{"id":426,"date":"2025-05-19T20:19:52","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T00:19:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/oee\/?page_id=426"},"modified":"2026-04-13T13:20:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T17:20:25","slug":"presidential-awards","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/oee\/events\/presidential-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Presidential Awards for Inclusive Excellence"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":386,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/one-column.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"class_list":["post-426","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"lead_in":"","display_title":"Presidential Awards for Inclusive Excellence","subtitle":"","call_to_action":"","hero_image_placement":"right_image","hero_media":"images","hero_pattern_option":"simple","hero_video":"","hero_image_landing":10262,"hero_image_landing_two":"","hero_image_landing_three":"","content_modules_above":[{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion_new","anchor_id":"","classes":"mt-0 pt-0","title":"","description":"

The Presidential Awards for Inclusive Excellence honor faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, and community members and organizations whose accomplishments cultivate a profound sense of belonging and thriving for all members of our community.<\/p>\r\n

The annual awards, announced each spring, celebrate leaders who embody our Meliora values. Collectively, the nominees help make the University of Rochester a place where everyone can learn, discover, heal, create, and make\u00a0the world ever better.<\/p>\r\n

The nomination period for the 2026 awards has closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination!<\/p>\r\n

All nominees and their nominators will be invited to attend the awards ceremony and reception on Tuesday, March 31, 2026<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n ","background":"plain","background_color":"#ffffff","style":"row_blank","expand":"no","accordions":null}],"sidebar":"show__sidebar","sidebar_feed":"menu_select","menu":"6","page_links":null,"sub_menu":"","content_modules":[{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion_new","anchor_id":"","classes":"mt-0 pt-0","title":"

2026 winners<\/h2>","description":"\"\"","background":"plain","background_color":"#ffffff","style":"row_blank","expand":"no","accordions":[{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Advocacy and Action Award \u2013 Faculty Winner","icon":"","row_content":"Chunkit Fung, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Oncology and Vice Chair of Engagement and Enrichment<\/strong>\r\n\r\nDr. Fung has played\u202fa central role\u202fin embedding inclusive excellence\u202fin\u202fthe Department of Medicine\u2019s clinical practice, educational mission, professional culture, and strategic planning. His efforts have strengthened faculty and trainee wellbeing, promoted accountability, created new pathways for mentorship and professional development, expanded community-engaged scholarship, enriched quality improvement efforts, and elevated URMC\u2019s national profile in health outcomes optimization.","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Advocacy and Action Award \u2013 Staff Winner","icon":"","row_content":"Carmona Ross-Asare, Ph.D., International Student Counselor, College Center for Advising Services<\/strong>\r\n\r\nDr. Ross-Asare advises and counsels over 150 international students through the College Center for Advising Services. Her student nominators shared that Dr. Ross-Asare has consistently empowered them and helped remove barriers that often go unnoticed. Her attentive mentorship and advocacy help anchor international students to our community, making our University a better place for everyone to belong.","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Changemaker Award Winner","icon":"","row_content":"East-UR MEDS for Future Health Professionals<\/strong>\r\n\r\nEast-UR MEDS connects\u202fURochester\u202fmedical students with East High School scholars who are interested in healthcare. The medical students provide near-peer mentorship and support across three school-based programs: Lunch & Learns, HOSA \u2013 Future Health Professionals, and Career Spotlights. In everything they do, East-UR MEDS leaders center East High School scholars\u2019 voices, identities, and lived experiences.","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Inclusive Workforce Award Winner","icon":"","row_content":"Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center<\/strong>\r\n\r\nEstablished in 2013, the Burgett Intercultural Center promotes intercultural understanding, enriches our culture of respect and collaboration, and builds a community where everyone feels included. The BIC helps students feel a sense of belonging through programming and events centered on cultural food, and art, and they have a rich array of LGBTQ+ life offerings for students from all URochester schools.","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Social Impact Award Winner","icon":"","row_content":"Wade Norwood \u201985, Chief Advancement and Government Relations Officer, Common Ground Health and Rochester Regional Health Information Organization<\/strong>\r\n\r\nSince graduating from\u00a0URochester\u00a0in 1985, Wade Norwood has been a dedicated change agent and community leader. In addition to his trailblazing work with Common Ground Health, he has served as the co-chair of URMC\u2019s Community Advisory Council and has held leadership roles\u00a0in\u00a0the New York State Board of Regents, the New York State Health Department, the Finger Lakes COVID-19 Task Force, and\u00a0the\u00a0Rochester\u00a0City Council, among others.","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Empowering Equitable Change Award Winner","icon":"","row_content":"Kathy Waller \u201980, \u201883S (MBA), University Trustee<\/strong>\r\n\r\nKathy Waller has served as a member of the University\u2019s Board of Trustees for\u00a0nearly two\u00a0decades and has distinguished herself as an executive leader and advocate for inclusion and opportunity at some of the nation\u2019s most iconic corporations.\u00a0She\u00a0retired as executive chief financial officer and president of Enabling Services, after a\u00a032-year career\u00a0with\u00a0the Coca-Cola Company,\u00a0where she also chaired\u00a0the company\u2019s Women\u2019s Leadership Council. In addition, she serves on the boards of Spelman College and Delta Airlines.\u00a0As\u00a0an alumna, she has held leading roles in the Women\u2019s Network Leadership Committee, initiatives to support inclusivity and student success, major philanthropic campaigns, milestone reunions, and Atlanta-area admissions events.","accordion_anchor":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"accordion","accordion_title":"Distinguished Alumni Award Winner","icon":"","row_content":"Tanatchaya Chanphanitpornkit \u201815E, Conductor and Music Educator<\/strong>\r\n\r\nTanya\u00a0Chanphanitpornkit\u00a0is\u00a0an\u00a0orchestra teacher at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in New York City, where she also is the music director for the Crescendo Orchestra or the New York Youth Symphony. A bassist, conductor, and educator, Tanya has been recognized for elevating the lives of her students and for her leadership to engage the Eastman School of Music and the University communities as a volunteer who works to foster inclusion in all settings.\u00a0As\u00a0an alumna, Tanya has served in a wide range of volunteer leadership roles, including the University's Alumni Board, the Advisory Council for Inclusive Engagement, the Metro New York Network Leadership Council, and the Meliora Collective Mentorship program.","accordion_anchor":""}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"media_text_new","anchor":"","class":"mt-0 pt-2","overline":"","title":"

2025 winners<\/h2>","content":"