The 2024 Larry W. Lunsford Leadership Award was presented to Francesca Casanova, a junior majoring in civil engineering who has dedicated her time at FIU to uplifting fellow Panthers as a member of Student Government Association and Alpha Xi Delta. She was recently elected the next president of SGA, and she currently leads FIU’s Panhellenic Council as president, where she oversees recruitment, philanthropy and educational programming for its seven member sororities. Casanova also served on the Tech Fee committee, tasked with allocating millions to much needed areas on campus to improve Panthers’ educational experience.
“We are incredibly proud of all our Outstanding Student Life Awardees,” said Charlie Andrews, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs. “These students truly embody the Panther spirit and epitomize the goal of our institution to empower the next generation of thought leaders and innovators.”
The 2024 Outstanding Student Life Awardees are as follows:
Outstanding Service Award
Jose Cabas, chemistry
College of Arts, Sciences & Education, Honors College
Nicholas Dore, international relations
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
MedSWISH (Medical Students Working to Improve Health and Society)
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Student Faculty Collaborative Clinic
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Outstanding Spirit Award
Marc Gideon, biology
College of Arts, Sciences & Education
Michelle Gonzalez, digital and interactive media
College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts
Outstanding Innovation Award
Lorena Stanford, Spanish-language journalism
College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts
Medical School Mindfulness Initiative
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Award
Chelsey Ameda, medicine
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Kaily LaChapelle, international relations
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar Award
Arya B. Nair, mechanical engineering
College of Engineering & Computing
Thomas Silva, biological sciences and natural and applied sciences
College of Arts, Sciences & Education
Isabel Trespalacios, biochemistry and biological sciences
College of Arts, Sciences & Education, Honors College
Outstanding Graduate Scholar Award
Alvi Ataur Khalil, doctoral candidate, computer engineering
College of Engineering & Computing
Ahmed Soliman, doctoral candidate, electrical and computer engineering
College of Engineering & Computing
Outstanding Undergraduate Leadership Award
First-Year:
Eva Senande, biology
College of Arts, Sciences & Education, Honors College
Sophomore:
Hua Hui Vogel, biomedical engineering
College of Engineering & Computing, Honors College
Junior:
Asheley Gelin, economics
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
Yasmine Tesone, hospitality management
Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
Senior:
Tiara Campbell, biological sciences
College of Arts, Sciences & Education, Honors College
Natalie Concepcion, political science and international relations
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, Honors College
Lia Goodman, political science
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, Honors College
Amanda Sarmientos, psychology
College of Arts, Sciences & Education, Honors College
Outstanding Graduate Leadership Award
Sela Andrews, higher education administration
College of Arts, Sciences & Education
Shivanna Birbal, doctoral candidate, teaching and learning
College of Arts, Sciences & Education
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