Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact Announces Recipients of 2021 President’s Awards and Selective Engaged Campus Awards

April 19, 2021 (DES MOINES and MINNEAPOLIS)  Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact (IAMNCC) today announced winners of the 2021 Presidents’ Awards and Engaged Campus Awards. The 2021 Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact awards honor over 90 individuals and organizations whose accomplishments exemplify and celebrate the public purpose at the heart of higher education, nominated by 32 of IAMNCC’s member campuses. Presidents’ Awards recognize outstanding contributions in civic and community engagement by students, faculty, staff, collaborative teams, and community organizations on individual member campuses. Engaged Campus Awards lift up outstanding achievements in the categories of alumni leadership, emerging innovation, and community collaboration from across IAMNCC’s network of 59 member colleges and universities. 

The COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Election, climate change, and the ongoing national reckoning for racial justice have renewed purpose and solidified commitments to civic and community engagement across the Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact network. The exemplary work and leadership of this year’s cohort of awardees demonstrates how our member campuses have risen to the challenge and met the current moment. In 2021, Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact awards were given in the following categories:

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award recognizes an individual student or a student organization that models a deep commitment to civic responsibility and leadership, evidenced by initiative, innovative and collaborative approaches to addressing public issues, effective community building, and integration of civic engagement into the college experience.
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award recognizes a member of the faculty, administration, or staff or for a group (e.g., advisory committee, task force, project team) that has significantly advanced their campus’ distinctive civic mission by forming strong partnerships, supporting others’ civic and community engagement, and working to institutionalize a culture and practice of engagement.
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award recognizes a community-based partner or organization that has enhanced the quality of life in the community in meaningful and measurable ways and has engaged in the development of sustained, reciprocal partnerships with the college or university, thus enriching educational as well as community outcomes.
• Engaged Campus Award for Alumni Leadership recognizes an alum of a member institution making strong contributions to their community and demonstrating the values of the civic mission of higher education.
• Engaged Campus Award for Community Collaboration recognizes a collaboration co-created with community organizations, leaders, and/or partners that is deep, reciprocal, and transformational.
• Engaged Campus Award for Emerging Innovation recognizes recent project, program, or initiative making unique and innovative contributions that demonstrate strong future potential, including student-led projects.

In addition to a list of all awardees organized by awarding or nominating member college or university included below, lists of awardees by award category with images and additional description of each recipient’s accomplishments are available on the Iowa Campus Compact website and the Minnesota Campus Compact website. 

2021 Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact Award Winners 

Organized by Member College or University 

Augsburg University

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Zoe Barany
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: People’s Center Clinics and Services 
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Natalie Jacobson

Bethel University

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Kadrian Chambers
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Model Cities
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Dr. Andy Johnson

Carleton College

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Eunice Valenzuela
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Community Action Center of Northfield
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Professor Kelly Connole and Professor Susannah Ottaway

Central College

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Building a Culture of Inclusion Initiative
• Engaged Campus Award for Alumni Leadership: Dean Furness, Central College Class of 1994

Coe College

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Harold Walehwa
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Catherine McAuley Center
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Dr. Neal McNabb

College of Saint Benedict

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Drew Wilds
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Genesys Works
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Dr. Emily Heying

Concordia College

• Engaged Campus Award for Community Collaboration: Concordia College Theatre

Concordia University – Saint Paul

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Alexis Stanley
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Big Stone Therapies
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Mike Bond

Drake University

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Sydnei Washington
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART)
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Drake Athletic Department
• Engaged Campus Award for Alumni Leadership: Pam Schoffner, Drake University Class of 1972
• Engaged Campus Award for Community Collaboration: Mark S. Cady Day of Public Service, nominated by Drake Law School

Grand View University

• Engaged Campus Award for Emerging Innovation: MLK Week of Service

Gustavus Adolphus College

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Holly Fitterer
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Mankato Clinic
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Dr. Maddalena Marinari

Hamline University

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Ethiopian and Eritrean Student Union (EESU)
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Second Harvest Heartland
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Coach Karen Heggerness

Inver Hills Community College

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Annabelle Knowles
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Open Door
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Nicole Bietz

Loras College

• Engaged Campus Award for Community Collaboration: Loras College Civic Leaders Year 2 Leadership Team
• Engaged Campus Award for Emerging Innovation: Cultural Snapshots Community-based Research Project Design

Macalester College

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Emma Smith
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: ISAIAH
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Dr. John Kim

Metropolitan State University

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Lucia Rivas
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: SCORE Minnesota
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Dr. Roberta Gibbons

Minneapolis College

• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Christopher Rau

Minnesota State University Mankato

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Kara Svercl
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Connections Shelter
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Monika Antonelli

Normandale Community College

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Maria Estrada Santiago
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Hope for the Community
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Campus Cupboard COVID Team

Saint John’s University

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Elliot Edeburn 
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Around Cloud Tutors 
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement 

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Bridgette Hegarty
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Coach Ryan Egan

Simpson College

• Engaged Campus Award for Alumni Leadership: William ‘Billy’ Weathers, Simpson College Class of 2013

South Central College

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Taylor Benton
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: South Central College Social Workers

Southwest Minnesota State University

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Isabella Erickson
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Cultures on the Prairie Committee
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Michele Knife Sterner

St. Catherine University

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Kieu My Phi 
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Women’s Prison Book Project
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Suffrage Centennial interdisciplinary team

St. Cloud State University

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Sally Nelson
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Chartwells at St. Cloud State University
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Dr. Annette S. Lee
• Engaged Campus Award for Emerging Innovation: Around Cloud Tutors

The University of Iowa

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Charlotte Lenkaitis
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: West Liberty Education Association
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Travis Kraus

University of Minnesota Rochester

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Yusra Yusuf
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Mr. Omar Nur
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Dr. Angie P. Mejia

University of Minnesota Twin Cities

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: MN CovidSitters
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Legal Rights Center
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Critical Community Engagement Roundtable Leadership Team

University of Northern Iowa

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Joana Lwin
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Northeast Iowa Food Bank 
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Dr. Danielle McGeough
• Engaged Campus Award for Community Collaboration: Blackhawk County YWCA and University of Northern Iowa’s Languages and Literatures Department
• Engaged Campus Award for Emerging Innovation:  Cultivating Justice: A Quest Towards Racial Equity

University of St. Thomas

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Alex Upton
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: Keystone Community Services
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Dr. Amy Levad

Winona State University

• Presidents’ Student Leadership Award: Bailey Almich
• Presidents’ Community Partner Award: City of Winona Friendship Center
• Presidents’ Civic Engagement Leadership Award: Dr. Mary Hudgens Henderson

Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact (IAMNCC) is a network of 59 member colleges and universities committed to strengthening the capacity for civic engagement and campus-community partnership in the service of fulfilling the public purposes at the heart of higher education. For more information about IAMNCC, visit our websites at iacampuscompact.org and iamncampuscompact.org. 

Contacts: Rob Barron, Executive Director, rbarron@compact.org (press inquiries) and Jane Turk, Director of Member Engagement and Minnesota Operations, jturk@compact.org (awards program and web inquiries)

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