• Sue Barsamian Engineering Student Award for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion

This award is for undergraduate and graduate students who have demonstrated excellence in the enhancement of diversity and inclusion in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering at Kansas State University. To be eligible for the award, the applicant/nominee must be a full-time student in good academic standing and not graduate prior to December 2022.

The recipient of this award receives a plaque and cash award of $4,000. The
award was presented at the College of Engineering Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion Summit Fall 2022.

Current Recipient

Abby Aguilar, biomedical engineering

Aguilar has been actively involved with diversity and inclusion initiatives despite her short time at K-State. She is involved with the K-State chapter of the Society of Asian Engineers and Scientists and founded the College of Engineering International Events Committee. She also participated and won the Miss K-State competition, representing the Philippines Student Association, and serves on the Engineering Student Council’s diversity, equity and inclusion wing as the community relations chair.

Outside of K-State, she has worked with the Kansas Prevention Collaborative and spoken on racial equity at the Kansas Youth Community Change Conference and Advocacy Days in Wichita.

Criteria for nomination

The criteria for this award include the following:

1. The nominee must be a College of Engineering full-time undergraduate or graduate student in good academic standing.
2. The nominee must have demonstrated exceptional character, leadership and service toward the enhancement of diversity in any active form in the College of Engineering at K-State such as —

• • Outstanding service and leadership in areas that affect historically under-represented students.
  • Outstanding contributions in creating awareness, appreciation and respect for diverse student populations.
  • Outstanding efforts in creating and helping to maintain a campus environment that contributes to the well-being of historically under-represented students or to the cultural competence of all students.

Applications/nominations

Students who are eligible for this award can apply directly or be nominated by other university students, faculty, staff or administrators by Monday, May 8, 2023.