This is Your Time to Shine
You've worked hard, studied hard and sacrificed to earn the success you deserve. At UAlbany, your achievements will not go unnoticed. The University at Albany celebrates the accomplishments of its outstanding scholars with annual Achievement Awards, including:
- SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence
- President’s Award for Leadership
- Spellman Achievement Awards
- Division of Student Affairs & Enrollment Excellence Awards
- Disability Access & Inclusion Student Services (DAISS) Awards
- Purple and Gold Awards
- Lavender Awards
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150+
Awards Each Year
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$10K+
Awarded Last Year
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SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence
The SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence acknowledges students for outstanding achievements integrating SUNY excellence into aspects of their lives, including academics, leadership, campus involvement, community service and the arts. It is the highest honor bestowed upon a student by the University. Learn more about past recipients.
2025 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence
Applications will be accepted through January 19, 2025.
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The President's Award for Leadership
The President’s Award for Leadership recognizes students and organizations that have made significant contributions to the quality of life at the University at Albany. Recipients have demonstrated extraordinary leadership, service, academic achievement and community involvement. To be selected, recipients must be in good academic and judicial standing. A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA is highly recommended for all awards.
2025 President's Awards for Leadership
Applications will be accepted through February 22, 2025.
Award categories:
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University Service
Athletes and Recreation Leadership Award
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
Christine A. Bouchard School Spirit Award
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 $1,000 each.
Recent Recipients
- Ryan Goldstein
- Cassie Jones
Five Quad Award
The Five Quad Award is for an exceptional member of the University's student-run, 24/7 volunteer ambulance service.
Recent Recipients
- Sean Beck
Fraternity & Sorority Leadership Award
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
Middle Earth Award
The Middle Earth Award is for an exceptional member of this peer counseling and referral group.
Recent Recipients
- Brianna Lennon
Outstanding Student Organization Advisor Award
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
Project SHAPE Award
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
Residential Life Outstanding Achievement Award
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
Sustainability Leadership Award
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
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
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 $1,750 each.
Recent Recipients
- Oreoluwa Afolabi
UAlbany Fund Award
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
University Governance Leadership Award
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
Community Service
Community Service Leadership Award
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
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 $800.
Recent Recipients
- Jessica Airhienbuwa
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Diversity & Inclusion Award
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
Social Justice Leadership Award
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
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
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
Great Dane Awards
Academic Leadership Award
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
Great Dane Award
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
Specialized Awards
Great Dane Ambassadors Award
The Great Dane Ambassadors Award recognizes a student who has performed exceptionally well and demonstrated leadership during their study abroad by succeeding academically, making many new friends and creating a positive impression at the host institution.
Recent Recipients
- Megan Van Vort
International Student Leadership
The International Student Leadership Award recognizes an international undergraduate and graduate student whose efforts and involvement have enhanced the lives of international students or the University community.
Recent Recipients
- Florinda Gjypi
The I AM FIRST GEN Scholarship
The I AM FIRST GEN Scholarship helps underrepresented college students pay for their post-secondary education. It specifically recognizes residents of the State of New York with a parent or guardian who has not been awarded a bachelor’s degree or higher. This award typically carries a scholarship of $500.
Recent Recipients
- Othmane Fardaoussi
Veteran/Military Leadership Award
The Veteran/Military Leadership Award recognizes a student veteran who has been involved on campus or in the local community or has contributed to the success of other student veterans. The recipient must be a past or present member of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Recent Recipients
- Joseph Sireci
Women’s Leadership Awards
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Ada Craig Walker Award
The Ada Craig Walker Award is given to a graduating undergraduate senior woman who in judgment of the faculty best typifies the ideals of the University. Nominees should possess a minimum 3.0 GPA. Women graduating in December, May or August are eligible. This award carries three scholarships of $2,200 each.
Recent Recipients
- Eva Alvarez Ero
- Clelie Anne Belizaire
- Dadrian Cole
Returning Woman Award
The Returning Woman Award recognizes a student who serves as a positive role model for women returning to their education. The recipient will have demonstrated her exceptional leadership skills through participation in campus activities and personal success in facing the challenges of pursuing her educational goals as a non-traditional student.
Recent Recipients
- Melida Dessalines
Women’s Outstanding Leadership Award
The Women’s Outstanding Leadership Award is given to a student who has demonstrated significant leadership and commitment to improving the quality of life for women at the University at Albany.
Recent Recipients
- Daniela Sanclemente
Outstanding Senior Awards
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Distinguished Scholar-Leader Award
The Distinguished Scholar-Leader Award recognizes and honors one graduating undergraduate senior who best exemplifies the scholar‐leader‐service ideal. The recipient will have demonstrated academic excellence, effective leadership in the University community and a commitment to serving others. Distinguished Scholar‐Leaders demonstrate a strong commitment to their academic and intellectual development as evidenced by participation in research or other creative scholarly activity. Recipients will be asked to nominate a faculty or staff member to be recognized at the award ceremony. This award is among the highest conferred upon undergraduates. A 3.75 cumulative GPA is recommended. For this award senior status is defined by date of graduation, not by credits earned. December graduates are eligible.
Recent Recipients
- Michael Bratslavsky
- Dadrian Cole
Outstanding Senior Award
The Outstanding Senior Award recognizes undergraduate seniors who have contributed greatly to the University during their undergraduate careers. Their leadership abilities may have been demonstrated at the University level or in more than one organization.
Recent Recipients
- Sarah Abdou
- Eva Alvarez Ero
- Faith Archer
- Alissa Banfield
- John Bonney
- Barbara Buck
- Brenden Carr
- Jacob Chacko
- Hilal Dagci
- Isabella D'Ambro
- Kelly Geiger
- Florinda Gjypi
- Yehara Gutierrez Rodriguez
- Deborah Hoyte
- Michael Jacques
- Chai Kam
- Jude Klein
- Sophia Levit
- Jason Lisciandro
- Caylie McAree
- Jalen Miller
- Shannon Morgan
- Nohl Schwandtner
- Biancamaria Scricco
- Joseph Sireci
- Samantha Solanto
- Erica Strand
- Mahlet "Mo" Temesgen
- Luca Tzimas
- Megan Van Vort
Outstanding Student Organization Leadership Awards
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Cultural Awareness Award
The Cultural Awareness Award recognizes the organization that has demonstrated leadership in increasing the University community’s cultural awareness, thereby enabling students to appreciate the diversity that underpins our society.
Recent Recipients
- Cultural Connections
Community Service Award
The Community Service Award recognizes the organization that best represents the service ideal of the University by unselfishly serving the Albany or University community.
Recent Recipients
- Five Quad Volunteer Ambulance Service Inc.
Diversity and Inclusion Award
The Diversity and Inclusion Award recognizes an organization that has demonstrated leadership in increasing the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. This includes but is not limited to promoting appreciation of individual differences and working with others to find common ground.
Recent Recipients
- Association of Southeast Asian Students
Fraternity & Sorority Leadership Award
The Fraternity & Sorority Leadership Award is given to sorority and fraternity organizations who have contributed to their chapter, the FSL 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 fraternity and sorority life at the University at Albany.
- Nu Alpha Phi Fraternity, Inc.
- Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, Inc.
Great Dane Award
The Great Dane Award is given to any organization that has demonstrated leadership in several initiatives or significant leadership in one activity during the current year.
Recent Recipients
- Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program
Justice Award
The Justice Award honors an organization whose commitment to the principles of fairness and equity has helped to foster justice at the University. This organization promotes the appreciation of individual differences and works together to find and express common ground. Recipients will have made distinct contributions toward achieving these ideals.
Recent Recipients
- Democracy Matters
The Spellman Achievement Awards
The Spellman Achievement Awards recognize the accomplishments of undergraduates of African, Latino, Asian and Native American descent in the areas of academic achievement, community service and leadership. In 1991, both the program and the awards presented were named in honor and memory of one of the University’s most highly regarded colleagues, the late Dr. Seth Spellman, Jr.
Learn more about the Spellman Awards on the Intercultural Student Engagement Awards and Celebrations page.
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The Division of Student Affairs & Enrollment Excellence Awards
The Division of Student Affairs & Enrollment Excellence Awards recognizes the contributions of undergraduate student employees who embody the mission of their unit and consistently display characteristics valued and appreciated by their co-workers and supervisors.
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Disability Access & Inclusion Student Services (DAISS) Awards
The Office of Disability Access & Inclusion Services (DAISS) Awards recognizes the contributions of undergraduate and graduate students who are registered with DAISS and help support the mission of empowering students by cultivating an accessible and inclusive living and learning environment at the University at Albany.
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The Purple and Gold Awards
The Purple and Gold Awards recognize outstanding student organizations and leaders for their hard work and dedication to improving both the university and Albany communities.
For more information visit the Student Association website.
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Lavender Celebration and Awards
Lavender Celebration recognizes LGBTQ+ and allied students completing their bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree and features awards celebrating faculty, staff, students and alumni who contribute to the LGBTQ+ community. Nominations open in March and April and can be made online through MyInvolvement.
For more information visit the Intercultural Student Engagement website.
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