The Pillars of Leadership Awards

The three columns of Baird Point and nearby evergreen trees are silhouetted by a bright yellow half-set sun and night blue sky.

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, and the 猛料视频.

Celebrating Outstanding Leaders

Spring 2026

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!

On This Page

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 30, 2025. Thank you to all who were nominated and attended, and a special congratulations to our 2025 winners!

Awards by Category

There are a total of 20 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.

2025 Award Recipients

Congratulations to our 2025 Pillars of Leadership Award Recipients! We had over 130 nominations for these awards - a huge congratulations to all who were nominated!

Dean of Students Office

  • Dean of Students Positive Impact Award – Yugendran T Kannu Sivakumaran

Community & Civic Engagement

  • Dorothy M. Haas Community Engagement Award – Julian Livingston & Destiny Hopkinson
  • Outstanding Community Impact Award (Undergraduate) – D.J. Ruszkowski
  • Outstanding Community Impact Award (Graduate) – Connor Whitney 
  • Exceptional Community Partnership Award – Delavan Grider Community Center 
  • Visions of Social Justice Award (Undergraduate) – Valerie Juang
  • Visions of Social Justice Award (Graduate) – Ciara Harrington

Fraternity & Sorority Life

  • Outstanding Service to the UB Greek Community – Catherine Mazzola, Sigma Delta Tau
  • Outstanding Service to the UB Greek Community – Chasity Gadsden, Alpha Gamma Delta
  • Outstanding Service to the UB Greek Community – Edward Chiu, Nu Alpha Phi
  • Outstanding Service to the UB Greek Community – Jasmine Thai, Sigma Psi Zeta
  • Outstanding Service to the UB Greek Community – Kayli Liu, alpha Kappa Delta Phi
  • Outstanding Service to the UB Greek Community – Nick Kane, Lambda Chi Alpha
  • Outstanding Service to the UB Greek Community – Taylor Byer-Mixon, Alpha Sigma Tau

Leadership & Development

  • Exemplary Mentorship Award (Graduate Student) – Zahid Manzar & Alex Berger
  • Exemplary Mentorship Award (Emerging Faculty/Staff) – Shannon Myers & Dr. Adedoyin Inaolaji
  • Exemplary Mentorship Award (Mid-Level Faculty/Staff) – Sarah Schauer & Dr. Sayanti Mukherjee
  • Exemplary Mentorship Award (Senior Faculty/Staff) – Ed Brodka & Dr. Nathan Daun-Barnett
  • Emerging Student Leader Awards – Antonia Lestariadi
  • Exemplary Student Leader Awards – Alika Turton
  • Innovative Student Leadership Awards – Sarah MacDougall & Anna Szombathy
  • Service Above Self Award (Student) – Sherry Smith
  • Service Above Self Award (Faculty/Staff) – Dr. Kristen Moore
  • UB Pride & Service Awards – Hailey Carrasco & Nathaniel Mark

Student Governance & Organizations

  • Organization of the Year – Alpha Phi Omega
  • Student Organization Officer of the Year (Undergraduate) – Maryam Ijaz
  • Student Organization Officer of the Year (Graduate) – Vaishali Maheshkar
  • New Student Organization of the Year – Sisters in Law
  • Student Organization Collaboration of the Year – Pre-Health Fall Social
  • Student Organization Award for Excellence in 猛料视频 and Service –  Student Association for Speech & Hearing
  • Student Organization Advisor of the Year – Prashant Sankaran

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!

For more opportunities like this:

Student Engagement

Student Life

猛料视频
150 Student Union, North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260
Email: Contact form

Phone: (716) 645-6469