Friday, April 2, 2021 71 nominees announced for Student Impact Awards
The names of 29 student organizations and 42 individuals nominated for the 2020–21 Student Impact Awards have been revealed by Student Leadership, Involvement, & Community Engagement.
The winners will be publicly announced at 5 p.m. April 15 during the Student Impact Awards Reception in the Nebraska Union Centennial Room.
Student Impact Awards are presented annually to celebrate the outstanding contributions to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln community by the more than 550 Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) and their leaders.
This year, recognition will be given in 13 categories – two more than in previous years. The ceremony's new awards are Sport Club of the Year and Sport Club Athlete of the Year, which had previously been given at a separate ceremony by the Campus Recreation department.
In a not-so-typical academic year in which RSOs were curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and safety protocols, clubs and organizations have remained active and the list of nominees increased over last year.
"To have more nominees this spring speaks to the incredible resiliency and strength of these groups," says Melissa Griffith Phelps, assistant director for student organizations. "The clubs have an important role in helping Huskers build lasting relationships with each other, the campus, and the community."
Nominees for the 2020-21 Student Impact Awards are:
Outstanding New Student Organization
- Child, Youth and Family Studies Graduate Student Association
- International Student Advisory Board
- National Association for Black Accountants
- Steel Bridge
- UNL branch of Medical students United with Neighbors across America
Outstanding Student Organization Member
- Jasmine Mausbach, Agronomy and Horticulture Graduate Student Association
- Madison Whitney, Sustain UNL
Outstanding Student Organization Officer
- Camille Paddock, Advertising Club
- Alyssa Kuhn, Agronomy and Horticulture Graduate Student Association
- Jenna Knudtson, Engineers without Borders
- Akshat Goel, India Students Association
- Meena Pannirselvam, International Student Advisory Board
- Kailey Wilcox, Out of the Darkness
- Jamie Brunken, Public Relations Student Society of America
- Gabin Kundwa, Rwandan Student Association
- Alex Heraty, Student Alumni Association
- Nash Leef, UNL Student Organic Farm
Student Organization Philanthropy/Service Award
- Agriculture Leadership Shields
- Engineers Without Borders
- UNL branch of Medical students United with Neighbors across America
Diversity and Inclusion Award
- Engineers Without Borders
- National Organization of Gay & Lesbian Scientists & Technical Professionals
- Public Relations Student Society of America
Outstanding New Advisor
- Dr. Rachel Hart, Classics Club
- Dr. Christine E. Wittich, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
- Dr. Jenna Pieper, Society for Human Resource Management
Outstanding Advisor
- Lori Romano, First Generation Student Organization
Outstanding Student Organization President
- Innocent Byiringiro, Agriculture Leadership Shields
- Osler Ortez Amador, Agronomy and Horticulture Graduate Student Association
- Shreeya Vaitla, India Student Organization
- Nicholas Harp, National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals
- Lauren Tritch, Public Relations Student Society of America
- Savant Nzayiramya, Rwandan Student Association
- Jonathan Gerdes, Steel Bridge
- Guadalupe Gutierrez, Student Affiliates of School Psychology
- Ryan Wolff, Student Alumni Association
- Madeleine Leblanc, The Red Keys
- Makayla Gill & Kailynn Jensen, UNL branch of Medical students United with Neighbors across America
Sport Club Athlete of the Year
- Jackson Goddard, Men's Soccer Club
- Allison Hinrichs, Water Ski Club
Sport Club of the Year
Student Leadership Award
- Innocent Byiringiro, Agriculture Leadership Shields
- Fernanda Krupek, Agronomy and Horticulture Graduate Student Association
- Drew Harrahill, Association of Students of the University of Nebraska
- Ilana Lewis, Public Relations Student Society of America
Program of the Year
- Umuganda, Agriculture Leadership Shields
- UNL Homerathon 2020: A Panhellenic Pandemic Performance, Classics Club
- The Collaborative Design Challenge, Engineers Without Borders
Outstanding Student Organization
- Agronomy and Horticulture Graduate Student Association
- Classics Club
- Engineers Without Borders
- India Student Organization
- Public Relations Student Society of America
- UNL Advertising Club