The Graduate School is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Graduate Associate Leadership Award (GALA), which recognizes graduate students for exemplary leadership and service that positively impact their academic units and the broader university community.
The Graduate Associate Leadership Award honors students who demonstrate strong leadership qualities through collaboration, ethical decision-making, adaptability and a commitment to serving others. This year’s nominations and applications reflected a wide range of leadership strengths, including visionary thinking, accountability, empathy, critical problem-solving and resilience.
The Graduate School congratulates this year’s award recipients and the colleges and programs that support their leadership development. The school also extends appreciation to all nominees and applicants for their dedication to leadership and service.
2026 Graduate Associate Leadership Award recipients
- Suraksha Baral, Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences [
- Ai-Ling Lu, Arts and Sciences
- Emily Payne, Graduate School
- Ghazaieh Raei, Education and Human Ecology
- Alex Schimmoller, Arts and Sciences