2024 Leadership Award Recipients
Distinguished Leadership Award | Ravneel Chauhary
During the past academic year I have served as a senator at large for the Associated Students of UC Merced (ASUCM). I am also the Legislative Director of the External Office of ASUCM and serve as the Labor Relations appointed officer for the UC Student Association (UCSA). In these roles I have advocated for divestment, protecting student's right to free speech, and equitable funding for RCOs. I also worked with other organizers to attend Regents meetings, as well as participated in protests and sit-ins on campus.
Distinguised Leadership Award | Oyinkansola Amao
My name is Oyinkansola Amao, I'm a third-year Bioengineering major with an emphasis in Biotechnology here at UC Merced. I am currently a CollegeCorps fellow, as well as the Vice President of the Nigerian Student Association and a Mentor for the Afro Hall Living & Learning Community. My aspiration is to conduct Stem Cell Research in the medical field after attending graduate school and obtaining my Doctorates.
Legacy Award | Favour Nnaji
In the past academic year, I've worked to cofound the UC Merced Nigerian Student Association while being the captain of our Inaugural UCM Track & Field team. Our team won the the championship at the end of the year and I was able to tell my story as a student featured on the UCM College Tour film.
Steven & Mia Kang Leadership for Social Change Award | Jeneen Barakat
The past year Jeneen has lead the first student led protest at UCM to advocate against the genocide in Gaza. She consistently organized multiple demonstrations and lobbied our student senate for 3 months, to pass the first resolution in the UC system since Oct. 7th condemning the genocide and calling for UC Divestment. She recently helped pass a student divestment bill making ASUCM the 6th ASUC to divest student fees. Throughout the past year Jeneen has been working on campus at the Office of International Affairs, She is a full time student pursuing a degree in Sociology and Psychology with a minor in Political Science, she is the Vice President and Fundraising Chair for Psi Chi and Psychology Club, the founder and president of the new Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at UC Merced, as well as a board member of the UC students association sitting as the Organizing Director for ASUCM.
Carol Tomlinson-Keasey Award | Stephen Smith
This past year I served as co-president and creative director. We had hippie bill homecoming, the fleas by BSC and BSU X BSC bbq. The black engagement initiatives were a series of six initiatives to better student involvement for students of the black diaspora.
Bobcat Well-Being Champion Award | Dr. Daniel Mello
Daniel is proud to be non-Senate Faculty in Psychology here at UCM! He uses experiential and transformative pedagogy to teach psychosocial concepts, as well as more advanced explorations into cultural psychology, the nature of social inequity, and how to work together toward equity and equality. In line with this focus, his research examines family and sociocultural processes that play into health disparities in pediatric chronic illness management.
