
Honoring central campus undergraduates, graduate students, and student groups
The Central Campus Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Awards program honors undergraduates, graduate students, and student groups on central campus who best exemplify the leadership and extraordinary vision of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nominees and awardees will be recognized at the Awards Ceremony, which will highlight the various ways in which our students have worked to carry on the spirit of Dr. King.
2025 Awardees
Undergraduate
Christian Loredo-Duran
Julia Odhiambo
Ryan Mirza
Graduate
Naajia Shakir
Group
Crafting Democratic Futures
Nominations to Ceremony Timeline
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Nov 4-Nov 29, 2024
Call for Nominations
U-M Ann Arbor faculty, staff, and students may nominate individual students or student groups who have distinguished themselves by one or more of the following: building inclusive communities and equitable spaces, pursuing social justice by challenging oppressive norms engaging with diverse communities to promote cross-cultural collaboration, confronting systemic injustice(s), and commitment to racial justice. Nomination Deadline: Friday, November 29, 2024.
Eligibility - Eligible students must be enrolled full-time in a central campus program, including: Business, Dentistry, Education, Information, Kinesiology, Literature, Science, and the Arts, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, Public Policy, and Social Work. Students nominated for the individual award must also be in good academic standing. Student groups must be affiliated with a central campus school or college or be a campus-wide activist organization. Groups do not need to be a sponsored student organization or a voluntary student organization to be recognized for the award.
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Dec 6-Dec 20, 2024
Accepting Nominations
Individual students or student groups who are nominated will need to accept their nomination by filling out the nominee information form by the deadline stated to be considered for the award. Nomination Acceptance Deadline: Friday, December 20, 2024
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Jan 6-Jan 17, 2025
Awardee Selection
The Central Campus MLK Spirit Awards Selection Committee will review all award applications and select individual students or student groups who have distinguished themselves by one or more of the following: building inclusive communities and equitable spaces, pursuing social justice by challenging oppressive norms, engaging with diverse communities to promote cross-cultural collaboration, confronting systemic injustice(s), and commitment to racial justice. Selection is based on the nomination letters received as well as the nominee’s submitted resume and additional information. The committee does not review outside materials such as transcripts or social media profiles. All awards are given based on the information received at the time of the selection meeting.
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Jan 25, 2025
Awards Ceremony
Nominees and awardees will be recognized at the Awards Ceremony, which will also highlight the various ways in which our students have worked to carry on the spirit of Dr. King.
MLK Spirit Awards Planning and Selection Committee
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Thomas Bell
Stephen M. Ross School of Business
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Patricia Coleman-Burns
School of Nursing
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Rebecca Epstein
School of Information
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Susan Guindi
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
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Devon Keen
School of Information
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Kelly Maxwell
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
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Henry Meares
School of Education
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Whitney Peoples
School of Public Health
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TBD
Pharmacy
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Abigail Eiler
School of Social Work
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Elena Vinales
School of Kinesiology
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TBD
Dentistry
Sponsoring Schools
and Colleges
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Dentistry
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
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School of Education
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Ford School
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School of Information
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School of Kinesiology
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College of Literature, Science, and the arts
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School of Nursing
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Pharmacy
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School of Public Health
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Michigan Ross
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School of Social Work

Past Awardees
Nominees and awardees will be recognized in the Award Ceremony, which will highlight the various ways in which our students have worked to carry on the spirit of Dr. King.