and recognizes and celebrates the rich and complex histories of our Black and Afro-Latinx students. Applicants for this scholarship should possess at least a 3.0 GPA in any major and must submit a 250 to 500-word essay on why Juneteenth is personally meaningful to them. This award carries two scholarships of $500 each.  

Recent Recipients

• Amya White

The Justice Award honors a student whose commitment to the principles of fairness and equity has helped foster justice at the University. It promotes appreciation of individual differences and working together to find and express common ground. Recipients will have made distinct contributions toward achieving these ideals.  

Recent Recipients

• Jeremy Zheng 

The Academic Leadership Award recognizes student leadership in academic settings. This may include the classroom, research laboratories and other research settings, and internship sites. A 3.25 cumulative GPA is recommended. A letter of recommendation from a faculty member is highly recommended.

Recent Recipients

• Maliyka Aziz
• Jillian Benedict
• Joseph DeVito
• Hiba Faheem
• Othmane Fardaoussi
• Skylar Hollingsworth
• Manuela Montoya-Giraldo
• Bria Nickerson
• Alexis Weber
• Addison Yang
• Mickey Zheng 

The Great Dane Award is given to any student who has demonstrated leadership in several co-curricular activities or significant leadership in one such activity during the current year.

Recent Recipients

• Adam Achehboune
• Ishana Alam
• Amelia  Crawford
• Jaden Gabb
• Sophia Hofer
• Brianna Iacovone
• Autumn Ladd
• Maggie Meyer
• Amanda Mitchell
• Anjalee Modasra
• Marc Padilla
• Juan Ruiz-Diaz Morales
• Neel Sheth
• Juliana Tortello
• Abigail Tsuji
• Kris Yhap 

To receive a Spellman Top Academic Achievement Award, scholars must be enrolled full-time undergraduates with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above at the end of the Fall semester. Upper class students must have matriculated at the University for a minimum of two consecutive semesters.

Top Academic Achievement Award honorees are the highest-ranking male and female recipients of African, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino or Native American heritage in their class.  Our top honorees have an average GPA of 3.97 and many of them have perfect 4.0 GPA’s!    

Recent Recipients

• Bevin Babu
• Aaron Basar
• Vincenzo Benedetti
• Maurice Burbridge
• Andrew Chen
• Tania Cortes Gutierrez
• Brayden Deutsch
• Abdoul Diallo
• Gwen Dominguez
• Othmane Fardaoussi
• Adwoa Fosu
• Elias Galvez
• Eli Gifford
• Arely Gonzalez Hernandez
• Kriti Kalary
• Sami Keskin
• Luther Kohout
• Minyoung Kwark
• Xavier Lamar
• Autumn Lombard
• Judeson Luctamar
• Callum Newton
• Esteban Onate
• Melanie Paredes
• Melina Peguero-Gonzalez
• Ana Radojevic
• Harman Singh
• Taína Stevens
• Abigail Tsuji
• Eliza Walker
• Tammy Wu
• Kris Yhap 

The NIA ALANA Scholarship Award recognizes students who have exhibited a strong commitment to the University at Albany community through their outstanding service and leadership. Recipients will be presented with a monetary award. Eligible applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 by the end of the previous academic semester. They must also have been full-time students at UAlbany for a minimum of two semesters and be in good judicial standing. Financial need will be considered.  

Recent Recipients

• Jessica Airhienbuwa
• Isabella Blauvelt-Mercado
• Amya White
• Addison Yang 

The Spellman Award for Distinguished Leadership recognizes African, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander and Native American heritage students at the University at Albany who have made notable efforts to enhance the quality of life for the University community. The Award for Distinguished Leadership is presented to students or organizations who meet one or more of the following criteria:  

• Have served as an appointed, elected or situational student leader
• Planned, organized or presented successful activities and programs for a student group, club or organization
• Function and are recognized as leaders and role models by peers, faculty and administrators

Recent Recipients

• Jalen Miller
• Carmen Muñoz-Medrano
• Daniella Ogbonna              
• Taína K. Stevens
• Mahlet Temesgen
• Abigail Tsuji 

The Spellman QTPOC Leadership Award recognizes students who provide exemplary leadership in support of the QTPOC community at UAlbany or in the surrounding community, coordinate activities for a student organization in support of LGBTQ+ inclusion, serve in a leadership capacity or function as a leader in this area, or function or are generally recognized as role models and effective leaders by peers, faculty and staff in regard to advocating for the QTPOC/LGBTQ+ community.  

Recent Recipients

• Benji Guevara-Chancey 

The Spellman Award for Outstanding Community Service recognizes African, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander and Native American heritage students who have made notable efforts to enhance the quality of life for the University community. It is presented to students or organizations who meet one or more of the following criteria:  

They have demonstrated unselfish involvement in efforts to improve the quality of campus life.

They have dedicated considerable time and energy to worthwhile projects that benefit others.

They are identified by student peers, faculty and administrators as individuals or groups who have consistently given of themselves to improve the University community.

Recent Recipients

• Lorraine Affigne
• Chenelle Gordon
• Maria Celeste Villacreses Valarezo