Organization Leadership Awards Winners
This page lists the organization award winners of 2023 Student Life Leadership Awards. Feel free to review the complete For a listing of individual award winners, visit the Individual Winner webpage. Also be sure to check out the Leadership Awards highlight on @StudentLifeOSU on Instagram.
Boehm Holistic Wellness Award
Sponsored by the Student Life Wellness Center, this award is presented in both individual and organization categories. The award recognizes Buckeyes who have promoted holistic wellness through leadership.
Society of Women Engineers
The Society of Women Engineers works to empower women to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders. They work to promote holistic wellness through their wellness program, providing monthly initiatives for members covering all ten dimensions of wellness. This program has been developed over the years, moving from a focus on physical and emotional wellness to a more holistic approach. Through their various events and their strong partnership with the Student Wellness Center, the Society of Women Engineers works to develop members into the best version of themselves by encouraging them to find a balance between being a student and being a person.
Belonging and Social Change Engagement in Programming Award
Sponsored by the Student Life Center for Belonging and Social Change, these awards are presented to students and student organization programs that have demonstrated a significant commitment to fostering intercultural impact as part of ongoing efforts to create a globally engaged citizenry among students at The Ohio State University. The awards recognize efforts put forth by students to encourage a deeper understanding of diversity and social justice and create intercultural understanding.
Society of Women Engineers
A winner of many awards tonight, The Society of Women Engineers is being honored for their DE&I Initiatives in Industry Program. The purpose of this program was to equip attendees with the resources and knowledge necessary to make an informed decision regarding the DE&I initiative of current or prospective employers. This session contributed to a deeper understanding of social change by helping members reconsider the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the hiring process and within company culture. Beyond sharing an overview of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, this program established the importance of companies investing in their employees to foster an environment of belonging and inclusion.
Student Organization Excellence Awards
In many respects, the success of student organization helps students Engage, Learn, and Thrive.The excellence awards are designed to recognize student organizations whose work over the past year demonstrates notable accomplishments success in Member Development, Organization Operations, and Community Engagement, the three domains within the Student Organization Success Framework.
Student Organization Excellence in Member Development
Association of Computing Machinery for Women
The Association of Computing Machinery for Women’s mission is to support, celebrate, and advocate for the full engagement of women in all aspects of the computing field. They place a heavy emphasis on member and leader development and incorporate personal growth in various ways. Hosting weekly events around professional development and networking, ACM-W provides extensive opportunities for their members to grow their own skills and engage in mentorship to help others develop their skills as well. They provide several outlets for discussion, promote the holistic wellness of their members, and provide opportunities for off-campus engagement through conferences. These opportunities allow members to develop leadership and interpersonal skills and make ACM-W the most active computer-science focused organization on campus.
Society of Women Engineers
The Society of Women Engineers’ mission is to support female engineering students to achieve their full potential while in college and prepare them for opportunities post-graduation. Their ultimate focus is on the experience of their members as they engage in leadership and interpersonal development through a vast array of programming offered throughout the year. This year, they are being recognized specifically for their Early Leader Ambassador Program, which works to develop relevant skills to prepare first- and second-year students for a future leadership position. This program provides a unique and individualized opportunity for select members to develop leadership and interpersonal skills that will help them not only to be leaders of SWE, but also to be leaders in their future roles after graduation.
Undergraduate Business Women’s Association
The Undergraduate Business Women's Association is a Fisher student organization that aims to bring together all students interested in empowering women in business through professional development, philanthropy, community building, and engaging discussions. They are comprised of over 200 undergraduate women holding majors primarily within the Fisher College of Business. Women in Business puts a large emphasis on leadership development, providing opportunities to get involved with the executive leadership board, committee membership, the ability to attend an annual conference, and their Business Bootcamp program offered each fall. They also bring in speakers from various corporations, nonprofit organizations, small businesses and more to speak with students in engaging dialogue. Overall, Women in Business offers several ways for members to focus on their own development and prepare themselves for a career in business.
Student Organization Excellence in Organization Operations
Association of Computing Machinery for Women
Being recognized for several Leadership Awards this year, The Association of Computing Machinery for Women have displayed a strong commitment to their mission of supporting, celebrating, and advocating for the full engagement of women in all aspects of the computing field. They maintain several key corporate sponsors, who provide funding for their organization as well as collaborating on various events around professional development and networking. ACM-W also works to maintain a well-thought-out budget, which allows them to leverage their corporate sponsorships to provide access to exciting professional development opportunities for their members. They also have maintained a strong transition process for their executive board, including the use of handbooks and one-on-one meetings between the old board members and the new ones to aid in the transition of power.
Biomedical Engineering Society
The Biomedical Engineering Society is a student organization on campus whose mission is to aid in the professional and social development of undergraduate students at Ohio State interested in biomedical engineering. BMES has worked to expand their company sponsorship program, providing donations to the organization as well as networking and professional development opportunities. Similarly, the partner with on campus groups as well to provide unique engagement opportunities for their members, particularly in the execution of large-scale events. This year, they are prioritizing the growth and sustainability of their organization within their retention rates, implementing new programming and opportunities for members such as a mentorship program and additional committee member positions. Overall, their partnerships help them maintain their operational structure, and they frequently get input from their members and their advisors in order to ensure that their members are receiving appropriate resources and benefits from participating.
BuckeyeThon
The mission of BuckeyeThon is to raise awareness and funds for kids with pediatric cancer and blood disorders. They work to achieve this mission through programs, which enhance the student experience, promote the value of philanthropy, establish a spirit of service, and cultivate relationships between students, faculty, staff, and community members. BuckeyeThon engages in several outlets, from providing service and philanthropic opportunities for student members, as a major fundraising group for Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and as one of the top fundraising groups in the Children Miracle’s Network. BuckeyeThon is made up of a general body, leadership team, and executive board, which help it run smoothly and engages students across the university in various capacities. Their collaborations on campus and with external partners increase the scope of their involvement on a broad scale and provide various opportunities for engagement to Ohio State students.
Society of Women Engineers
A winner of several Leadership Awards this year, it should come as no surprise that The Society of Women Engineers relies on a foundation of excellent organization operations practices to support their mission of empowering women to achieve their full potential as engineers and leaders. SWE maintains strong connections with companies and individuals to provide funding to support their programming. This year, nearly $40,000 was raised to support their mission, which is the largest amount they have raised in their history. These connections for sponsorship, as well as strong partnerships made with several on- and off-campus stakeholders, allow SWE to continue to develop an impressive roster of programming for their members. This intentional development of connections, combined with their focus on improving their operational techniques year after year and promoting diversity and inclusion, displays their commitment to providing the very best experience for their members.
Student Organization Excellence in Community Engagement
Association of Computing Machinery for Women
The Association of Computing Machinery for Women's mission to support, celebrate, and advocate for the full engagement of women in all aspects of the computing field is made possible by their strong engagement in the community. They work directly with young women in the Columbus community through their outreach in K-12 schools, clubs, and libraries to expose them to majors in computing and science. They also host workshops for these populations, including an annual middle and high school coding workshop. They also collaborate with both on- and off-campus stakeholders to host a variety of different events for professional development and networking. Community engagement is a key part of the ACM-W mission, so maintaining connections with local K-12 populations, ACM-W alumni, other campus entities, and corporate sponsors is a crucial part of their operations.
Engineers Without Borders
Engineers Without Borders is a group of motivated undergraduate students that seeks to empower and meet the basic human needs of both international and local communities. They focus on collaborating within the communities on projects addressing the issues of food shortage and inequitable education to create lasting and positive change in those communities. They take the time to truly listen to the community’s needs and work with them on each step of the process, allowing their projects to be community driven and sustainable. They maintain long-term partnerships with the communities they enter to continue to build upon their projects and make lasting change in those communities. The hands-on opportunities they provide, the community engagement they cultivate, and the solutions they implement make them a strong model for this award.
Latino Medical Student Association
The Latino Medical Student Association’s mission is to unite and empower current and future physicians through service, mentorship, and education to advocate for the improved health of the Hispanic & Latina/o/x community in the United States. They have worked over the last year to increase their offerings and establish a space for Latinx/Hispanic students, residents, and attending physicians to talk while balancing the demands of medical school. They have worked on several collaborations over the past year, including working with local Latino-owned businesses to fundraise for their programming and working with on-campus groups to provide community building and professional development opportunities for their members. LMSA also partners with local free clinics, churches, and more to provide a variety of accessible services and educational opportunities to the community. Their focus on not only developing their own members, but also giving back to the Columbus community proves their excellence as a student organization.
Residence Halls Advisory Council
The Residence Halls Advisory Council serves The Ohio State University residence hall student population through programming and advocacy work through their five pillars of Creating and Developing Community, Student Advocacy, Student Development and Wellness, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Recognition and Leadership. They collaborate across campus by connecting with Involved Living Organizations, as well as community councils, resident advisors, and professional staff in Housing and Residence Education on various events and programming throughout the year. They also partner with off-campus entities to provide resources, services, and job opportunities to residents on campus. Their focus on advocacy, intentional programming, and their reach across Housing and Residence Education has allowed them to set a model for excellence in community engagement.
Outstanding Student Organization Program Award
Ohio State student organizations host thousands of events throughout the academic year, contributing not only to the extraordinary student experience of their own members, but the to the campus community as well. Outstanding programs promote the mission of the organization, meaningfully involve members in the planning and execution of the event, and make a lasting impact on membership and/or the campus community. Successful programs will align with the Programming outcome in the Student Organization Success Framework.
Buckeye Shadowing Club
Buckeye Shadowing Club’s mission is to connect students with physicians in order to expand their knowledge on the medical field and encourage their passion for healthcare. They strive to educate their members on how they can maximize their time and experiences as a pre-health student at Ohio State. They are being recognized for their first meeting of the 2022/2023 school year, where Dr. Sorabh Khandelwal, a specialist in emergency medicine and Ohio State’s director of patient care competency in the College of Medicine, was able to share his personal experience and advice with their members. Through this program, students were able to hear a firsthand account of someone finding their passion through medicine. Dr. Khandelwal shared a candid view of what it means to work in the medical field and the care students should take in deciding if it is the right path for them. Students also had the opportunity to engage Dr. Khandelwal in a discussion around his experiences in the field.
Ohio Union Activities Board
The mission of The Ohio Union Activities Board is to provide programs and events for the students of Ohio State's Columbus campus that are educational, entertaining, and thought-provoking. They are specifically being recognized for their event for National Poetry Month entitled Poetry Out Loud. In this event, student poets participated in a workshop and read their poems with the help of and alongside local Columbus poet Saeed Jones. This program allowed students an opportunity to grow the talent they already possessed and gain advice to take with them in the future. It also gave them an opportunity to perform in front of an audience and share their work with family and friends.
Pilipino Student Association
The Pilipino Student Association’s mission is to celebrate Filipino culture through a culture show, workshops, educational events, and philanthropy both in Ohio and the Philippines, as well as to foster an inclusive environment that welcomes people of all backgrounds. PSA strives to engage with other cultural organizations on-campus and in the Greater Columbus Area for a more wholistic event experience. They are being recognized for the program Barrio, which is their annual culture show celebrating Filipino culture and heritage through a series of performances including dances, songs, games, a traditional dinner, and more. This program allows all students, regardless of membership in PSA, to engage with various on-campus cultural organizations and uplift minority voices. This annual event serves to expose our campus to Filipino and Filipino-American culture and history. For Filipino students in the audience, it serves as a small connection home and as a reminder of their heritage
Theme Park Engineering Group
One of the missions of Theme Park Engineering Group is to foster connections between those interested in working in the themed entertainment industry as well as companies in that industry. They are specifically being recognized for their program entitled Students in Themed Entertainment (SITE), a conference held in Spring 2022 that brought together students and professionals in the themed entertainment industry for the purposes of networking and building connections. This event served to introduce students to sides of the themed entertainment industry that they did not know about before and to highlight different career paths within the industry. Students had the opportunity to engage with a range of professionals from various companies to understand the ins and outs of working within the themed entertainment industry.
Outstanding Collaborative Student Organization Program Award
Ohio State student organizations host thousands of events throughout the academic year, contributing not only to the extraordinary student experience of their own members, but the to the campus community as well. Outstanding collaborative programs promote the mission of the organization, meaningfully involve members in the planning and execution of the event, and make a lasting impact on membership and/or the campus community. Programs engage at least one other organization, department, or external entity. Successful programs will align with the Programming outcome in the Student Organization Success Framework.
Association of Computing Machinery for Women
Being recognized for several Leadership Awards this year, the Association of Computing Machinery for Women works to support, celebrate, and advocate for the full engagement of women in all aspects of the computing field While they participate in several valuable collaborations among their programming, they are specifically being recognized for their program Code I/O that they host in Spring in collaboration with OHI/O, a student organization focused on coding and technology. Code I/O is an event that brings K-12 students to campus and pairs them with college volunteers to help them complete a variety of coding related activities. ACM-W and OHI/O contributed to the event in different ways to support the event, with ACM-W focusing on planning the activites, designing marketing materials, booking rooms, and finding speakers while OHI/O focused on monetary contributions, facilitating training for working with minors, and providing college mentor volunteers for the program. This collaboration not only supports K-12 participants, but also supports the development of the college volunteers.
Society of Women Engineers
A winner of several Leadership Awards this year, the Society of Women Engineers’ works to support female engineering students in achieving their full potential while in college and prepare them for opportunities post-graduation. While they participate in several valuable collaborations among their programming, they are specifically being recognized for their Professional Development Fashion Show in collaboration with Xena Workwear for Women and Dress for Success Columbus. This event served to answer questions around professional dress by displaying outfits fit for a variety of professional events and catering to various levels of wear, including business casual, business professional, manufacturing wear, and formal attire. Through these partnerships, SWE was able to raffle off $1100 worth of items from Xena Workwear for Women and offer a pop-up shop for students through Dress for Success, who also offered free suit fittings for attendees. Overall, this collaborative event provided a unique way for members of SWE to learn about different types of professional dress, while also having the opportunity to win or buy their first article of professional clothing.
Outstanding Student Organization
Ohio State believes in the value of student organizations and their impact on the students involved. Student organizations provide an opportunity for students to work toward a common mission, build friendships and develop leadership. This award recognizes student organizations that make extraordinary contributions to campus and their members through membership development, programming, commitment to academics, and/or active citizenship. We recognize that the achievements of established student organizations and new student organizations differ, yet both contribute to campus involvement. Therefore, this award is granted in two distinct categories; Outstanding New Student Organization and Outstanding Overall Student Organization.
Outstanding New Student Organization
First-Generation Pre-Physician Assistant Platform
The First-generation Pre-Physician Assistant Platform is a free. 24/7 mentorship service for Pre-PA students at Ohio State and beyond to engage online through various social media platforms. This service provides resources and mentorship to many common pre-PA questions, which are traditionally not available online for free. The goal of this platform is to promote these resources to first-generation students who experience disparities within their education, primarily those who cannot typically afford to access these types of resources. Overall, they are working to dismantle the barriers to financially affording exclusive opportunities in order to create a truly equitable playing field for the underserved first-generation students to increase their matriculation into the Physician Assistant profession. Hosting this platform virtually through social media allows them to reach more students by being accessible at any time and eliminates barriers to accessing meetings due to transportation, work, familial responsibilities, and more.
Global Buckeyes
Global Buckeyes accommodates International Student-Athletes who require assistance acclimating to the U.S. college culture and way of life. They offer a variety of events to internal student-athletes that focus on the social aspects of transitioning to college life in the U.S., as well as providing leadership opportunities for students involved to provide professional development for their members. In their first meeting, they hosted over 15 student-athletes and athletic staff members together to introduce them to the mission and goals of the organization. Their future goals are to continue finding ways to bring international student-athletes together to meet and discuss their college experiences, learn about each other's sports, cultures, and fields of student, and providing leadership opportunities for these student athletes.
Surgical Preparation and Skills Preparation
Surgical Preparation and Skills Preparation are working to train aspiring surgeons to prepare them for active shadowing, rotations, and residencies. SurgPrep has 12 sessions with around 60 participants and 20 teachers. Through their structured program curriculum, students learn a variety of surgical techniques, as well as several other skills that students are expected to learn during their third- and fourth-year rotations but are never formally taught to this degree. SurgPrep is a one-of-a-kind program across the nation, and though it is new, it has quickly risen to one of the largest interest groups within the College of Medicine at Ohio State. They plan to continue expanding their offerings through future partnerships to provide more hands-on learning opportunities for students.
Outstanding Overall Student Organization
Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega is a co-ed fraternity whose mission is to prepare campus and community leaders through service. They go above and beyond to achieve this mission, offering daily opportunities for their over 200 members to engage in at least one of their three pillars of leadership, fellowship, and service. Their extensive programming provides several areas of development for their members, and overall makes them a leader in the Ohio State community. They maintain numerous connections with both on- and off-campus partners to provide these opportunities to their members and have a large impact on the Ohio State community as a result. They are proud to display their commitment to Ohio State through the privilege of ringing the victory bell in Ohio Stadium after each home football victory and at commencement.
Association of Computing Machinery for Women
The Association of Computing Machinery for Women’s mission is to support, celebrate, and advocate for the full engagement of women in all aspects of the computing field. They accomplish their mission through mentoring, volunteering, and hosting several different workshops and networking events with corporate sponsors and other student organizations. They place a heavy emphasis on the development of their members and encouraging them to get involved with computer science. ACM-W is open to membership throughout the year and works to provide members with the opportunity to attend the yearly Grace Hopper Conference in Orlando, Florida with a scholarship grant that they provide. These partnerships and developmental programs provide a wealth of opportunities for their members to develop both personally and professionally.
Biomedical Engineering Society
The Biomedical Engineering Society is a student organization on campus whose mission is to aid in the professional and social development of undergraduate students at Ohio State interested in biomedical engineering. They offer a variety of professional development opportunities for students, including resume reviews, recruiting events with companies, and mock interviews, while also placing an emphasis on community building among members. They connect their members together through several community building activities, as well as a mentorship program. They also work to build community with other organizations on campus, which allows them to create support systems and mentorship programs that span the College of Medicine. The Biomedical Engineering Society prides itself on its extensive engagement both on- and off-campus and all of the great programming and resources they are able to provide to their members.
Black and Bold Magazine
Black and Bold Magazine is Ohio State’s only Black magazine and is a publication with a special focus on uplifting and empowering underrepresented communities. They work to deliver accurate content through storytelling and to dispel the misrepresentation of minorities represented in the media. Building off of the legacy of historical newspapers with a similar mission, Black and Bold and their diverse staff have worked to give all aspiring writers and creatives an outlet to showcase their talent and to create a lasting legacy for the Black and Latinx populations on campus to be proud of. They have collaborated with The Lantern to promote the Black Voices at OSU Project, and are diligently working to move their successful online content to print soon.
BuckeyeThon
The mission of BuckeyeThon is to raise awareness and funds for kids with pediatric cancer and blood disorders. They work to achieve this mission through programs, which enhance the student experience; promote the value of philanthropy; establish a spirit of service; and cultivate relationships between students, faculty, staff, and community members. Their premier program is the BuckeyThon dance marathon that they host each year, which not only serves as Ohio State’s largest philanthropic event, but also presents an opportunity for all students to contribute to BuckeyeThon’s mission, even if they are not members of the organization itself. BuckeyeThon has existed for over 20 years, creating a unique experience for students to get involved through a complex structure of membership and leadership. The annual dance marathon represents a large collaboration between on-campus organization and community entities, contributing to BuckeyeThon’s overall impact and mission.
Public Relations Student Society of America
The Public Relations Student Society of America maintains its mission to educate students about the public relations world and prepare them professionally for post-graduation. PRSSA works to fill the hands-on experience gap left by Ohio State’s Public Relations classes, focusing on providing practical PR skills for students to add to their resume. They have a focus on building strong leaders, providing their members with various opportunities to engage in the organizational leadership of the organization and professional development and networking opportunities. PRSSA often collaborates with other student organizations, as well as other PRSSA chapters at different universities, to better expand the connections and opportunities offered to their members.
Society of Women Engineers
A winner of several Leadership Awards this year, The Society of Women Engineers’ mission is to support female engineering students to achieve their full potential while in college and prepare them for opportunities post-graduation. They work towards this mission through numerous events hosted throughout the year in partnership with on-campus units that focus on professional development, wellness, leadership, and more. Though they have received this award in the past, the Society for Women Engineers continues to grow their organization and improve the offerings they provide to their members. While they are focused on supporting women in engineering, they do provide an open and welcoming environment for all students and are continuing to find new and innovative ways to engage the campus community in their mission.
TEDxOhioStateUniversity
TEDxOhioStateUniversity’s mission is to elevate our community’s most innovative and diverse ideas, stories, and talents through the TEDx Stage. They provide professional development through community outreach with Columbus city schools, donor and partner relationship, one-on-one speaker coaching, and more. The annual one-day TEDx Conference highlights 12 speakers and a performance group within the Ohio State community, which allows all students, staff, faculty, and Columbus community members to engage with TEDx. Their programming works in collaboration with several on-campus stakeholders to create significant connections for their members.