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Student Centeredness Awards

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The Student Centeredness Awards are presented annually to UC San Diego community members to celebrate acts of student centeredness at the university.

The Student Centeredness Awards honor those who:

  • Go above and beyond to put students first;
  • Innovate in their approaches, and;
  • Champion inclusive belonging across our campus.

As Tritons, we are committed to fostering an environment where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.

Awarded by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life in partnership with Associated Students and the Graduate and Professional Student Association, the award seeks to highlight the transformative actions that advance student success and inclusivity in all aspects of university life, in alignment with UC San Diego's Vision:

UC San Diego's Vision
To be a destination public university that is student centered, research driven, patient dedicated and service oriented.

Award Recipients

It is our pleasure to announce the following recipients of the Student Centeredness Award. Please join us in extending a warm congratulations to our winners!

2024-25 Student Centeredness Awards
  • Ahliyah Chambers, Cross-Cultural Center Interim Director
  • Elizabeth Jimenez Perez, Institutional Research Analyst
  • Lucina Miranda, Psy. D., Psychologist, Eighth College
  • Manas Satish Bedmutha, Ph.D. Student, Computer Science
  • Undocumented Student Services: Juanita Razo Dueñas; Angelica Escobar; Andres Lemons; Dayan Castañeda Muñoz; Rei Perez Munoz; Pricila Rodriguez
  • Candis M. Morello, Pharm.D., Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Chrystian Smith, Creating Culture of Care Manager, Student Affairs Case Management Services
  • Critical Community Engagement Leadership Team: James Crawford, Ph.D; Nicole Kenley, Ph.D; David Quijada, Ph.D; Danielle Williams, Ph.D.
  • Emily Clem, Assistant Professor, Linguistics
  • International Services and Engagement Office: Kyle Argonza; Eva Ascher; Stella Birungi Beaupre; Shellyn Beltran; Summer Bennett; Jessica Boyle; Jenna Canicosa; Chanelle Chestnutt; Vanessa Cisneros; Grace Fuller; Nallely Garcia; Victoria Gerginis-Mellos; Argiria Heyward; Gabriela Hoffmann; Peter Jombik; Jullianna Laxmi Kadel; Ashley LeBourveau-Truong; Kathleen McLaren; Laura Page; Melissa Pante; Jeung Ho Peters; Christine Sampankanpanich; Lisa Swid; Shelly Taskin; Sandra Vargas Tinoco, J.D.; Felicia Young
2023-24 Student Centeredness Awards
  • Alec Calac: Student, UC San Diego Medical Scientist Training Program at the School of Medicine
  • Marisol "Dottie" Dothard: PhD Candidate, Program of Biomedical Sciences
  • Michel Estefan: Faculty, Department of Sociology
  • Graduate Teaching Consultants (Teaching and Learning Commons):
    • Abdullah Albattal (ECE);
    • Alex Dinh (History);
    • Parla Buyruk (Cognitive Science);
    • Paul Roth (Music);
    • Moon Pankam (Anthropology);
    • James Crawford (Education Studies);
    • Torus Washington (Nanoengineering);
    • Eric Rodriguez (Anthropology);
    • Vanessa Na (Education Studies)
  • Triton CORE (Compassionate Response) Team:
    • Ashley Metoyer;
    • Eduardo Caldera;
    • Jo Jo Lee;
    • Christian Gasca
  • Mia Minnes: Faculty, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
  • Julia Nemeth: Graduate Program Manager, Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute
  • David Quijada: Director of Academic Programs, Eighth College
  • Will Styler: Faculty, Computational Social Sciences and Linguistics

Award Timeline

  • May 2 – June 6: Formally Announce and Accept Nominations
  • June 9 – July 7: Committee Reviews Nominations
  • October 2025: Winners Announced

The 2nd Annual Student Centeredness Awards will be presented at the Student Affairs and Campus Life Fall All-Staff Meeting in October 2025.

Eligibility

All currently active UC San Diego community members are eligible for the award, including (but not limited to): students, employees, academics, visiting graduates or scholars, alumni, and departments/ organizational units.

Award Criteria

In addition to demonstrating exemplary support of UC San Diego’s Statement on Student Centeredness and the university’s Principles of Community, criteria for the Student Centeredness Award include:

Student Empowerment and Advocacy

Honoring those who actively engage with and amplify student voices, advocating for their needs and success

Innovative Student Support

Acknowledging individuals who implement inclusive teaching strategies or innovative programs/supports that contribute to students' holistic success

Intersectional Inclusivity

Celebrating those who demonstrate a commitment to centering intersectional identities within the Triton community, fostering an environment of belonging for all

students cheering at a sports event

Contact

For any questions, concerns, or to provide feedback about the Student Centeredness Awards at UC San Diego, please reach out via email.

Email AEOD

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